From: kadie@eff.org (Carl M. Kadie)
Subject: Abstract of CAF-News 02.33
Originator: kadie@eff.org
Organization: The Electronic Frontier Foundation
Date: Sat, 12 Sep 1992 16:55:08 GMT

This is an abstract for the most recent "Computers and Academic
Freedom News" (CAF-News). Information about CAF-News follows the
abstract. The full CAF-News is available via anonymous ftp or by
email. For ftp access, do an anonymous ftp to ftp.eff.org
(192.88.144.4). Get file "pub/academic/news/cafv02n33".
The full CAF-News is also available via email. Send email to
archive-server@eff.org. Include the line:

send caf-news cafv02n33

--- begin abstract ---
[Best of June, 1992

========================== KEY ================================
The words after the numbers are a short PARAPHRASES of the articles,
or QUOTES from them, NOT AN OBJECTIVE SUMMARY and not necessarily my
opinion. The selection and paraphrases are based on earlier abstracts
by Elizabeth, Paul, Mark, and guest editor Lorrie Ackerman.
===============================================================

  [We need new guest (or regular) editors, for information send
   email to kadie@eff.org.  - Carl]

Notes 1-4 are about new computer polices covering everything from
email privacy to the content of newsgroups.

1. This is the text of the "interim e-mail advisory" from University
   of Illinois, effectively a new computer privacy policy.  "Over the
   past year, the campus administration has received a number of
   inquiries about access to files maintained on electronic media.
   Essentially, the questions focused on the privacy of such
   communications and the conditions under which someone may look at
   another person's files."
    <1992Jun2.011050.15719@m.cs.uiuc.edu>

2. "I have extensively revised and expanded many of the computing
   policies that apply to the largest educational network at Rice,
   Owlnet."  Includes notes on Rice's University Computing Policy,
   Owlnet Policies, Owlnet Policies Enforcement Guidelines, Owlnet
   Student Advisory Committee Charter, System Administrator Statement
   of Ethics, and Owlnet Application Agreement.  Also includes access
   information for these documents.
    <1992Jun27.181753.21585@eff.org>

3. (A system administrator:) The list of newsgroups we cannot carry
   includes alt.sex*, alt.drugs, alt.evil, alt.tasteless and
   rec.arts.erotica.
    <1992Jun08.165434.4998@bas-a.bcc.ac.uk>

4. As reported in the University of Toronto _Bulletin_, that
   university is not planning to intercept or censor any of the files
   available on the Internet that may contain violent pornographic
   material.
    <1992Jun16.045026.15800@gpu.utcs.utoronto.ca>

Notes 5 and 6 are about the law.

5. "A federal judge declared unconstitutional Tuesday the decency
   clause the National Endowment for the Arts used in determining who
   receives grant money, saying it was too vague and overbroad in
   restricting artists' freedom of speech."
    <1992Jun10.040756.10831@m.cs.uiuc.edu>

6. "All but one of the six leading candidates for California's 14th
   Congressional District have formally committed to protect
   traditional constitutional liberties against technological
   threats." Several have signed a formal statement to this effect
   (names and copy of statement included). This may "be the first time
   that major-party congressional candidates have ever committed to
   explicit action to protect technology-related civil liberties."
    <fwd.9206080338.AA02150@herodotus.cs.uiuc.edu> 

Notes 7-10 are about offensive, harassing, and anonymous computer
communications.

7. The "Standard Manager's Reply" (Revision A), to be sent to users
   complaining about the content of the e-mail or newsgroup posting of
   a subscriber to the manager's system, espouses the delights of
   freedom of expression, clear thinking, and kill files.
    <6980@public.BTR.COM>

8. Comments on and criticisms of the "Standard Manager's Reply".
    <!d@byu.edu>

9. Harassment is intentional, unwanted person-to-person communication
   by any channel.  Explicitly tell the harasser to stop communicating
   with you.  Save copies of all communications.  If the harassment
   continues, contact a system administrator, university official or
   the courts.
    <1992Jun11.180712.21660@m.cs.uiuc.edu>

10. Many students are afraid to ask questions for fear of looking
   foolish, either in the eyes of their peers or their instructors.
   Some means of posting anonymously is a good thing, but completely
   anonymous accounts are not. Anonymous mail is hard to reply to, but
   anonymous postings to a news group can work. With Plato/NOVANET,
   the University of Illinois has had long experience with large scale
   newsgroups, and has sound policies on anonymity that we could learn
   from.
    <12951@ns-mx.uiowa.edu>

- Carl]

--- end   abstract ---

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Disclaimer: This CAF-News abstract was compiled by a guest editor or a
regular editor (Paul Joslin, Elizabeth M. Reid, Adam C. Gross, Mark C.
Sheehan or Carl M. Kadie). It is not an EFF publication. The views an
editor expresses and editorial decisions he or she makes are his or
her own.

-- 
Carl Kadie -- I do not represent EFF; this is just me.
 =kadie@eff.org, kadie@cs.uiuc.edu =
Newsgroups: alt.comp.acad-freedom.talk