From: Clark Reynard <clark@metal.psu.edu>
Date: Fri, 12 Nov 93 05:53:41 PST
To: cypherpunks@toad.com
Subject: Phiber Optik, and miscellaneous ramblings
Message-ID: <9311121404.AA15560@metal.psu.edu>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain


lex@mindvox.com (Lex Luthor) writes:

>Please note that
>Phiber Optik was probably the most mellow one of the MOD and having spoke with
>him a number of times, it seems that he is not a malicious type. IMHO his
>mistake was teaching his 'friends' in the group how to do certain things
>without regard to what they intended to do with that knowlege.

True; after reading a number of the charges against him,
it appears they just threw whatever they could at him,
in the hopes that something would stick.

I find it oddly revolting that if a gang of teenage hoodlums
were to enter a school and vandalize it, physically destroying
the computers with hammers and spray paint, they would be
considered harmless 'wild boys' and probably get a fine.
Reform school at most.

This is fine by me, however; if a fucking _smart_ kid just _accesses_
the piece of shit PCs that schools use, and alters his grade, then,
in most states, that is considered a hideous crime worthy of
federal crime.

Granted, Phiber did a good deal more than that, but was he a _serious_ criminal?

Did he make huge wads of cash?  Is he living in some kind of
fucking mansion from his vast profits?

In my case, I'm disgusted by the data cops making more-or-less
harmless rich kids with high-tech and inventive curiosity;
perhaps a streak of malice; and too much time, into some
kind of demonic threat to the nation.

No wonder our smart kids are practically last in the civilized
world, when we punish kids for being too smart and throw them
in jail for being too dumb, while slashing education budgets.

[As the astute reader may have gathered, the Author of this
article has, himself, been busted for thoughtcrime; however,
he's doing fine now, so don't worry.]

Thanks for clearing the issue up, Lex; and consider me in wholehearted
agreement.
----
Robert W. F. Clark            PGP Key Available Upon Request
rclark@nyx.cs.du.edu
clark@metal.psu.edu