[AktiviX] Attack on indymedia USA computer vote fraud (fwd)

pault pault at burngreave.net
Mon Nov 3 11:44:50 UTC 2003 

On behalf of mick <mailto:m.reinsborough at lancaster.ac.uk>.

pault [wearing list admin hat]

=============================
FYI , this is a digest (from another sysadmin list i'm on) discussing the
possible attack on websites hosting information about closed source software
voter fraud during USA elections.  indymedia San francisco and whispered media
who showed us the video beginning night of Aktivix gathering are involved but I
believe it is now bigger than that- posted up on slashdot etc

just to let you know activist websites are being threatened


----- Forwarded message from sysadmin-request at haywood.iww.org -----

Today's Topics:

   1. Indirect Threat to IWW.ORG (Steve Ongerth)
   2. Re: Indirect Threat to IWW.ORG (Ken Nowack)
   3. Re: Indirect Threat to IWW.ORG (taylor)
   4. Re: Indirect Threat to IWW.ORG (mark burdett)
   5. Re: Indirect Threat to IWW.ORG (mark burdett)

--__--__--

Message: 1
Date: Thu, 30 Oct 2003 07:12:09 -0800
To: sysadmin at haywood.iww.org, geb at iww.org, iww-list at iww.org
From: Steve Ongerth 
Cc: Scott Figgins
Subject: [Sysadmin] Indirect Threat to IWW.ORG

Heads Up Fellow Workers:

I just completed a graveyard shift as night watch deckhand on a boat and on 
my way home I listened to "Democracy Now" with Amy Goodman.  The subject of 
the show was the problematic electronic voting machines that the US 
Government is paying (mostly Republican dominated) subcontractors to ram 
down the throats of American voters.

Anyway, San Francisco Indymedia ( www.indybay.org ) posted a story about 
this and included links to one of these companies websites that admits that 
there are serious problems with the software.  That company has tried to 
force SF IMC to remove the story under the rubric of "copyright 
infringement" (in other words, these fascists have been caught red handed 
and they're howling like stuck pigs).

This indirectly affects us, because both www.indybay.org and www.iww.org 
are collocated by www.communitycolo.net which is a project of 
http://www.onlinepolicy.org/.  The voting software company has threatened 
legal action against SF IMC which has resisted.  So the company then 
threatened Online Policy Group which has resisted.  Now they're harassing 
the collocation facility in Fremont, Hurricane Electric ( 
http://www.he.net/fremont/ ).

Hurricane Electric is also resisting, but only because they don't see 
publishing links to a company's own site as copyright infringement, but 
this could get ugly, because if these fascists succeed in shutting down 
Online Policy Group, we're going to be without web hosting service.

I must get some sleep, as I have been up for almost 24 hours, but I will 
contact the Electronic Frontiers Foundation as soon as I awaken and find 
out if we're in any danger and maybe offer our solidarity.  The details are 
below.  I only caught bits and pieces of the whole story.  This is getting 
very surreal.  This is a nightmare beyond Orwell's worst 
nightmare.  Welcome to the terror-dome Fellow Workers.

>Thread-Topic: MSNBC News Link: E-voting flap generates legal threats
>From: <intexile at earthlink.net>
>To: <intexile at iww.org>
>Subject: MSNBC News Link: E-voting flap generates legal threats
>Date: Thu, 30 Oct 2003 06:58:10 -0800
>
>** E-voting flap generates legal threats **
>One of the largest suppliers of electronic voting machines is sending 
>"cease-and-desist" letters to have purported data about its software taken 
>off the Internet, but some activists are resisting.
>
>http://www.msnbc.com/modules/exports/ct_email.asp?/news/985810.asp

Yours for the One Big Union,
Steve Ongerth x344543, IWW Web Site Administrator
HOME - (415) 391-1154 || CELL - (510) 459-6586

Join the One Big Union - http://www.iww.org/
Have labor news, announcements, or events?  Post them at http://media.iww.org/

--__--__--

Message: 2
Date: Thu, 30 Oct 2003 08:18:10 -0800
From: Ken Nowack
To: sysadmin at iww.org
Subject: Re: [Sysadmin] Indirect Threat to IWW.ORG


As I understand it, bay indymedia took down the links to the offending comp=
any memos. However, this story was posted on slashdot, immediately mirrors =
went up all over the world. There are literally tons of sites out there hos=
ting the leaked memos now. Apparently folks feel that data on voting machin=
es, un-auditable proprietary voting machines should be public. Makes you re=
consider running proprietary software now doesn't it? It should.

