From: Karl Barrus <elee9sf@Menudo.UH.EDU>
Date: Wed, 7 Apr 93 14:43:25 PDT
To: cypherpunks@toad.com
Subject: WB: public kiosks
Message-ID: <199304072143.AA00959@Menudo.UH.EDU>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain



On the importance of anonymity (in regards to the whistleblower
project):

Last week, the Houston Chronicle ran two or three articles on how ill
run the Nuclear Regulatory Commission is.  Specifically, the article
described how one or two people had their careers absolutely ruined by
raising safety concerns at nuclear plants.  In each case, the
employees involved were terminated shortly after citing safety hazards
(such as spills left uncleaned on table tops, etc.)  Someone quoted in
the article stated this behavior undoubtedly scares off other
potential informers.

Plus, I read an article in the Chronicle about how a NASA employee was
fired for his political beliefs.  Well, it is more complicated: the
employee actively participated in some usenet group
(talk.politics.china?), and had a store of back articles on his
computer at work, which his superiors discovered.  Shortly thereafter,
he lost his job.

I've been busy of late and could kick myself for not saving these
papers, because real world incidents such as these strengthen our
arguments for privacy and anonymity.  Some people have such an
irritating tendency to assume irresponsibility and abuse when a
freedom becomes available - just read news.admin.policy.

/-----------------------------------\
| Karl L. Barrus                    |
| elee9sf@menudo.uh.edu             | <- preferred address
| barrus@tree.egr.uh.edu (NeXTMail) |
\-----------------------------------/