Jim Bell reference

Dorothy Denning taught a class (COSC 511) "Information Warfare"
Spring 97. Apparently as an assignment, several students put 
together an infowar incident database at:

http://www.georgetown.edu/users/samplem/iw/

Jim Bell's case is mentioned under:

http://www.georgetown.edu/users/samplem/iw/html/iw_database_92.html

-- 
Kevin L. Prigge                     | "The only thing that saves us from
Systems Software Programmer         | the bureaucracy is it's
Enterprise Internet Services        | inefficiency." - Eugene McCarthy
University of Minnesota             |

Kevin L Prigge writes:
> 
> Dorothy Denning taught a class (COSC 511) "Information Warfare"
> Spring 97. Apparently as an assignment, several students put 
> together an infowar incident database at:
> 
> http://www.georgetown.edu/users/samplem/iw/
> 
> Jim Bell's case is mentioned under:
> 
> http://www.georgetown.edu/users/samplem/iw/html/iw_database_92.html


Wow.  This is the most blatant propaganda I've seen in a long time.
It's full of so much inaccurate info that it can't be an accident.



Their blurb on Bell says:

"In his "Assassination Politics," Bell suggests that IRS
agents are not protected against violent acts,
because they have stolen taxpayers' money. He also
initiates a betting pool as to what government
employees and officeholders would be assassinated."


If I remember correctly, Bell never 'initiates'[sic] anything, he
just talked about it.

They cites a Netly News article by Declan McCullagh
(http://cgi.pathfinder.com/netly/editorial/0,1012,800,00.html)

Declan's article doesn't say, or even imply, that Bell actually
set up his AP betting pool.  The "database" authors apparently wanted
to make a point by making his crime seem to be real, and were willing
to stretch the truth to do so.

This fits in with the rest of the "database".  Take a look
at the 'terrorisim' category.  Most of the 'terrorists' crimes
(or more correctly, arrests- this database seems to assume that
being arrested or charged with a crime makes one guilty) are
horrible terrorist crimes like sending hate email, or suggesting that a state
senator who vociferously supports mountain lion hunting be
"hunted down and skinned and mounted".  In that one the 
California state senator somehow becomes a US senator...
(http://www.georgetown.edu/users/samplem/iw/html/iw_database_90.html)

The "database" is filled with inaccurately-labeled "data".  I'd
be willing to bet that it will be used to support the "Info war"
military-industrial-complex money grab:  "Look, a study at
Gorgetown shows that we've had three incidents of Internet terrorisom
in 1997 alone, one against a US senator!"


Feh.  "Research" like this makes me puke.


BTW, you can add you own "IW incidents" via a form at
http://www.georgetown.edu/users/samplem/iw/html/feedback.html



-- 
Eric Murray  ericm@lne.com  Security and cryptography applications consulting.
PGP keyid:E03F65E5 fingerprint:50 B0 A2 4C 7D 86 FC 03  92 E8 AC E6 7E 27 29 AF

-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----


> Kevin L Prigge writes:
> > 
> > Dorothy Denning taught a class (COSC 511) "Information Warfare"
> > Spring 97. Apparently as an assignment, several students put 
> > together an infowar incident database at:
> > 
> > http://www.georgetown.edu/users/samplem/iw/
> > 
> > Jim Bell's case is mentioned under:
> > 
> >
http://www.georgetown.edu/users/samplem/iw/html/iw_database_92.html
> 
> 
> Wow.  This is the most blatant propaganda I've seen in a long time.
> It's full of so much inaccurate info that it can't be an accident.
> 

Gee, suprise, suprise. D.Denning is behind anti-encryption (anti
liberty) propaganda.

If you search the net for writings or speeches by Denning, and any
government reports about encryption,, you will find that she is the
source of most anti-encryption propaganda in the u.s.. 

She's about the only person in the field that I'm aware of that can
always be counted on to support the most restrictive government policy
possible. I don't know her personally, so I can't say whether or not
she has just sold her soul to the powers that be to insure continued
federal grant money. Perhaps she actually believes that restrictive
government policy is appropriate. I guess if they had more people who
wouild be willing to stand up for the government's position, it
wouldn't be so obvious.

