Der Weltanschauung (The WorldView) Origin: AUSTIN, TEXAS USA %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% % % % T H E W O R L D V I E W M A G A Z I N E % % % %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% November 24, 1992 Volume 2, Issue 9 FTP: ftp.eff.org pub/cud/wview -*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-* Published and Distributed By Fennec Information Systems And Consulting *-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*- Material Written By Computer And Telecommunications Hobbyists World Wide Promoting the publication of Features, Editorials, etc... To submit material, or to subscribe to the magazine contact this address: dfox@wixer.cactus.org "Let us arise, let us arise against the oppressors of humanity; all kings, emperors, presidents of republics, priests of all religions are the true enemies of the people; let us destroy along with them all juridical, political, civil and religious institutions." -Manifesto of anarchists in the Romagna, 1878 @-==-@-==-@-==-@-==-@-==-@-==-@-==-@-==-@-==-@-==-@-==-@-==-@-==-@-==-@-==-@ The World View Staff: InterNet Address: The Desert Fox [Editor] dfox@wixer.cactus.org Subscription Requests dfox@wixer.cactus.org FTP SITE: ftp.eff.org /pub/cud/wview @-==-@-==-@-==-@-==-@-==-@-==-@-==-@-==-@-==-@-==-@-==-@-==-@-==-@-==-@-==-@ It is the policy of The World View to review any material that is received by us for the purpose of distribution. We respect the rights of all authors/contributors under the Constitution of the United States, and we will honor all requests for anonymity. Any inquiries regarding the questionable content of an article written by someone other than the editors of this publication should be directed to the author. A return E- mail address will be provided if applicable. Reprinting of material from this magazine is highly encouraged. Please site the source of the material, and gain permission from the author when refering to submitted articles. @-==-@-==-@-==-@-==-@-==-@-==-@-==-@-==-@-==-@-==-@-==-@-==-@-==-@-==-@-==-@ TABLE OF CONTENTS 1) [[(=- 3rd Annual HoHo Con Announcement -=)]]............Drunkfux/CDC 2) Global Access To The World..............................Dfox @-==-@-==-@-==-@-==-@-==-@-==-@-==-@-==-@-==-@-==-@-==-@-==-@-==-@-==-@-==-@ Date: Mon, 9 Nov 92 07:49:15 -0600 Subject: HoHoCon announcement Originator: riddle@aahsa.tic.com X-Submissions: eff-austin@tic.com To: eff-austin@tic.com [Updated Announcement - October 27, 1992] dFx International Digest and cDc - Cult Of The Dead Cow proudly present : The Third Annual X M A S C O N AKA H 0 H 0 C O N "WE KAN'T BE ST0PPED!" Who: All Hackers, Journalists, Security Personnel, Federal Agents, Lawyers, Authors and Other Interested Parties. Where: Allen Park Inn 2121 Allen Parkway Houston, Texas 77019 U.S.A. Tel: (800) 231-6310 Hou: (713) 521-9321 Fax: (713) 521-9321, Ext. 350 When: Friday December 18 through Sunday December 20, 1992 HoJo's Says NoNo To HoHo ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ HAY!^@!*%!$1#&! We beat our own record! This year, thanks to one certain person's complete stupidity and ignorance, we managed to get kicked out of our first chosen hotel 4 months in advance. Needless to say, this caused some serious confusion for those who called to make reservations and were told the conference had been canceled. Well.. it hasn't been. The story is long, but if you wish to read exactly what happened, check out CuD 4.45. The conference dates are still the same, but the hotel has changed since what was originally reported in the first update, which made it's way throughout Usenet and numerous other places, including CuD 4.40. If you haven't heard about the new location, please make a note of the information listed above. What Exactly Is HoHoCon? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ HoHoCon is something you have to experience to truly understand. It is the largest annual gathering of those in, related to, or wishing to know more about the computer underground (or those just looking for another excuse to party). Attendees generally include some of the most notable members of the "hacking/telecom" community, journalists, authors, security professionals, lawyers, and a host of others. Last year's speakers ranged from Bruce Sterling to Chris Goggans and Scot Chasin of Comsec/LoD. The conference is also one of the very few that is completely open to the public and we encourage anyone who is interested to attend. Or, as Jim Thomas put it in CuD 4.45: "For the past few years, a conference called "XmasCon" (or HoHoCon) has been held in Texas in December. As reported previously (CuD #4.40), it will be held again this year from 18-21 December. For those unfamiliar with it, XmasCon is a national meeting of curious computer aficionados, journalists, scholars, computer professionals, and others, who meet for three days and do what people do at other conferences: Discuss common interests and relax." Hotel Information ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The Allen Park Inn is located along Buffalo Bayou and is approximately three minutes away from Downtown Houston. The HoHoCon group room rates are $49.00 plus tax (15%) per night, your choice of either single or double. As usual, when making reservations you will need to tell the hotel you are with the HoHoCon Conference to receive the group rate. Unlike our previously chosen joke of a hotel, the Allen Park Inn is not situated next to an airport and this may cause a small inconvenience for