Subject: BBS security (was Freenet anyone?)   
   @VIA: TRN   
   @MSGID: <4B6A9C41.2109.doveinet@theroughnecks.net>   
   @REPLY: <4B6A503E.1124.dove-int@bbs.electronicchicken.com>   
   @TZ: 41a4   
          
    > That's an interesting point, but at least in this scenario you aren't   
    > hostin someone else's illegal stuff yourself - your name is simply sitting   
    > on the s drive as it while it remains on somebody else's machine. Even if   
    > that drive were confiscated by the authorities and your name fell under   
    > scrutinous eyes you'd still be a far cry from having served up illegal   
    > materials from your o system.   
   I would tend to agree, but now you have the problem of proving   
   that this material is not available to you. Would a judge   
   understand what a BBS is and how it works. Sounds like it   
   could be an uphill climb. Not only that, but not all BBSs are   
   hosted in a big commercial server farm. What does it look like   
   if said BBS was run off someone's home computer? Just thinkin. :)   
      
    > What you've said does make sense but doesn't   
    > need to be limited to the BBS world; the same concerns could be apply to   
    > membership with any kind of websi Plus there's like five people still   
    > using BBSes so they probably don't fetch much attention from the   
    > authorities. :) echicken electronic chicken bbs -   
      
   Actually, I'm glad they don't fetch much attention. Part of   
   the reason this subject interests me, and why I changed the   
   subject line, is the question of BBS security. I am very   
   surprised at how many BBSs require enough information to   
   get a credit card in your name, even just to find out what   
   they have to offer. Some of that, such as phone number,   
   is a hangover from the old days when many didn't have   
   call display and had to pay for lines to keep the board up.   
   Nowadays, I think it is highly inapropriate to be asking   
   for someone's sex and phone number. I wonder what's up   
   with that. It seems to me that a BBS is a great phishing   
   oppertunity. Except, like you say, there are only five   
   of us, and I'm probably the only old fart here. Probably   
   not a lot of phishing bait among the other four either.   
      
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