Computer underground Digest Sun Mar 20, 1994 Volume 6 : Issue 26 ISSN 1004-042X Editors: Jim Thomas and Gordon Meyer (TK0JUT2@NIU.BITNET) Archivist: Brendan Kehoe (He's Baaaack) Acting Archivist: Stanton McCandlish Shadow-Archivists: Dan Carosone / Paul Southworth Ralph Sims / Jyrki Kuoppala Ian Dickinson Koppa Ediqor: Phirho Shrdlu CONTENTS, #6.26 (Mar 20, 1994) **C Cu-Digest is a weekly electronic journal/newsletter. Subscriptions are available at no cost electronically. CuD is available as a Usenet newsgroup: comp.society.cu-digest Or, to subscribe, send a one-line message: SUB CUDIGEST your name Send it to LISTSERV@UIUCVMD.BITNET or LISTSERV@VMD.CSO.UIUC.EDU The editors may be contacted by voice (815-753-0303), fax (815-753-6302) or U.S. mail at: Jim Thomas, Department of Sociology, NIU, DeKalb, IL 60115, USA. Issues of CuD can also be found in the Usenet comp.society.cu-digest news group; on CompuServe in DL0 and DL4 of the IBMBBS SIG, DL1 of LAWSIG, and DL1 of TELECOM; on GEnie in the PF*NPC RT libraries and in the VIRUS/SECURITY library; from America Online in the PC Telecom forum under "computing newsletters;" On Delphi in the General Discussion database of the Internet SIG; on RIPCO BBS (312) 528-5020 (and via Ripco on internet); and on Rune Stone BBS (IIRGWHQ) (203) 832-8441. CuD is also available via Fidonet File Request from 1:11/70; unlisted nodes and points welcome. EUROPE: from the ComNet in LUXEMBOURG BBS (++352) 466893; In ITALY: Bits against the Empire BBS: +39-461-980493 FTP: UNITED STATES: etext.archive.umich.edu (141.211.164.18) in /pub/CuD/ aql.gatech.edu (128.61.10.53) in /pub/eff/cud/ EUROPE: nic.funet.fi in pub/doc/cud/ (Finland) nic.funet.fi ftp.warwick.ac.uk in pub/cud/ (United Kingdom) COMPUTER UNDERGROUND DIGEST is an open forum dedicated to sharing information among computerists and to the presentation and debate of diverse views. CuD material may be reprinted for non-profit as long as the source is cited. Authors hold a presumptive copyright, and they should be contacted for reprint permission. It is assumed that non-personal mail to the moderators may be reprinted unless otherwise specified. Readers are encouraged to submit reasoned articles relating to computer culture and communication. Articles are preferred to short responses. Please avoid quoting previous posts unless absolutely necessary. DISCLAIMER: The views represented herein do not necessarily represent the views of the moderators. Digest contributors assume all responsibility for ensuring that articles submitted do not violate copyright protections. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: 12 Mar 94 08:24:31 EST From: David Johnson Subject: Staying sInformed of Security Resources STAYING INFORMED: Resources for Privacy Seekers & Computer Security Buffs by David Johnson (Copyright 1994 under the International & Pan-American Copyright Conventions) Having conducted various types of security and investigative work that has taken me to ten Asian countries, I am quite familiar with various obstacles one must hurdle to obtain hard-to-find and elusive data. Even though our computers are valuable tools, adopting a multi-faceted approach to information gathering is the most effective way to cover all the angles. Use this listing to build your own private intelligence network. COMPUTER SECURITY PUBLICATIONS PRIVACY-RELATED PUBLICATIONS Auerbach Data Security Management Full Disclosure Magazine Information Systems Security Box 244 Lowell, MI 49331 USA 210 South St. Voice: (800) 633-3274 Boston, MA 02111 USA Voice: (616) 897-7222 Voice: (800) 950-1218 Fax: (515) 897-0705 Voice: (212) 971-5000 Fax: (617) 423-2026 International Privacy Bulletin 666 Pennsylvania Ave., S.E. Computer Security, Auditing & Controls Washington, DC 20003 USA 57 Greylock Rd. Box 81151 Wellesley Hills, MA 02181 USA Voice: (617) 235-2895 Privacy and Security 2001 504 Shaw Rd., #222 Sterling, VA 20166 USA Voice: (800) US-DEBUG Computer Audit Update Voice: (703) 318-8600 Computer Fraud & Security Update Fax: (703) 318-8223 Computer Law & Security Report Computers & Security Crown House, Linton Rd., Barking Privacy Journal Essex I611 8JU, England Box 28577 Voice: (44) 81-5945942 Providence, RI 02908 USA Fax: (44) 81-5945942 Voice: (401) 274-7861 Telex: 896950 APPSCI G (North American distributor) Box 882 Privacy Laws and Business New York, NY 10159 USA Box 23 Voice: (212) 989-5800 