those of you who will be flying to the conference. The hotel is centrally located so you can fly in to either Intercontinental or Hobby airport but we are recommending Hobby as it is 15 miles closer and much easier to get to from the hotel. Here's where it may get a little confusing - If you arrive at Hobby, you will need to take the Downtown Hyatt Airport Shuttle to the Hyatt, which departs every 30 minutes and will cost you $6.00. When you get to the Hyatt, get out of the shuttle with your luggage (for those who may not of figured that out yet) and use any of the nearby payphones to call the Allen Park Inn (521-9321) and tell them you need a ride. It's just like calling Mom when you need a ride home from glee club! The hotel shuttle will be around shortly to pick you up and take you to the aforementioned elite meeting place, and that ride is free. If all this is too much for you, you can always take a cab directly to the hotel which will run you about $20. If you arrive at Intercontinental, you will need to board the Airport Express bus and take it to the Downtown Hyatt ($9). Once there, just follow the same instructions listed above. We are in the process of trying to get the hotel to provide constant airport transportation during the conference, but they've yet to give us a definite answer. It is quite possible that we will have our own shuttle to bus people between the airports and hotel, so if you'd prefer a faster and more direct method of transportation, it would be helpful to mail and let us know what time you'll be arriving and at what airport. This will give us a chance to coordinate things more efficiently. Check-in is 3:00 p.m. and check-out is 12:00 noon. Earlier check-in is available if there are unoccupied rooms ready. Free local calls are provided, so bring dem 'puterz. I don't know if cable is free also, so those who wish to rekindle the memories of yesteryear may want to bring their screwdrivers. The hotel has both 24 hour room service, and a 24 hour restaurant, The Nashville Room. Call it a wacky coincidence, but the hotel bar is called the ATI room and like most of Houston's similar establishments, closes at 2 a.m. Good thing Tony still works at Spec's... This time around, the hotel is placing the conference guests in the rooms surrounding the courtyard/pool area. We are once again encouraging people to make their reservations as soon as possible for two reasons - first, we were told that if you wait too long and the courtyard rooms are all taken, there is a chance that you'll be situated at the complete opposite end of the hotel, which isn't so bad if you don't mind walking all that way back and forth outside in December. Secondly, there is no other hotel exactly next door to this one (the closest is about 5 minutes away or so), so if for some odd reason all the rooms get rented, you'll get to do some nifty traveling every night. Directions ~~~~~~~~~~ For those of you who will be driving to the conference, the following is a list of directions on how to get to the hotel from most of Houston's major freeways that bring traffic in from out of town: I-45 North or South: Exit Allen Parkway on the inside (left side) of the freeway. Take the Studemont/Montrose exit off Allen Parkway, then make a u-turn at the bridge and head back towards downtown. The hotel will be on the right hand side. 290: Take 290 to 610 South, then take I-10 East towards downtown. Exit Studemont. Right on Studemont, left on Allen Parkway. The hotel will be on the right hand side. I-10 West: Exit Studemont. Right on Studemont, left on Allen Parkway. The hotel will be on the right hand side. I-10 East: Take I-10 East to I-45 South and follow the same directions from I-45 listed above. I-59 North or South: Take I-59 to I-45 North and follow the same directions from I-45 listed above. Call the hotel if these aren't complete enough or if you need additional information. Conference Details ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ HoHoCon will last 3 days, with the actual conference being held on Saturday, December 19 in the Hermitage Room, starting at 11:00 a.m. and continuing until 5 p.m. or earlier depending on the number of speakers. We are still in the planning stages at the moment, primarily due to time lost in finding a new hotel and getting contracts signed. We have a number of speakers confirmed (yes, Goggans will be speaking again) and will try to finalize the list and include it in the next update. We are definitely still looking for people to speak and welcome diverse topics (except for "The wonders and joys of ANSI, and how it changed my life"). If you're interested in rattling away, please contact us as soon as possible and let us know who you are, who you represent (if anyone), the topic you wish to speak on, a rough estimate of how long you will need, and whether or not you will be needing any audio-visual aids. We would like to have people bring interesting items and videos again this year. If you have anything you think people would enjoy having the chance to see, please let us know ahead of time, and tell us if you will need any help getting it to the conference. If all else fails, just bring it to the con and give it to us when you arrive. We will also include a list of items and videos that will be present in a future update. If anyone requires any additional information, needs to ask any questions, wants to RSVP, or would like to be added to the mailing list to receive the HoHoCon updates, you may mail us at: