human-nets@ucbvax.ARPA (09/29/84)
From: Charles McGrew (The Moderator) <Human-Nets-Request@Rutgers>
HUMAN-NETS Digest Friday, 28 Sep 1984 Volume 7 : Issue 52
Today's Topics:
Worldnet - Telebox,
Computers and People - Big Brother is watching Visalia CA (2 msgs),
Computers and the Law - Privacy in Data Bases &
Unions Muscling in on Computer Users?,
Information - Communications Forums (2 msgs)
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Date: 24-Sep-1984 2225
From: covert%castor.DEC@decwrl.ARPA (John Covert)
Subject: The Deutsche Bundespost brings up the German part of Worldnet
The Deutsche Bundespost has brought the Telebox electronic mail system
on line in Germany. Due to the Post Office monopoly on all
communications this will be the only mail system in Germany.
Based on CCITT X.400, it will allow interconnection to other national
email systems and will allow connection, under the rules of X.400, to
local User Agents. (For now it is accessed from any terminal, usually
via X.25.)
What follows is output from the help text for rates, which I will not
translate in entirety, but will just summarize: DM 65 set-up charge,
DM 40 monthy charge, initial-phase flat usage charge of DM 40,
eventual rate schedule as shown, but subject to a DM 40 minimum, rates
are given for per minute connect time, daily storage charge, charge
per addressee, and the statement of the minimum.
For volume users who are not bothered by the hefty minimums, this is
very inexpensive, as long as you prepare off line. Compare the
standard mail service where the "20 cent stamp" costs DM 0,80.
Finally, the planned rates for messages outside Germany are given,
first number is the first 2048 characters, second is for each
additional 1024 characters. They state that they will connect only to
public systems.
DIE GEBUEHREN FUER DIE T E L E B O X
------------------------------------
Fuer das Bereitstellen oder Aendern einer (oder gleichzeitig mehrerer)
Adresse(n) berechnet die Post einmalig 65,-DM. In der Testphase kommen
keine weiteren TELEBOX-Gebuehren auf, es sind nur die
Verbindungsgebuehren in den Zugangsnetzen zu entrichten.
Ab 01.10.84 kostet jede Adresse monatlich 40,-DM Grundgebuehr
zuzueglich 40,-DM pauschale Nutzungsgebuehr, insgesamt also 80,-DM.
Erst mit Beginn des Wirkbetriebes werden die Nutzungsgebuehren voll in
Rechnung gestellt. Folgende Nutzungsgebuehren sind vorgesehen:
-Belegungsgebuehr (Anschaltegebuehr)
je Minute........................................0,30 DM
-Speichergebuehr je Einheit und Tag...............0,03 DM
Eine Einheit umfasst 2 K (= 2048 Zeichen)
-Adressiergebuehr je Adresse......................0,10 DM
Mindestnutzungsgebuehr je Abrechnungszeitraum
(ca. 30 Tage) und Adresse........................40,00 DM
Die Aufnahme des Uebermittlungsdienstes in oeffentliche Systeme
anderer Laender ist vorgesehen. Die Uebermittlungsgebuehr je
Mitteilung wird dann betragen:
- in Europa..................................0,70/0,10 DM
- in den USA.................................1,20/0,25 DM
- in Kanada..................................1,25/0,25 DM
- in der uebrigen Welt.......................1,45/0.35 DM
Die erste Zahl gibt die Mindestgebuehr fuer eine Mitteilung
mit maximal 2048 Zeichen an, die zweite Zahl die Gebuehr fuer
jede weitere angebrochene oder volle Einheit von 1024 Zeichen.
------------------------------
Date: 25 Sep 84 09:23:02 BST (Tue)
Subject: Re: Big Brother is watching Visalia CA
From: Nkb%maths.hcig.nott.ac.uk@ucl-cs.arpa
Reminds me very much of a science fiction short story I read a couple
of months ago in a collection called "The Golden Age of Science
Fiction". I forget the title, but the basic idea was of a city which
had been totally destroyed by an explosion, but then rebuilt as a
micro minituarised robot city. Each day, however, was exactly like the
last day before the explosion, with the single exception that
different advertising strategies were attempted. Makes you wonder
whether or not Saatchi and Saatchi (or your American equivalents)
wouldn't like to catch something like that.
Just think, however, when all that adverstising gets too much
for you, there's always the remote control to hand!
NKB
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Date: Wed, 26 Sep 84 9:16:22 EDT
From: Ron Natalie <ron@BRL-TGR.ARPA>
Subject: Visalia CA
The QUBE cable system installed in Cincinnati (or was it Cleveland)
and other places already keeps track of your viewing. There was quite
a furor over the privacy of this. More concerning is the phone
company who already keeps track of everyone you telephone.
-ROn
------------------------------
From: Willis Ware <willis@rand-unix>
Date: 25 Sep 84 08:13:40 PDT (Tue)
Subject: Re: HUMAN-NETS Digest V7 #51
Appropos of the recent dialogue among Dietz @ Rutgers.arpa, Laws @
SRI.arpa and Vickery%coors.DEC on the subject of privacy in data
bases, may I just make the following historical observation.