7400 GA, Deventer, Netherlands Voice: (31) 57-0033155 Fax: (31) 57-0022244 Telex: 49295 KLUDV NL Computer Control Quarterly 1 Southbank Blvd., Level 8 (North American Distriubtor) S. Melbourne, Vic. 3205, Australia 6 Bigelow St. Voice: (03) 6121666 Cambridge, MA 02139 USA Fax: (03) 6295609 Voice: (617) 354-0140 Computer Security Alert Computer Security Journal Privacy Times Box 21501 600 Harrison St. Washington, DC 20009 USA San Francisco, CA 94107 USA Voice: (202) 829-3660 Voice: (415) 905-2370 Fax: (202) 829-3653 Fax: (415) 905-2234 COMPUTER SECURITY ORGANIZATIONS Computer Security Digest 150 N. Main St. Center for Computer Law Plymouth, MI 48170 USA 1112 Ocean Dr. Voice: (313) 459-8787 Manhattan Beach, CA 90266 USA Fax: (313) 459-2720 Voice: (213) 372-0198 Computing & Communications Computer Security Institute (Law & Protection Report) 360 Church St. Box 5323 Northborough, MA 01532 USA Madison, WI 53705 USA Voice: (617) 393-2600 Voice: (608) 271-6768 Info Systems Security Assn. Data Security Manual Box 71926 Box 322 Los Angeles, CA 90071 USA 3300 AA Dordrecht, Netherlands Voice: (31) 78-524400 Voice: (31) 78-334911 Fax: (31) 78-334254 Nat'l Center for Computer Telex: 29245 KAPG Crime Data 4053 JFK Library - CSULA (North American Distributor) 5151 State University Drive Box 358 Los Angeles, CA 90032 USA Hingham, MA 02018 USA Voice: (213) 225-1364 Voice: (617) 871-6600 PRIVACY-RELATED RESOURCES Information Systems Security Monitor U.S. Department of Treasury Worldwide Consultants Bureau of the Public Debt 2421 W. Pratt Blvd., #971 AIS Security Branch Chicago, IL 60645 USA 200 3rd St. Voice: (800) 316-0801 Parkersburg, WV 26101 USA (financial & personal privacy) Voice: (304) 480-6355 BBS: (304) 480-6083 Eden Press Box 8410 InfoSecurity News Fountain Valley, CA 92728 USA 498 Concord St. Voice: (714) 556-2023 Framingham, MA 01701 USA Fax: (714) 556-0721 Fax: (508) 872-1153 (various books on privacy) Journal of Computer Security Consumertronics Drawer 537 Van Diemenstraat 94 Alamagordo, NM 88310 USA 1013 CN Amsterdam, Netherlands Voice: (505)434-1778 Voice: (31) 20-6382189 Fax: (505) 434-0234 Fax: (31) 20-6203419 (technical invasion manuals) (North American distributor) Box 10558 Burke, VA 22009 USA Privacy Hotline (800) 773-7748 Voice: (703) 323-5554 (California only) 10am-3pm, M-F ****************************************************************************** David Johnson International Researcher (San Jose, Costa Rica) Security Consultant E-mail: worldwid@uunet.uu.net Privacy Advocate ****************************************************************************** *Note: The author welcomes questions, comments and ongoing correspondence on all topics relevant to privacy protection, espionage, and terrorism. ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 17 Mar 1994 21:59:30 -0500 From: Gino Filicetti Subject: New E-Zine -- "Loud Lyrix" This is an ad for a brand new electronic 'zine now available on the Internet. Just send a message to the address below to be included on the mailing list. Internet: death@terranet.cts.com UUCP: generic!terranet!zoo.toronto.edu!death Editor-in-Chief: Death Incarnate (Gino Filicetti) Publisher: Death Incarnate (Gino Filicetti) Distributor: Death Incarnate (Gino Filicetti) Mailing Program: NONE! Everything is done by hand. DESCRIPTION Loud Lyrix is a weekly publication dedicated to the spread of heavy metal lyrics throughout the world. Subscriptions are available at no cost electronically. Five to Ten songs are published every Tuesday. Along with the lyrics, a section of the zine is devoted to reactions of subscribers to previously posted songs. All subscribers are urged to send in lyrics from their own favorite bands for publication. All requests, submissions or comments must be sent to the above address. OUR PHILOSOPHY We here at Loud Lyrix believe that the true meaning of a song can only make itself known through the song's lyrics. It is for this reason that Loud Lyrix exists, we are committed to delivering all the best lyrics of heavy metal songs to Cyber-bangers around the globe. Long live metal! Join up now! To the fastest growing 'zine on the 'net! -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=~M < !@# Death #@! | Msg Co-SoP: The Shadow's Lair [9o5] 569-1025 >~M < #@! Incarnate !