Latest on the RC5 State of Georgia lawsuit

[NoCtrl]

I am equally uncomfortable by the unreasoned response in the Internet community in jumping to his defense," McNet said

I don't know about the rest of you, but I would like to hear what is considered an unreasoned response in order to decide if I am to continue participating in RC5.

[This message has been edited by NoCtrl (edited 08-01-2001).]

[randy48]

I would more then bet 'ol nugget would start singing a different tune if the majority of us just quit! If that would happen, him and his buds would be out at least $6K

I think I might start looking for a REAL non-profit reseach group to start crunching for, not something like Intel who's out to make a profit from their cancer research project!

[Mntsnow]

McNet...Just ticked me off big time

Hmmmm....I might just have to rethink my support of Dnet.

[Scorpio69]

What a punk. Covering your a__ is one thing, but this guy's too much. Anybody know if there is another company doing the same thing as distributed.net? Or if there's an application one can download?

[daveleau]

If anyone wants to let this guy know what they think of him for his statements, they can email him witht he email on this <a href="http://www.distributed.net/credits.html">page</a> . They misspelled his name int he article as McNet, instead of McNett.


[This message has been edited by daveleau (edited 08-02-2001).]

[vintron]

SETI@home is completely non-profit based.
http://setiathome.ssl.berkeley.edu

[Scorpio69]

Thanks for giving Nugget's email. I emailed him and he directed me to his response at Anandtech:
http://forums.anandtech.com/messagev...516818&start=1

You can read my two cents there.

[Target]

Obviously the reaction of the university and the legal system in this state is an uninformed one.

IMHO, its sort of hard to accuse someone of taking something, or using something, that otherwise wouldn't have existed. Ok ok, you can make a case that the unused CPU cycles would have existed regardless....but lets get real here for a second. The correct measure of action in this case is a slap on the wrist, and an assurance that it won't happen again without permission before hand.....not legal action against the individual

Can you really claim monetary damages for something that you were perfectly willing to let go to waste in the first place? This software didn't interfere with normal computer operations, and simply made use of CPU processing time, and power, that otherwise would have been idle.....generating zero dollars of revenue, and incurring no additonal cost. To claim that you require reimbursement of a specific monetary value for something that otherwise would have earned you nothing to begin with, and cost you nothing, is rediculous!!!!

I think that the university/state in this case is making a HUGE mistake if they proceed with prosecution, instead of taking advantage of the opportunity they have to place themselves in a very positive light as a partner in trying to solve an issue through distributed computing.

I for one plan to write to the governor of the state, expressing my disappointment with their current position, and expressing my intent to boycott all that is related to their state (spending money there, traveling there, purchasing products from vendors located there, supporting their causes, etc etc) until they reverse their stance on this issue.

I urge you all to do the same.

[omeyehead]

Target has pretty much summed up my feelings on this subject. Being from Texas I could see our attorney general engaging in this same tactic, with a penalty equally as stiff! Maybe its that old southern mentality. Yassa boss I believe thats what it is.

[Detemeat]

I'm thinking that Nugget dropped the ball on this one. Maybe I'll start checking out one of the folding protiens projects or something on that order.
Dete

[engracio]

All I have to say is I vote with my feet. Two years is long enough and for this....


e

[This message has been edited by engracio (edited 08-02-2001).]

[aldtech]

I have a feeling that the state of Georgia is going to proceed to prosecute David just so they can justify the expense/time and effort spent on investigating the case. The bottom line is someone has to pay for it and if they, the state of Georgia, can make David McOwen look guilty enough to at least get fined then they might be able to recoup their costs. I think if this happens that it will really be ironic that David will be paying for a "crime" that had no actual monetary or software/hardware damage just so he can pay the state's bill. I think that is the real crime.
It is unfortunate that today’s criminal justice system is more about making people pay for the cost of investigation instead of actual justice.

Just my two cents worth,

AL

[e.coli]

Let's see. He installs software without permission. That would seem to be enough for a reprimand. I wonder if they have done an audit of their machines to see who is running IM?

Okay, the amount of money involved seems reasonable... $15000 for manhours/materials $500,000 for the lawyers.

But it took them 18 months to investigate???
And who turned it over to the state? And why?

Nugget could only be accused of foot-in-mouth-disease, an affliction that I am too oft accused.

If David had released a worm, a virus or a trojan I could understand the harshness of the retribution (for that is what it seems like to me). I can even see some issue that this was a program that had commercial benefit for someone outside of Dekalb using the school's resources without recompense of any kind.

