Innovation
Rupert Goodwins' diary
Monday 19/02/2001It's always a bit worrying when what you thought were youthful indiscretions turn out to be major criminal activities. Once upon a time, I may have wandered through the odd computer system that might not strictly speaking have been mine through which to wander.
Monday
19/02/2001 It's always a bit worrying when what you thought were youthful indiscretions turn out to be major criminal activities. Once upon a time, I may have wandered through the odd computer system that might not strictly speaking have been mine through which to wander. Then it wasn't even a misdemeanour. Now, it's not just a crime but according to Jack "Boots" Straw, it's an act of terrorism. Not the sort of trying a couple of Telnet passwords hacking, to be sure, but if it can be construed as "serious interference" with an electronic system it can be thought of as terrorism. What serious interference is, remains to be seen. As always, the Home Office is terribly reassuring. "Nobody need worry" it says. "only true terrorists will be caught by this". As always, this is less than comforting: you and I and the rest of the country may well trust Mr Tony's cronies not to overstep the mark, but what happens twenty years down the line when the Monster Raving Blackshirts get in and decide that anyone who dislikes the Missile Defence Shield is ipso facto a terrorist? More fuel for the two-bar fire of paranoia...
19/02/2001 It's always a bit worrying when what you thought were youthful indiscretions turn out to be major criminal activities. Once upon a time, I may have wandered through the odd computer system that might not strictly speaking have been mine through which to wander. Then it wasn't even a misdemeanour. Now, it's not just a crime but according to Jack "Boots" Straw, it's an act of terrorism. Not the sort of trying a couple of Telnet passwords hacking, to be sure, but if it can be construed as "serious interference" with an electronic system it can be thought of as terrorism. What serious interference is, remains to be seen. As always, the Home Office is terribly reassuring. "Nobody need worry" it says. "only true terrorists will be caught by this". As always, this is less than comforting: you and I and the rest of the country may well trust Mr Tony's cronies not to overstep the mark, but what happens twenty years down the line when the Monster Raving Blackshirts get in and decide that anyone who dislikes the Missile Defence Shield is ipso facto a terrorist? More fuel for the two-bar fire of paranoia...