@# | Internet Address: death@terranet.cts.com >~M ------------------------------ Date: 07 Mar 94 01:07:58 EST From: george c smith <70743.1711@COMPUSERVE.COM> Subject: Village Voice & Phlogiston "Village Voice Perfects Phlogiston Synthesis in Coverage of Cyberspace" by Mr. Badger (Andy Lopez) There are some things in life that must be seen in order to be fully understood. The December 21, 1993 Village Voice is a case in point. However, as old Voices aren't normally found outside of fish markets, here's an attempt to reproduce the lead to the cover story [republished in CuD 6.21] in that issue: R A P E I N C Y B E R S P A C E A TALE OF CRIME AND PUNISHMENT ON-LINE BY JULIAN DIBBELL (P. 36) With the first two lines in red, it was a cover that jumped off the flat of newspapers. The blurb under the directory of contents was the epitome of hard-hitting journalism: A Rape In Cyperspace The story of a man named Mr. Bungle, and how the ghostly sexual violence he committed in a digital otherworld challenged an on-line community to define itself. Julian Dibbell....................................... 36 It only gets better. "They say he raped them that night. They say he did it with a cunning little doll, fashioned in their image and imbued with the power to make them do whatever he desired. They say that by manipulating the doll he forced them to have sex with him, with each other, and to do horrible, brutal things to their own bodies. And though I wasn't there that night, I can assure you that what they say is true, because it all happened right in the living room . . . of a house I've come to think of as my second home." I really would like to reprint more of the story, let you figure out what's going on, and have the same horse-laugh I did. But, in the interest of fair use and the desire to keep this to a reasonable size, let's abbreviate. The author, Julian Dibbell, has been a frequent user of the LambdaMOO, a MUD run inside of Xerox's Palo Alto research computer. For the blissfully ignorant, a MUD is a Multi-User Dungeon, a glorified electronic role-playing program. On MUDs such as LambdaMOO, you can choose your name and appearance and _interact_ in a digitized world with other characters. Personally, I find them identical to the old-fashioned, word-based role-playing games - such as the Dungeons & Dragons abomination - only more boring and repetitive. In this particular case, "Mr. Bungle" chose to use a sub-program in the MUD to write some foul things. So the user that created "Starsinger" suddenly saw the following flow across the computer screen: "As if against her will, Starsinger jabs a steak knife up her ass, causing immense joy. You hear Mr. Bungle laughing evilly in the distance." Other graphic sentences follow containing descriptions of other characters involved in graphic acts. What followed can only be understood if you accept that the game is a reality, of sorts, for most of its users. Unlike kindergarten, where the teacher would simply say that Johnny had been a bad boy and couldn't play anymore, these actions spawned an ongoing argument about justice in cyberspace. Oh, they weren't totally bonkers. No one accused Mr. Bungle of actual rape. But most felt he was guilty of more than crass behavior. Dibbell ascribes the deep feelings raised by the incident as . . . ah, heck, here's his explanation: "Netsex, tiny-sex, virtual sex - however you name it, in real-life reality it's nothing more than a 900-line encounter stripped of even the vestigial physicality of the voice. And yet, as any but the most inhibited newbie can tell you, it's possibly the headiest experience the very heady world of MUDs has to offer . . . Small wonder, then, that a newbie's first taste of MUD sex is often also the first time she or he surrenders wholly to the slippery terms of MUDish ontology, recognizing in a full-bodied way that what happens in a MUD-made world is neither exactly real nor exactly make-believe, but profoundly, compellingly, and emotionally meaningful." [Really incredible. Dibbell almost seems to be saying that the MUD means so much to people because it's a way to get off. I stand amazed.] You might think that the offended parties simply arranged to have the offender kicked off the system, but that would be forgetting just how much the users believe in this little play world. Users with high enough access to delete Mr. Bungle's account were reluctant to do so, because in the past such approaches have caused more user complaints than they resolved. In