dfx@nuchat.sccsi.com drunkfux@freeside.com drunkfux@ashpool.freeside.com 359@7354 (WWIV Net) or via sluggo mail at: FREESIDE DATA NETWORK Attn: HoHoCon/dFx 11504 Hughes Road Suite 124 Houston, Texas 77089 We also have a VMB which includes all the conference information and is probably the fastest way to get updated reports. The number is: 713-866-4884 You may also download any of the conference announcements and related materials by calling 713-492-2783 and using the username "unix", which is unpassworded. The files will be in the "hohocon" directory. Type "biscuit" if you wish to gain an account on the system. You can find us there too. Conference information and updates will most likely also be found in most computer underground related publications, including CuD, Informatik, NIA, Mondo 2000, 2600, Phrack, World View, etc. We completely encourage people to use, reprint, and distribute any information in this file. Stupid Ending Statement To Make Us Look Good ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ HoHoCon '92 will be a priceless learning experience for professionals (yeah, right) and gives journalists a chance to gather information and ideas direct from the source. It is also one of the very few times when all the members of the computer underground can come together for a realistic purpose. We urge people not to miss out on an event of this caliber, which doesn't happen very often. If you've ever wanted to meet some of the most famous people from the hacking community, this may be your one and only chance. Don't wait to read about it in all the magazines and then wish you had been there, make your plans to attend now! Be a part of what we hope to be our largest and greatest conference ever. Remember, to make your reservations, call (800) 231-6310 and tell them you're with HoHoCon. @-==-@-==-@-==-@-==-@-==-@-==-@-==-@-==-@-==-@-==-@-==-@-==-@-==-@-==-@-==-@ Global Access To The World Breaking The University Barrier By The Desert Fox dfox@wixer.cactus.org It's three o' clock in the morning on any given night of the week. Most of the free world is sleeping. Office buildings and city streets resemble ghost towns, not to come to life for another four hours. The New York Stock Exchange has died...it's final bell sounding eleven hours ago. A lone security guard is the only sign of life in most corporate buildings and other establishments. A University on the west coast of America closed hours ago. However a system administrator responsible for the resident Unix machines is wide awake. His purpose is to monitor the hundreds of machines on campus while they process the data entered on the previous day. His desk is not unusual. It is cluttered with mounds of papers, a half cup of coffee, and a personal computer. The attribute that makes this desk different from most is that his computer is equipped with a direct link to the world...essentially, the ultimate power of computing at his fingertips. This is the Internet. From a FTP> prompt, the system administrator types the following: "aiku.gw.tohoku.jp." In less time that it takes to make a local call on a standard telephone, the computer has linked to a computer in Japan--4,000 miles away. Suddenly, without the knowledge of a single sole, besides himself, a stagnant screen on a Unix workstation in Japan comes alive, spewing out data at speeds unfathomable by the technology of 10 years ago. The user logs in, and for the next two hours, these computers linked by a global network will be dedicated to transferring files and information requested by the user in America. The scenario you have just digested is not an uncommon occurrence. Computer networks are the hub of the 1990's technology, and Texas is playing a major part in civilizing the 'Virtual World'. The Internet is a global network of computer systems. The major center for it's usage is Universities and computer-related businesses. It serves the global computing community with high-speed file transfer and the eccentric exchange of information of all types. It is estimated that the Internet has approximately twelve million users, and access to the net spans the globe reaching upwards of 100 countries. The United States is the largest "net-civilized" region in the world, with every state having some type of access to these facilities. One dominant trend in the evolution of global networking is the expansion of small "bulletin board" type systems which have the ability to furnish users with an electronic mail account that is globally accessible via the Internet and the servers which obtain connections from it. Usually, this access is granted to the end user for free. However, if a charge is incurred, it is very nominal. The force that drives individuals and small companies to provide free access to such a system is a concept known as "Free-Net". The Internet is sometimes referred to as "The biggest secret in the world" since access to the network is maintained by university students, faculty, and employees of large corporations. The average computer user does not have any way of obtaining access of any kind if they do not fit that criteria. "Free-Net" has become a buzword in the network industry. As more and more computer enthusiast learn about the concept, miniature networks are beginning to spring into action all over the nation. These secondary elements of the network are more commonly referred to as UUCP (Unix-to-Unix-system CoPy) sites. UUCP machines are smaller machines designed to execute certain code for the purpose of transferring