Honest injun, the idea is not a new one -- either that of one keeping
his own records or of having a disinterested 3rd party authenticate
them. When privacy first became a national issue in the early 70s, I
chaired the Secretary's (DHEW) Committee on Auotomated Personal Data
Systems; it's report led to the Privacy Act of 1974 which in turn led
to the Privacy Protection Study Commission of which I was a member.
In the unrecorded discussions of both groups, especially the HEW one,
many ways of circumventing centralized recordkeeping were talked
about, ways that would hopefully give the individual more control over
the accuracy and use of his records. In the early 70s, technology
could not of course support the Dietz proposal, but nonetheless the
idea was talked about.
I personally am partial to the philosophy that a third party is not
automatically entitled to personal information about myself; so to
speak, a 3rd party should not have it without a need-to-know that in
some way is beneficial to me, that would not constitute a latent
threat to erupt in the future, and that would not escalate in some way
to damage me indirectly. A very tall order to be sure and probably
not achievable, but it is of course diametrically contrary to the view
of "let it all hang out, I have nothing to hide". Thus notions such
as that of Dietz are in the right direction, although troubled by
practical problems such as "how to get there from here", or "how do
you persuade lawmakers that such an approach is approriate."
Don't stop thinking though. New ways of handling privacy are always
welcome and someday, we may get the one that will really handle the
issue..
Admittedly the protection that we all have from the Federal Privacy
Act of 1974 and various other privacy-oriented laws (Fair Credit
Billing Act, Fair Credit Reporting Act, etc.) together with
corresponding ones in many states is far from perfect and far from
doing a comprehensive adequate job. But if you don't like the
coverage which those laws are designed to provide, worry a little
about the scene that isn't covered at all; e.g., electronic mail,
checkout stand records, voice mail, electronic communications, 2-way
TV records -- to name a few.
Willis H. Ware
Rand Corporation
Santa Monica, CA
------------------------------
Date: 28 Sep 84 16:31:28 EDT
From: Mike <ZALESKI@RUTGERS.ARPA>
Subject: Government on the move: Home computer use
To: Poli-Sci@RUTGERS.ARPA
Cc: Carter@RUTGERS.ARPA
Recently, there has been some discussion in the net.general newsgroup
on Usenet about last Sunday's edition of Sixty Minutes. Since I did
not see this program, I can only paraphrase what I have read and toss
this out as a topic for discussion. Maybe someone out there is
watching this situation closely and can comment and be a little more
specific about what is going on?
What I read: Appearantly, the International Ladies Garment Workers
Union (ILGWU), a branch of the AFL-CIO, has been fighting to make it
illegal for people to do piece-work type work in their homes somewhere
in the New England area. Sixty Minutes interviewed some women who
were doing some sort of sewing work at home and earning about $8 per
hour. The claim is that these moves against home piece-work are part
of a bigger plan to move in on/crack down on the computer business in
which many people work at home. It is further claimed that unions
have been losing members lately and that muscling in on the computer
business seems like a good way to bolster their ranks (though attempts
so far have not been too successful).
Personally, I wouldn't want anything to do with a union. At best, it
would be a waste of money. At worst, it helps feed a bunch of thugs
who should be exterminated. I certainly hope this government movement
- if indeed it is one - is quickly stiffled.
-- Mike^Z Zaleski@Rutgers [allegra, ihnp4] pegasus!mzal
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 24 Sep 84 14:34 EDT
From: Kahin@MIT-MULTICS.ARPA
Subject: Communications Forum
To: Telecom@USC-ECLC.ARPA
Cc: Esther@MIT-XX.ARPA
MIT Communications Forum
THE MIT COMMUNICATIONS PROBLEM
October 11, 1984 4:00-5:30
Marlar Lounge, 37-252 (70 Vassar St.) MIT, Cambridge
David Clark, MIT Laboratory for Computer Science
A plan to provide a data communication network for MIT has been
evolving over the last several years, and implementation of the
network is now in progress. Since the MIT campus has a rich set of
requirements, the design of this network provides insights for the
design of other sophisticated networks.
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 28 Sep 84 14:58 EDT
From: Kahin@MIT-MULTICS.ARPA
To: Telecom@USC-ECLC.ARPA
MIT Communications Forum
COMPETITION FOR INTELSAT
Thursday, October 18, 1984, 4-6 p.m.
Marlar Lounge, Bldg. 37-252, 70 Vassar St., MIT, Cambridge
For two decades INTELSAT has had a near monopoly of international
satellite telecommunications. This was justified on many of the same
grounds as AT&T's monopoly of domestic telephony: the merits of
uniformity and standardization; cross-subsidy of less-developed by
more developed areas; and economies of scale.
Orion Satellite and several other potential competitors have recently
applied to serve the lucrative North Atlantic routes. This has
touched off intense debate about "cream-skimming," the value of
INTELSAT, and America's international communications policies.
Christopher Vizas, Orion Satellite Corporation
Joseph Pelton, INTELSAT
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End of HUMAN-NETS Digest
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