A slap on the wrist, censure, even termination maybe. But 30 years!

Never underestimate the stupidity of people in government.

[randy48]

Here's a copy of the e-mail I just send to Nugget, with complete headers so you know it was sent!

From: "Julio Garlando" <garlan@webound.com>
To: <nugget@distributed.net>
Subject: rc5, georgia, and the world
Date: Thu, 2 Aug 2001 10:11:25 -0500
MIME-Version: 1.0
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X-Priority: 3
X-MSMail-Priority: Normal
X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 5.00.2615.200
X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V5.00.2615.200

This is a multi-part message in MIME format.

------=_NextPart_000_0026_01C11B3B.7CAB3520
Content-Type: text/plain;
charset="iso-8859-1"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable

I've really been having fun with this RC5 project! I've been at it now =
for almost a year and have moved from the bottom of the pile to the top =
100!

You must be nuts! The statements you've made to the media and on =
Anandtech. You and your buddies are really starting to look like some of =
the biggest @$$holes around!=20

Have you taken a look the petition? At the RC5 individual stats? McOwen =
has the support of many people from many different teams! Right now, =
you're on the virge of losing many of the major players in this little =
game! There are a lot more distributed computing projects out there that =
are not affiliated with Distributed.net and many of us are ready to =
move!

I highly recommend that you kick back and do some serious thinking! And =
then contact the "press" and issue a statement that at least does not =
condemn McOwen as you have done! And do it soon!

If not, myself and hundreds of others will show the distributed =
computing community how much you guys that stand to gain ($$$$$) from =
these projects, appreciate us! Without the hundreds of thousands of us, =
Distributed.net would follow suit with the rest of the "Dot.com's" and =
disappear!

McOwen has not been found guilty, but by your comments, you've already =
condemned him!

By the way, I am sending this from a shared machine at work and guess =
what, it is a government machine! If you care to respond, please use my =
home address below!

Randy Sundquist

Randy48 - Team Sysopt/Tweakit

randy48@cablemo.net

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<BODY bgColor=3D#ffffff>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial>I've really been having fun with this RC5 =
project! I've=20
been at it now for almost a year and have moved from the bottom of the =
pile to=20
the top 100!</FONT></DIV>
<DIV>*</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial>You must be nuts! The statements you've made to =
the media=20
and on Anandtech. You and your buddies are really starting to look like =
some of=20
the biggest @$$holes around! </FONT></DIV>
<DIV>*</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial>Have you taken a look the petition? At the RC5 =
individual=20
stats? McOwen has the support of many people from many different teams! =
Right=20
now, you're on the virge of losing many of the major players in this =
little=20
game! There are a lot more distributed computing projects out there that =
are not=20
affiliated with Distributed.net and many of us are ready to =
move!</FONT></DIV>
<DIV>*</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial>I highly recommend that you kick back and do =
some serious=20
thinking! And then contact the "press" and issue a statement that at =
least does=20
not condemn McOwen as you have done! And do it soon!</FONT></DIV>
<DIV>*</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial>If not,*myself and hundreds of others will =
show the=20
distributed computing community how much you guys that stand to gain =
($$$$$)=20
from these projects, appreciate us! Without the hundreds of thousands of =
us,=20
Distributed.net would follow suit with the rest of the "Dot.com's" and=20
disappear!</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial></FONT>*</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial>McOwen has not been found guilty, but by your =
comments,=20
you've already condemned him!</FONT></DIV>
<DIV>*</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>By the way, I am sending this from a =
shared machine=20
at work and guess what, it is a government machine! If you care to =
respond,=20
please use my home address below!</FONT></DIV>
<DIV>*</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial>Randy Sundquist</FONT></DIV>
<DIV>*</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial>Randy48 - Team Sysopt/Tweakit</FONT></DIV>
<DIV>*</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial><A=20
href=3D"mailtoandy48@cablemo.net">
randy48@cablemo.net</A></FONT></DIV><=
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[This message has been edited by SysOpt (edited 08-02-2001).]

[kriisten]

seems to me like McNetthead is just covering his **** so he does not become part of these so-called charges that are being leveled against this guy!

I agree that McNett needs to grow some McNutt's and realize that he is biting the hands of those who feed him!

and, btw...why doesn't sysopt consider taking the banner ad on the home page off ie: the RC5 cracking team/win $1000 bucks ?


[This message has been edited by kriisten (edited 08-02-2001).]