short, those who ran the game didn't want to ruin it by taking drastic action and those who played the game wanted the user removed. Well, most of them. This being cyberspace, there were conflicting views. Why didn't the other users simply use the command that would have blotted Mr. Bungle's messages from their screens? Was it really that serious anyway? Where does the body stop and the mind begin? What is the nature of reality? The arguments were going in circles during an extended meeting of up to thirty - count 'em, thirty - users. In the middle of the online babble, Mr. Bungle appeared and offered his defense: He was simply experimenting with users' reactions to extreme events. In Dibbell's view, this marked Mr. Bungle as a virtual sociopath. You can be rude, you can be snide, but the game is to be taken seriously, dammit! In the end, Mr. Bungle's account was deleted [surprise, surprise]. What followed was the institutionalization of a process whereby users could have more input into controlling the MUD. To cap things, Mr. Bungle reincarnated as a new, chastened character. Dibbell draws flabbergasting conclusions about the future of society and he writes about it in this prose: " . . . the commands you type into a computer are a kind of speech that doesn't so much communicate as _make_things_happen_, directly and ineluctably, the same way pulling a trigger does. They are incantations, in other words, and anyone attuned to the techno-social megatrends of the moment - from the growing dependence of economies on the global flow of intensely fetishized words and numbers to the burgeoning ability of bioengineers to speak the spells written in the four-letter text of DNA - knows that the logic of the incantation is rapidly permeating the fabric of our lives." Just what is needed! Cyberspace is already filled with shysters, hucksters, idiots, and clowns. Now we start collecting animists. ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 17 Mar 1994 09:51:06 -0700 (MST) From: jeffj@NIS5.LANL.GOV(Jeffrey Johnson) Subject: New Gopher Service Available Now available! ---------------------------------- We are now running our own gopher server to facilitate easy access to group information. Currently, there are plans to make the following available: Searchable abstracts of group publications Foreign travel reports A searchable listing of group email addresses Pointers to other handy LANL services At the moment you will not find much information published, but we're hoping that that will change. If you have any suggestions about what should be published, please let me know by sending email to jeffj@nis5.lanl.gov. Keep in mind that published information can be text- only and that it must be non-sensitive information only. For the moment, the information on our server can be read by anyone on the Internet. Graphics and sound files can also be distributed over the network, but no mixture of the three is yet possible. A World Wide Web server is coming soon, which will allow us greater flexibility in what we can publish on the network. Access through the LANL Server: +------------------------------- 1. Start your gopher software - it should automatically connect to the main LANL gopher server. (TurboGopher for Macs, HGopher for PC's running Windows) 2. Select 'Information by Division' 3. Select 'Nonproliferation and International Security' 4. Select 'NIS-5 Information' You should now be connected to the NIS-5 Gopher server. Feel free to explore. The 'Information by Division' section under the main LANL server also contains pointers to all current laboratory Gopher and World Wide Web servers, so this is a good place to find information about other groups who run servers. ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 18 Mar 94 19:19:55 EST From: shadow@VORTEX.ITHACA.NY.US(bruce edwards) Subject: Opposing Clipper is "paranoia" with good Reason Ah, the clipper chip! Foiler of despots, nabber of drug demons, bane to every criminal! If we just can get the clipper and its extended family up and running, all will be well in the land of the free! The NSA, the FBI, and who knows what other acronymonous agencies tell us that all we need do, is to trust them! Swell. If there were a push to install TV monitors in all our bedrooms, with the same sworn proviso that the circuit would never be turned on unless there was a warrant, and with separate organizations (say, the ATF and the Moral Majority) holding the keys, we would all rise and recite the pledge of allegiance, I'm sure. I've made somewhat of a study of crime and criminals. There are a few smart criminals, who are rarely caught, and many stupid criminals, who are frequently caught. The majority of either will *never* think of, or be bothered with, encryption, and the clipper will have zero bearing on their activities or apprehension. Its existence will make no difference at all. The very smart ones may use PGP or something else, and again, clipper will be meaningless. Rogue governments? I am sure clipper gives Saddam sleepless nights as he ponders how to beat it! Because it will probably prove constitutionally impossible to outlaw widespread private encryption -- something big brother finds hard to swallow -- the clipper/encryption push seems to me to be about another kettle of sharks. In my opinion (and this I am sure is obvious to most everyone) the encryption, bugging-port, e-mail reading agenda pursued by government is no more than the first icy finger of the Empire, encircling the throat of cyberspace. The reality of an unfettered communications avenue accessed not just by a few cyberfreaks, but the great-unwashed as well, is just tooooo threatening to let go. Resist control. Leave the memes free to propagate and thrive, or die, as they deserve, not as the minders decide. While clipper does hurt US technology, for reasons clearly elucidated here, there, and everywhere, it really will have little direct effect on the rest of us. Its *indirect* effect is where the poison begins seeping in. It is the intended beach head of a general assault on cyberliberty that, if established, will be most difficult to repel! Act now, act forcefully, act intelligently, act while the trolls are still in the boats. When informed about clipper, polls indicate that folks are dramatically opposed to its idea. By the time this thing hits congressional hearings (and it surely will) the propaganda will be flying, thick and heavy. We need to be there first. Talk. Write newspapers and legislators. Call radio and TV shows. Respond on the net to cyberlib.org requests. Shoot this mother down before it breeds! ******** Paranoid? You bet! Without reason? I don't think so ... Do you? ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 16 Mar 1994 16:45:41 -0800 From: Jim Warren Subject: Access bills need support;capitol email-faxes;FEC online Mar.16, 1994 FOUR CALIF ASSEMBLY BILLS WOULD OPEN & ASSURE ELECTRONIC PUBLIC ACCESS AB 2547 mandates that records specified in AB 1624 are public records. There was some question last year whether the codes were considered a public record. This is an especially important bill to those people who use the electronic access to legislative data. [AB 1624 mandated that all public legislative records, state stautes and state constitution be available via the Internet without state charge.] AB 2524 mandates public electronic access to public records if the agency maintains such records in electronic format. The agencies are not required to put the data in electronic format nor are they required to buy equipment nor "translate" data to meet any special needs of the requestor. Whatever format the agency has the data is the format that should be made available to the public. Allows the agency to charge for the media on which the data is provided, just as they can for the paper copies. [Various agencies have refused to provide computerized copies of their computerized public records, offering only paper copies to meet the requirements of the current California Public Records Act.] AB 2525 makes those documents in which an agency states its position on pending legislation a public record, whether they are sent to a legislator or to the Governor. [The enrolled bill report is not a public record. The enrolled bill report is the final analysis on a bill done by the Gov's Dept. of Finance. Last year, DOF estimated a cost of $300,000 for implementing AB 1624. Bowen explained that their analysis was based on a merely-similar ballot initiative authored by UWSA, not AB 1624. Luckily, the Governor signed the bill anyway, but could have easily vetoed it on the false cost estimates contained in the non-public DOF report.] AB 2523 networks all state agencies and the judiciary and provides public access via network to public records. Support is