virtually everyone is a computer criminal

[\/IP3R]

Are we all ready to go to prison now?
I just found this article and thought to post it here.


Forgive Me My Trespasses
By Mark Rasch Sep 08 2003
How a recent federal appeals court decision makes virtually everyone a
computer criminal. http://www.securityfocus.com/columnists/183

[Fatphantom]

Moreover, it represents a trend to use concepts as "trespass" and "unauthorized use" to criminalize things like sending e-mail to people who don't want it, viewing competitor's public information and Web pages, and even using a work computer for personal purposes

Were going to have to start calling people for permission to email them before we email them

Linking to someone's website without permission is likewise a trespass

Attempt to lower traffic to people's sites?

[Cyanosis]

This is laughable because then the average joe will have no desire to learn about computers or any new technology. Which makes programmers etc even harder to come by. And the people who commit real cyber crimes (Not just remote linking) will go out and retaliate, and no one will know what to do except whine on CNN and blame it on some random virus, because it couldnt be retaliation from their completely power hungry laws. Bitter party of 1.

[bucket]

The article, Forgive Us Our Trespasses, is about a recently-released opinion from the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. Here is a link to that opinion-

http://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/data2/...h/0215742p.pdf

This Ninth Circus opinion warns what happens when someone abuses the subpoena power.
I just don't see where it makes virtually everyone a computer criminal, as the writer of the article would have us believe.

[DeadAddict]

That is a bunch of bullsh!t

You can now go to jail for computer crime even if you never touch a computer, and know nothing about computers

If they started arresting people that know nothing about computers or even used one. alot of people are going to raise hell because how can you commit a computer crime if you don't have any knowledge of how it works.

[\/IP3R]

I will say that lawmakers are bunch of idiots.

[dopeydadwarf]

You gotta be ****ing kidding me. Get the **** out of my face with that bullshit.
If you are a fellow AOer I apologize if I offended. If you are a member of a cooperation, Bar of any state, or happen to agree with this. If you are offended, GOOD. **** you.
/rant

My crime is that of curiousity.
You can stop me, but you can't stop us all.

[Nimh]

This is yet another case of the legal profession trying to gain access to more information that is necessary. A.k.a. we don't know exactly what we are looking for, so let's shotgun approach and look for the damning evidence. Also, it is a case of those who are subpoened not performing due dilligence. We all know that nothing on the net is truly private, however, we pay ISP's for service and expect some measure of protection.

[bucket]

Originally posted here by Nimh
. Also, it is a case of those who are subpoened not performing due dilligence.

It looks like the ISP folks didn't even hire a lawyer to defend them.

[rcgreen]

This also shows that we don't need a bunch of new laws against "cyber"
crimes, just common sense application of existing ones. If the info
those lawyers were seeking was on hard copy in a metal filing cabinet,
the issue would be the same.

You can't punish the lawyer for "demanding" to see all your private
info, you just fight him in the normal way, like the author suggested.

But these new untested laws are ripe for misinterpretation and
misapplication. God save us from new laws.

As for all the other lunacy, there are already fools who think it is
a "crime" to link to their sites.

http://www.phenomenalwomen.com/donteventhinkaboutit/

Apparently they don't understand that without linking,
there would be no world wide web.

As for spam, we all love to hate it, but if you outlaw unsolicited email
you would be afraid to email family members you had feuded
with, for fear they would sue you for spamming and stalking.