rchao@well.sf.ca.us (Robert Chao) (04/24/91)
I just saw the best thing I've ever seen on computers. This week's NOVA tells the true story of how a little astronomer at Berkeley stumbled upon an act of computer spying that involved the military, the CIA and the FBI. The whole thing began with what appeared to be a 75-cent computer accounting error. The narrative is straightforward and whimsical, and totally gripping. It gets extremely emotional at the end. I AM SPEECHLESS, YOU WILL WATCH THIS. OH MY GOD, YOU THOUGHT NOVA WAS BORING? IF you have any interesting notes about this story, please send. Note: it was on San Fran's channel 9 tonight (Tue 4/23) and will be on again Wed midnight, does anyone know when else here? -- Robert Chao Oakland, California
unknown@ucscb.UCSC.EDU (The Unknown User) (04/24/91)
In article <24404@well.sf.ca.us> rchao@well.sf.ca.us (Robert Chao) writes: >I just saw the best thing I've ever seen on computers. >This week's NOVA tells the true story of how a little astronomer >at Berkeley stumbled upon an act of computer spying that involved >the military, the CIA and the FBI. The whole thing began with >what appeared to be a 75-cent computer accounting error. This is a repeat NOVA... I saw most of it the last time it was on (originally).. But read "The Cuckoo's Egg".. that's what the Nova episode is a brief story about. The Cuckoo's Egg is a GREAT GREAT book written by Clifford Stoll (the astronomer), and is just COOL as hell. Also read "Hackers" by Steven Levy for a great general book on computing.. NOT breaking in places and stuff, that's NOT what a hacker is. -- /unknown@ucscb.ucsc.edu Apple IIGS Forever! WANT ULTIMA VI //e or GS?-mail me.\ \CHEAP CDs info-mail me. McIntosh Junior: The Power to Crush the Other Kids. /
eugene@amelia.nas.nasa.gov (Eugene N. Miya) (04/24/91)
In article <24404@well.sf.ca.us> rchao@well.sf.ca.us (Robert Chao) writes: >This week's NOVA tells the true story of how a little astronomer >Robert Chao >Oakland, California Actually, Cliff is tall and thin. I would not say little. Follow ups directed out of ba.general. --eugene miya, NASA Ames Research Center, eugene@orville.nas.nasa.gov Resident Cynic, Rock of Ages Home for Retired Hackers {uunet,mailrus,other gateways}!ames!eugene
rosen@cbnewsb.cb.att.com (steven.b.rosen) (04/25/91)
In article <24404@well.sf.ca.us>, rchao@well.sf.ca.us (Robert Chao) writes: > > This week's NOVA tells the true story of how a little astronomer > at Berkeley stumbled upon an act of computer spying that involved > the military, the CIA and the FBI. The whole thing began with > what appeared to be a 75-cent computer accounting error. > -- > Robert Chao > Oakland, California Robert, The astronomer (Cliff Stoll - sp?) wrote a book about his experience, called the Cookoos Egg (sp?). If you like NOVA - GET THIS BOOK ! ...steve... ---------------------------------------- Steve Rosen attmail!srosen srosen@attmail.com ----------------------------------------
rmilner@zia.aoc.nrao.edu (Ruth Milner) (04/25/91)
In article <24404@well.sf.ca.us> rchao@well.sf.ca.us (Robert Chao) writes: > >I just saw the best thing I've ever seen on computers. >This week's NOVA tells the true story of how a little astronomer >at Berkeley stumbled upon an act of computer spying that involved >the military, the CIA and the FBI. If you want the real details, read the book Cliff Stoll wrote about this "The Cuckoo's Egg". It's *much* better than the show was. -- Ruth Milner Systems Manager NRAO/VLA Socorro NM Computing Division Head rmilner@zia.aoc.nrao.edu
ldstern@rodan.acs.syr.edu (Larry Stern) (04/25/91)
In article <24404@well.sf.ca.us> rchao@well.sf.ca.us (Robert Chao) writes: > >I just saw the best thing I've ever seen on computers. >This week's NOVA tells the true story of how a little astronomer >at Berkeley stumbled upon an act of computer spying that involved >the military, the CIA and the FBI. The whole thing began with >what appeared to be a 75-cent computer accounting error. >The narrative is straightforward and whimsical, and totally gripping. >It gets extremely emotional at the end. I AM SPEECHLESS, YOU WILL >WATCH THIS. OH MY GOD, YOU THOUGHT NOVA WAS BORING? >IF you have any interesting notes about this story, please send. >Note: it was on San Fran's channel 9 tonight (Tue 4/23) and will be >on again Wed midnight, does anyone know when else here? >-- >Robert Chao >Oakland, California That episode of Nova was based on Cliff Stoll's book "The Cuckoo's Egg: tracking a spy through the maze of computer espionage". It is available in paperback from Pocket Books, ISBN 0-671-72688-9. -- Larry Stern LDSTERN@RODAN.ACS.SYR.EDU
billg@hitachi.uucp (Bill Gundry) (04/25/91)
From article <24404@well.sf.ca.us>, by rchao@well.sf.ca.us (Robert Chao): > > I just saw the best thing I've ever seen on computers. > This week's NOVA tells the true story of how a little astronomer > at Berkeley stumbled upon an act of computer spying that involved > the military, the CIA and the FBI. The whole thing began with > what appeared to be a 75-cent computer accounting error. > The narrative is straightforward and whimsical, and totally gripping. > It gets extremely emotional at the end. I AM SPEECHLESS, YOU WILL > WATCH THIS. OH MY GOD, YOU THOUGHT NOVA WAS BORING? > IF you have any interesting notes about this story, please send. > Note: it was on San Fran's channel 9 tonight (Tue 4/23) and will be > on again Wed midnight, does anyone know when else here? > -- Well I would use the term "overacted", if that is a term. Watching Stoller run from home to his printers get kinda boring. Read the book, it gives more detail, and relates more to his "conversion" from a feeling a little paranoid about government and its various agencies to feeling that they are people too, with their jobs and problems to cope with. I thought that was one of the more interesting sidelights of the whole affair. Bill Gundry ...uunet!hitachi!billg