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HOME TOPICS ABOUT ME I am not going to give in to a half-wit who thinks my files are his. |
technofile Al Fasoldt's reviews and commentaries, continuously available online since 1983 Why the hacker-thief won't get me downBy Al Fasoldt Copyright © 1991, The Syracuse Newspapers You already know how I feel about the hacker who broke into the Syracuse Newspapers Telesystem and stole private files. In this Bytes & Pieces column, I want to add some insight into why the Telesystem will never succumb to any hacker's illegal acts. You may have heard it said that newspapers are public trusts. Those are not mere words. Newspapers are unique in American life. Many of you get most of your news from television. That's a fact of life for us in this business. But we also know that you depend on your newspaper for the kind of information you can't get from the tube. We especially know how much you care about getting your opinions heard. The Syracuse Newspapers publish hundreds of pages a year just for letters to the editor. You won't see that on the TV news, now or ever. A few years ago, I was asked to see whether a telecommunications system could be set up to take letters from readers electronically. The program I wrote proved it could be done cheaply and easily, and I added a few other features. For a year or more, funeral homes have been sending obituaries, reporters or stringers have been transferring stories from distant areas, and readers have been able to send letters to the system operator (me). In the revised Telesystem that is now running, these features remain the same. But I have removed all other functions from the Telesystem. This keeps the system's security strong. It also maintains your privileges to use the Telesystem for its legal purposes. I am not going to let a hacker silence your electronic voice. And I am not going to give in to a half-wit who thinks my files are his. There's too much at stake. |