needed ASAP. Opposition is expected on at least AB 2524 and AB 2523, the latter due to cost. If you have questions, please call Bowen's aide, Mary Winkley, at 916-445-8528. All the bills except AB 2523 were scheduled for March 15 in the Assembly Governmental Organization Committee. AB 2523 was scheduled for March 16 in the Assembly Consumer Protection Committee, with other committee hearings to follow. Send supporting letters and faxes to: Hon. Debra Bowen, Assembly Member State Capitol, Room 3126 Sacramento CA 95814 fax/916-327-2201. They will make sure they don't get, uh, "lost," and will distribute them to the members of the committees. [My apologies for not getting this out sooner. *Too* much to do. :-( -jim] &&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&& ASK LEGISLATORS/STAFF TO TELL LOBBYISTS THEY WANT TO ACCESS TESTIMONY ONLINE From masinter@parc.xerox.com Mon Feb 28 20:41:11 1994 From: Larry Masinter If you can get legislative staff assistants and legislative librarians to announce that they prefer to access `information that is online and available to the public', it might encourage various lobbying organizations to mount their own information online for the general public to access. I wouldn't mind having a Common Cause, American Cancer Society, and Tobacco Institute all trying to reach the public with their own web or gopher services. &&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&& FREELY FAX YOUR E-MAIL TO DECISION-MAKERS IN WASHINGTON DC From argek@dbserv2.teale.ca.gov Wed Mar 2 11:11:54 1994 From: argek@dbserv2.teale.ca.gov (Gerald J. Klaas) GovAccess readers may be interested in an experiment going at town.hall.org. They have created an e-mail to FAX gateway that is operating in Washington DC. (and some other places: > - all of Australia (+61) > - Washington, DC (+1-202) > - most of Silicon Valley (+1-408, +1-415, +1-510) > - parts of Riverside, California (+1-818, +1-909) > - the University of Michigan (+1-313) ) If anyone has a list of FAX numbers for representatives in Washington, I'd sure like to get a copy! For a copy of the FAQ regarding this experiment, send mail to tpc-faq@town.hall.org. Gerald | | ...... __o | BurmaShave | ..... _`\<,_ |____________| argek@dbserv2.teale.ca.gov______________________(*)/_(*)______|________|__ &&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&& FREELY FAX YOUR E-MAIL TO DECISION-MAKERS IN SACRAMENTO CA From rgm!rabbit!gklaas@netcom.com Fri Feb 25 14:43:19 1994 From: gklaas@rabbit.rgm.com (Gerald Klaas) Organization: Rabbit's Lincoln Burrow Sacramento, CA - I have created an e-mail to FAX gateway here in Sacramento. It runs on my home PC at night (during otherwise idle time) and is connected to the Internet by UUCP. Some of your GovAccess subscribers may be interested in using this gateway to "e-mail" State legislators here in the Capitol City, and are welcome to give it a try. (Disclaimer: No guarantees here, this is just a hobby.) - Anyone interested may get more information by sending e-mail To: request@rabbit.rgm.com Subject: 052 - BTW: I have a list of FAX numbers available also. &&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&& ONLINE LEGISLATIVE-INFORMATION ACCESS IN ACTION From leita@netcom.com Tue Mar 1 19:43:27 1994 > At work, two weeks ago, I got a call from a Berkely patron wanting to > know if we had a copy of a certain, recently passed bill having to do > with the funeral business. He had the number of the bill. I logged > onto the internet via our class account, gophered to UC Santa Cruz, > found, downloaded, and printed out the bill to leave for the patron - an > employee of a local funeral home - to pick up on his lunch hour. Took 5 > minutes! -- Carole Leita leita@netcom.com Reference Librarian, Berkeley Public Library &&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&& FEDERAL ELECTIONS COMMISSION SEEKS TO FURTHER ONLINE ACCESS From bkoball@well.sf.ca.us Fri Feb 25 10:16:23 1994 From: Bruce R Koball Did you see this: > FEC ON-LINE. The FEC is asking Congress for $1.5 million in fiscal 1995 to > set up an on-line system for tracking how political candidates raise and > spend their donations. (Tampa Tribune 2/22/94 A2) &&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&& ADMINISTRIVIA CREDIT DUE: CHONGO SPOKE; JIMMIE LISTENED From chongo@ncd.com Mon Feb 28 20:11:44 1994 From: chongo@ncd.com (Landon Curt Noll) First, I