BBSs under fire!

[sneal@muskwa.ucs.ualberta.ca (Sneal)]

Stanton McCandlish writes:
 
>I'd like to invite discussion, either private or listwise, on: Why is
>the govt.  targetting BBSs?
 
     I suspect that a lot of law enforcement agencies are worried
about their budgets right now, and in response, they've made a point
of going after easy targets with high publicity value: i.e.  people
who lack resources to mount a strong defense, and who are looked upon
with suspicion by the mainstream.  BBSs, Branch Davidians, and now
health food stores, fall nicely into this category.  To be a
successful bully, you've got to find victims who can't fight back.
 
     Further, if LawEnf can push a lot of hot buttons in their press
releases about the raid
("kiddypornterroristdrugdealingmurphybrownpotatoe"), they can count
on lots of media attention, which is always good when budget time
comes... politicians are reluctant to put the axe to the heroes of
the day.
 
     I also suspect that Big Brother is becoming peripherally aware
that the uncontrolled, unmonitored, and extremely rapid flow of 
information via "new media" (a disreputable phrase, but there ya go)
is a threat to the existing power structure.  Alvin Toffler does a 
good number on this in "Powershift" (nice title, thanks a LOT, Alvin;
why don't you just TELL the bad guys what's going on??!).  The spooks
and their bedfellows (ENCRYPTED OFFENSIVE STATEMENT FOLLOWS Bt
Epspuiz Efoojoh mjlft up tbz, "Uif OTB dbo bmxbzt gjmm jo uif ipmft!"
END OFFENSIVE STATEMENT) have always counted on being able to keep
tabs on who's saying what, and to find and squelch troublemakers that
get too far out of line.  The proliferation of BBSs drastically
increases the number of "pressure points" needed to control
information flows in any meaningful way. 
 
     Add strong crypto to geometrically expanding information paths,
and you've got a spook's nightmare.  Not only does the head of the NSA
have to hire new guys to monitor all the BBSs, but now he's got
to buy a bunch more Crays to keep up with the crypto traffic.  The poor
guy must be swimming in his shorts..."My GOD!  What if somebody SAYS
something BAD and I DON'T KNOW ABOUT IT??!".
 
  -- Steve