If you want the rest of the full story from slashdot follow this: http://sl=
ashdot.org/search.pl?query=3Ddiebold

Now as far as hosting is concerned, I wouldn't count on any serious action =
against community colo. Cease and Desist letters are commonplace now in the=
 DMCA RIAA bullshit world we live in. I wouldn't get too worried about it u=
ntil a subpoena or suit is filed. What's diebold going to do? Sue everyone?=
 I don't think so. And even if they do, so what, you can't get blood out of=
 a turnip.

Not to mention, community colo is responsible for hosting, not content. I'm=
 pretty sure their agreements state so. So even if they get a C&D, they can=
 honestly refuse.

Even so though, it's interesting to watch shit like this unfold. It's only =
a short step from here to outright fascism. Some would say it's a short ste=
p backwards.

peace

Ken Nowack

--__--__--

Message: 3
Date: Thu, 30 Oct 2003 11:39:11 -0500
From: taylor
To: sysadmin at iww.org
Subject: Re: [Sysadmin] Indirect Threat to IWW.ORG


yeah....this shit with diebold has been going on for a while...

i wouldn't be too dismissive of the threat posed by this though....it
was just earlier this year that dow chemical forced verio to boot
thing.net:

http://www.wired.com/news/politics/0,1283,57011,00.html

we'll just have to hope that he.net stands up to diebold's threats, and
that communitycolo has contingency plans in the event that the
unspeakable occurs.

contingency plans for iww.org should also be considered regardless of
the fact that this threat poses a risk to the current connectivity...


--__--__--

Message: 4
Cc: sysadmin at iww.org
From: mark burdett 
Subject: Re: [Sysadmin] Indirect Threat to IWW.ORG
Date: Thu, 30 Oct 2003 10:46:00 -0800
To: taylor

there has been no communication w/ indymedia re: these posts, except 
from our immediate provider, OPG, which received the cease and desist.  
We declined to remove the links because OPG and EFF were willing to 
take on the case.  Apparently the lawyers have now contacted HE 
(although I hadn't heard this).  Obviously if HE and/or OPG demands 
that we remove the links, we would either do so, move the server, or 
ask EFF to take it to court (which it sounds like OPG would do on our 
behalf).  We and they wouldn't let it affect other clients in the CCCP 
racks.

the best contingency i can think of is simply moving the server back to 
the IWW office, which has a 1.5mbps symmetric DSL.

--mark

--__--__--

Message: 5
Cc: taylor , sysadmin at iww.org
From: mark burdett
Subject: Re: [Sysadmin] Indirect Threat to IWW.ORG
Date: Thu, 30 Oct 2003 10:56:09 -0800
To: mark burdett 

Btw, this line isn't actually plugged into our router yet, we're still 
on the old, slightly slower line.

Also, I just generated a new SSL CA & certificate for IMAPS on haywood 
(not sure if anyone else uses it), it'll expire october 2005.

--mark

_______________________________________________
Sysadmin mailing list
Sysadmin at lists.iww.org
http://lists.iww.org/mailman/listinfo/sysadmin


End of Sysadmin Digest
=============================
-- 
pault <mailto:pault at burngreave.net>
<http://www.burngreave.net/~pault/>
also <mailto:pault at rising7.com>
<http://www.rising7.com/>


-------------------------------------------------
E-mail provided by the Burngreave Community Network
http://www.burngreave.net

More information about the AktiviX-discuss mailing list