appreciate the GovAccess messages that you have been sending me on a regular basis. They are often both useful and interesting. I do have a recomendation that you might want to consider. I suggest that you add mode whitespace to your messages. This will make it easier to read. &&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&& "Politics is not the art of the possible. It consists in choosing between the disastrous and the unpalatable." -- John Kenneth Galbraith [sent by ppjc@igc.apc.org ] ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 7 Feb 1994 15:05-0500 From: The White House <75300.3115@COMPUSERVE.COM> Subject: 1994-02-07 United States FY95 Budget in Electronic Format THE BUDGET OF THE UNITED STATES NOW IN ELECTRONIC FORMAT Background The U.S. Department of Commerce in cooperation with the Office of Management and Budget(OMB) will produce the Budget of the United States Government, Fiscal Year 1995 in electronic format using compact disc-read only memory (CD-ROM) and on-line computer delivery methods. This marks the first time the entire budget has been available to the public in electronic format. Budget analysts, public policy researchers, state and local governments, libraries, and other members of the public will find the electronic version to be a useful addition and versatile alternative to the printed version of the budget. Users will be able to display exact images of the printed budget, search for the occurrence of keywords within the text, and copy or print desired portions of the text for further reference or use. And, the same documents will be accessible on personal computers running three popular operating systems -- MS-DOS, Windows, and Apple Macintosh -- thereby making this information available to the vast majority of personal computer users. Tentative talks on producing an electronic version of the federal budget were first conducted between technical staff at OMB and Commerce's Office of Business Analysis (OBA) in December, 1993. Several factors made this effort feasible. First, commercial software products became available in 1993 that facilitate the electronic transfer or delivery of finished documents. Creators of highly formatted documents originally intended for print distribution could now distribute electronic copies of the same documents with the original print format characters intact. Recipients of the electronic documents could see exact replicas of the original formatted text on their computers without the need to own a copy of the software that originally created the document. These programs greatly facilitate the creation of electronic catalogs, books, and other large information collections where formatted text is important. Second, OMB uses electronic text composition software that creates PostScript formatted output that is used by the Government Printing Office to produce the printed version of the budget. One portable document delivery software product , Adobe Acrobat uses PostScript formatted documents as the input to create Portable Document Format (PDF) files, which may be read by low-cost readers also distributed by Adobe. Given that the original budget documents are already in PostScript format, it is a relatively simple matter to convert them to PDF format and distribute them in electronic form. Third, the proper mix of skills and services existed on the Commerce/OMB team to bring this project to completion in a very tight time frame; this project was conceived, implemented, and delivered in 50 days. OMB prepared the budget in the proper format and acquired and learned to use the Acrobat software necessary to create the PDF files. OBA had significant experience in producing CD-ROM titles and offering information through other electronic distribution channels such as dial-up bulletin boards and the Internet, had staff in place to produce the budget CD-ROM quickly, was prepared to offer telephone ordering to ensure prompt delivery to the public, and could provide customer support. Finally, the new spirit of the federal government encourages agencies to take advantage of electronic tools to broaden access to federal information. New innovative methods to deliver government services to the citizen at low cost both to the government and the recipient are actively encouraged. The Commerce Department is taking a lead role in this endeavor. In short, the technical and organizational chemistry