information between sites in an individual network. But at the same time, still render the same services that a conventional bulletin board system does, such as access to files and local message bases. These sites are not usually linked to the Internet, as the concept behind the UUCP idea is somewhat deviating to that of the larger sites. From a global perspective, UUCP sites are small sprouting branches of a large tree, but accomplishes much of the same tasks as the larger branches...but to a much lesser scale. The first UUCP system was developed in 1976 for the purpose of transferring information between a small number of machines. As the years past, and technology grew, so did the UUCP concept. A prime example of the "Free-Net" concept is located in Houston, Texas. Besides access via Universities, users in the Houston area have access to approximately ten UUCP sites. The primary "server" of the group is provided by South Coast Computing Services, Inc. (sccsi.com) This machine is linked with the University of Houston by a slip-feed. This site does, for a nominal fee, provide the user with a reliable electronic mail account, as well as File Transfer Protocol (FTP) and Telnet, which is the capacity to login to another system anywhere in the world on the condition that the destination system is on the Internet, and the user has a valid account. The largest free domain in Houston is named "Freeside". The server in this domain (rivdell.freeside.com), is serviced through South Coast Computing Services. And in turn, there are approximately six systems linked through the Freeside server. Each of these systems (Tessier, Ashpool, Village, Jack, among others) are used in a "slave" role, as their purpose is to poll the primary server (Rivdell) as mail and other news comes in from other systems that are linked directly to the Internet. The creators of this local village of machines, Stephen Palmer and George Phillips, have spent many hours and money out of their own pocket to guarantee that users in Houston would have free access to the Internet via electronic mail and Internet news (USENET). As Houston expands using the "Free-Net" concept, other cities are implementing the same concept for it's denizens. Soon, access to the Internet will be even easier to procure. It is the long-term goal of many people in the computing industry to be able to provide access to the networks to anyone who wishes to have it. From one perspective, it may not seem fair that the majority of the users of this global village are students and employees of large corporations. That, in effect, leaves out those who have the desire to explore and learn about this phenomenon, and can seem like the potential of the net would be greatly limited. The success of the Internet thus far can be attributed to thousands of pioneers from every walk of life. But there are thousands more who have the ability to help in the expansion of computer networks. The United States Government has recently made an effort to provide Americans with access to several databases containing information that affects all of us. The program is called 'The Gateway To Government'. Access to this program would provide information regarding the financial status of every aspect of government, full documentation and status on every House and Senate bill, information on every U.S. Patent, documentation on every Federal court decision, executive orders, public statutes, and information pertaining to research conducted by the government. This plan is funded with American tax dollars, and pressure to get the bill passed is being applied by computer enthusiasts, journalists, freedom activists, among others. The bill has been promoted by the Democratic platform and efforts to block it's implementation have been attempted by the Republicans. The primary sponsor of the bill is (D) Senator Al Gore of Tennessee. As one can tell, the government can play a large part in the promotion of access to networks and other information. The networks are funded by money that ultimately comes from the pockets of working Americans. But as usual, the two parties have conflicting interests. "The world's biggest secret" is getting out as more individuals put their own time and money into expanding the global network with smaller, less-complex domains that can essentially provide some of the related services that the large universities and corporations render. And the premise of the concept, to provide low-cost or free access to the Internet, will become more protuberant as the need for access grows. Encouragement of your government can play a large part in obtaining the use of existing technology and more access to systems that were paid for by the public sector. I encourage you to write letters to your public officials demanding action on the pending bills and ideas that would promote education and access to these networks. By not passing legislation regarding the distribution of access to the great technology that sits at our fingertips, the government is prohibiting education and denying people the right to explore an age-old concept that has grown and benefited us all in many ways. They are limiting the people from effectively taking part in the process which governs us all. Technology, like poverty and homelessness is an issue that impacts everyone. And in order to get a grasp on what is happening, the American people must take charge and solve the problem. @-==-@-==-@-==-@-==-@-==-@-==-@-==-@-==-@-==-@-==-@-==-@-==-@-==-@-==-@-==-@