This time last year, we announced our annual Kent Porter Scholarship, an award for computer science majors enrolled in accredited colleges and universities. For those of you new to the Dr. Dobb's family, Kent was a longtime DDJ columnist, editor, and programmer who passed away in 1989. In the 1990-91 academic year, we awarded four grants in his memory.
The purpose of the scholarship is to recognize academic achievement and potential, and to financially assist continuing students in the pursuit of their educational goals. At the request of Kent's family, special consideration is given (but not limited) to students raising children while attending school. Scholarships will be awarded in increments of $500 for the coming year.
To apply for a scholarship, request in writing an application from: The Kent Porter Scholarship, Dr. Dobb's Journal, 501 Galveston Drive, Redwood City, CA 94063.
Similarly, John Hopkins University has launched its National Search for Computing Applications to Assist Persons with Disabilities (CAPD). This competition is seeking affordable, innovative ideas, systems, devices, and computer programs designed to assist Americans with physical or learning disabilities. More than 100 awards will be granted -- including a $10,000 first prize -- in December 1991 at the Smithsonian Institute in Washington DC.
The categories for submissions are software, computer-based hardware devices (invented or modified), and "paper design" (written descriptions of ideas not yet implemented). The disabilities to address include those involving mobility, communication, self-care, and self-direction.
The competition is open to professionals, students, and amateurs until August 23, 1991. For more information contact: John Hopkins CAPD, P.O. Box 1200, Laurel, Maryland 20723.
The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) asserts that individuals who communicate electronically "are entitled to the same First Amendment rights enjoyed by other media....[and should not be] subject to unconstitutional, overbroad searches and seizures of any of the contents of their systems, including electronic mail."
Several recent events bring this bird home to roost.
For starters, the EFF and Steve Jackson Games has filed a precedent-setting civil suit against the U.S. Secret Service charging violation of Jackson's First and Fourth Amendment rights. The suit stems from a March 1990 raid on SJG's Texas office when Secret Service agents seized manuscripts, hardware, software, and private electronic mail merely on the suspicion that somewhere in Jackson's office "might be" a document compromising the security of the 911 telephone system -- even though Jackson himself wasn't suspect. (It was a Jackson employee who was suspected of releasing what turned out to be publicly available 911 information.) The government has never filed charges against Jackson, but neither has it returned all of his property.
About the time the EFF launched its suit, the Los Angeles district attorney began investigating the Prodigy information service because of accusations that Prodigy was "stealing" data from user's disks. The allegations center upon a temporary file (created by Prodigy's software) on the user's PC that supposedly contains information -- culled without the user's knowledge or consent -- identifying resident applications. Conceivably, that information can be surreptitiously uploaded to the Prodigy host. Although Prodigy acknowledges the temp file exists, the service denies it's being gobbled up by the host. Note that the LA DA hasn't made any formal charges.
Now throw in Senate bill S266, introduced by Senators Joseph Biden Jr. (D-Del.) and Dennis DeConcini (D-Ariz.), and Swaine's Cousin Corbett begins seeing bureaucratic bogeymen behind every nearby beechnut tree. S266 proposes that electronic encryption vendors (both hardware and software for computers and phones) make decoders available to the government so agents can more easily undertake authorized searches. Here is a part of what S266 says: "...providers of electronic communications services and manufacturers of electronic communications service equipment shall insure that communications systems permit the Government to obtain the plain text contents of voice, data, and other communications...." At one fell swoop, your private data is no longer private and encryption companies are effectively put out of business.
The EFF isn't alone in trying to check the erosion of electronic privacy. The governing Council of the ACM also recently endorsed a resolution advocating the establishment of governmental privacy protection mechanisms. Both organizations need our support and deserve a hand for taking the initiative. Contact the Electronic Frontier Foundation, Inc., 155 Second Street, Cambridge, MA 02141 and the ACM, 11 West 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036.
Copyright © 1991, Dr. Dobb's JournalI've Got A Secret