was just right to ensure success of this project. Electronic Versions of the Budget CD-ROM The CD-ROM versions of the Budget of the United States Government, Fiscal Year 1995 will be available to the public at the same time the printed budget is submitted to the Congress by President Clinton. The CD-ROM will contain exact page-image replicas of the same documents submitted to Congress. These include: o Budget of the United States Government, Fiscal Year 1995 o Budget of the United States Government, Fiscal Year 1995, Analytical Perspectives o Budget of the United States Government, Fiscal Year 1995, Historical Tables o Budget System and Concepts of the United States Government The Budget CD-ROM will be available for order from the Department of Commerce after official release for $30.00, $24 less than the comparable printed volumes. Discs will be available for pickup, by first class mail, and via overnight delivery ($10 additional.) The CD-ROM will include the budget documents as well as copies of the Adobe Acrobat Reader for MS-DOS and Windows operating systems. A set of diskettes containing the Acrobat Reader will be supplied to users of Macintosh computers. A supplemental volume, the Budget of the United States Government, Fiscal Year 1995, Appendix contains the detailed budget submissions for each agency. It will be transmitted to Congress later in February and will not appear on the Budget CD- ROM. However, the complete Budget including the Appendix will appear on the February 1994 issue of Commerce's National Economic, Social, and Environmental Data Bank (NESE-DB) CD-ROM which will be available in late February. In addition to the Budget, NESE-DB will contain PDF images of current Internal Revenue Service tax forms which may be reproduced exactly as the original printed forms and over 100,000 documents containing a core set of economic, social and environmental data. Information on the NESE-DB covers issues of widespread public interest such as Vice President Gore's National Performance Review and the Administration's proposed Health Care Reform legislation. o NESE-DB is published quarterly in the months of February, May, August, and November. Single issues are available for $95, an annual subscription costs $360. Purchasers of the original Budget CD-ROM will be given full credit for their original order and may obtain the February issue of NESE-DB for the discounted price of $65. Customers must mention they purchased the Budget CD-ROM when ordering the NESE-DB to obtain the discount. NESE-DB is also available for free public access in 960 federal depository libraries located throughout the Nation. Dial-up Bulletin Board ASCII versions of the Budget documents will be available on the Commerce Department's Economic Bulletin Board (EBB) shortly after official release to the public. PDF and ASCII versions of the Budget Appendix will be added to the bulletin board when they are released by OMB. There will be no charge for obtaining Budget documents via the Economic Bulletin Board. The EBB may be accessed using a personal computer and modem by calling: 2400 BPS : 1-202-482-3870 (N81) 9600 BPS: 1-202-482-2167 (N81) Users accessing the PDF versions of the Budget via the EBB must supply their own copy of software capable of reading PDF files. Internet Free access to the Budget documents in PDF and ASCII forms will also be available via the Internet. The Internet version of the EBB may be accessed by using the command telnet ebb.stat-usa These files will also be available for gopher access by issuing the command. gopher gopher.esa.doc.gov As in the case of the EBB users accessing the PDF versions of the Budget via the Internet must supply their own copy of software capable of reading PDF files. How to contact us: To order Budget and NESE-DB CD-ROMs:1-800-STAT-USA (1-800-782- 8872) For technical assistance:1-202-482-1986 Fax orders:1-202-482-2164 Electronic mail:tac@esa.doc.gov or write to: Office of Business Analysis Room H4885 U.S. Department of Commerce Washington, DC 20230 Technical contacts Ken Rogers (202) 482-0434 Paul Christy (202) 482-0123 Adobe, PostScript, and Acrobat are registered trademarks of Adobe Systems, Incorporated. Apple and Macintosh are registered trademarks of Apple Computer, Incorporated Windows and MS-DOS are trademarks of Microsoft Corporation. ------------------------------ End of Computer Underground Digest #6.26