> Their blurb on Bell says:
> 
> "In his "Assassination Politics," Bell suggests that IRS
> agents are not protected against violent acts,
> because they have stolen taxpayers' money. He also
> initiates a betting pool as to what government
> employees and officeholders would be assassinated."
> 
> If I remember correctly, Bell never 'initiates'[sic] anything, he
> just talked about it.

Yup. I've seen Mr. Bell's writings since he was on fidonet. To my
knowledge, he's never even =attempted= to set up any AP markets. His
idea was an interesting thought experiment that he because quite
enamored with. I can see why, as it has some interesting social
implications. Also, to my knowledge, it was origional with him.

> They cites a Netly News article by Declan McCullagh
> (http://cgi.pathfinder.com/netly/editorial/0,1012,800,00.html)
> 
> Declan's article doesn't say, or even imply, that Bell actually
> set up his AP betting pool.  The "database" authors apparently
wanted
> to make a point by making his crime seem to be real, and were
willing
> to stretch the truth to do so.

Typical. They are attempting to establish an "official truth" they can
use to validate the government's position. The media is a willing
accomplice in this for reasons I don't understand, since =they= will
eventually be adversely affected by it all as well.

> Feh.  "Research" like this makes me puke.

Agreed. Unfortunately, it's all they have, and they have the means to
make people believe it is true.


- ------------------------
Name: amp
E-mail: amp@pobox.com
Date: 07/10/97
Time: 12:18:12
Visit me at http://www.pobox.com/~amp

'Drug Trafficking Offense' is the root passphrase to the Constitution.

Have you seen 
http://www.public-action.com/SkyWriter/WacoMuseum
- ------------------------

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On Thu, 10 Jul 1997 amp@pobox.com wrote:
> 
> Gee, suprise, suprise. D.Denning is behind anti-encryption (anti
> liberty) propaganda.
> 
> If you search the net for writings or speeches by Denning, and any
> government reports about encryption,, you will find that she is the
> source of most anti-encryption propaganda in the u.s..

Most of her academic research was before she became involved in government
policies. Since she is now in a position of trust with the government she
could be the cypherpunks friend rather than foe. It appears that the paper
on key recovery  penned by various well-respected 'cypherpunks' like
Blaze, Neumann, Rivest, Schiller, and Schneier (not everyone I know) has
indeed had an effect on her. 

The one major difference in Dr. Denning's point of view is that she has a
large degree of trust in LEA. Period. That is the difference
between Dr. Denning and the average cypherpunk. 

Denning believes that encryption will hinder law enforcement. It will, it
may already. The difference is that she 'sees' a way to prevent that while
maintaining privacy of the indiviual (from other indiviuals). This is true
and if the infrastructure could be built it, would work to a
limited degree. 

The evidence is weak, in an article from May of this year, Denning quotes
500 cases world-wide, but neglects to follow-up with which of these cases
were solved regardless; due to other evidence or because the suspect was
using crummy crypto. 

Denning doesn't seem too concern with lawless government access, access
beyond the scope, government tampering or forgery of information which are
possible with poor key escrow technologies.

Denning talks of unnamed test projects, she thinks finanical businesses do
deserve to be special under export regulations (or knows that they would
lean on the regulations to remove them), and knows enough about people to
know that there is no need to mandate 'key recovery,' businesses want to
buy into it.

At least Denning does not recomment domestic restrictions (she'd be out of
a job if so) and is willing to admit to a change of heart. 

Anyway everyone knows that celluar phones catch more criminals than any
other law enforcement tool (like hard work).

--
Michael C. Taylor <mctaylor@mta.ca> <http://www.mta.ca/~mctaylor/>
Legalize mathematics

This is correct. The Georgetown site says incorrectly that Bell did set up
a betting pool. Perhaps the authors will fix this now that it's been
brought to their attention.

-Declan


>> They cites a Netly News article by Declan McCullagh
>> (http://cgi.pathfinder.com/netly/editorial/0,1012,800,00.html)
>>
>> Declan's article doesn't say, or even imply, that Bell actually
>> set up his AP betting pool.  The "database" authors apparently
>wanted
>> to make a point by making his crime seem to be real, and were
>willing
>> to stretch the truth to do so.
>


-------------------------
Declan McCullagh
Time Inc.
The Netly News Network
Washington Correspondent
http://netlynews.com/