Hacker Chronicles 2/HACKER2.BIN/072.COLUM02.TXT

Text File | 1993-07-30 | 8KB | 161 lines

                       ELECTRONIC IDENTITY
                          Robert Parson

                              HEIDI


     Hardly a month goes by in which I don't read, hear or see a
story that indicates BBS operators or users are nefarious evil-
doers.  The list of crimes we are accused of ranges from Software
Piracy to Pornography. The most recent example I've seen was on
AMERICA'S MOST WANTED on the FOX Network.  This story left the
impression that BBSs and networks are used extensively by
Pedophiles, or child pornographers, to distribute their
disgusting, and illegal, pictures.

     We all know that there are some BBSs that trade in illegal
ventures.  But the Mainstream Media (of which I am a part) tends
to showcase these types of BBSs and paint a sordid picture of the
entire BBS community.  Occasionally though, something crosses my
desk or pops up on my computer screen that proves to me once again
that BBSs are performing a vital public service.

     A Bulletin Board in my area recently started carrying GIFs of
missing children.  GIFs, for those who may not know, are pictures
that can be viewed on computer screens.

     These GIFs are distributed by Heidi Search in San Antonio,
Texas, headed up by Marv Cotton.  Over 200 BBSs carry the GIFs,
which are distributed at least once a month by the non-profit
group.  Cotton says, though, that the service had tragic
beginnings.

     Cotton told me that Heidi Seeman of San Antonio was reported
missing in August 1990.  In addition to the normal avenues of
passing out pictures of Heidi, he and a few sysops in San Antonio
thought they'd produce a GIF of her and try distributing the
picture and information about Heidi nationally.  They then
discovered the MISSING Echo on Fidonet.  A few weeks later,
another San Antonio girl was reported missing.  Many of the same
people who were in the search for Heidi started helping with the
search for Erica Botello.  They began distributed a GIF of Erica
as well.

     Unfortunately, both girls were found dead.  Three suspects in
Erica's death were released on an apparent technicality and a
suspect in Heidi's death was released without being charged.

     Out of these deaths, though, 55 of the people involved in the
searches for the girls met to create Heidi Search.

     Discussions with other BBS Sysops on the MISSING Echo
eventually led to an electronic arm for Heidi Search.  "We
distributed our first packet of GIFs in November 1990.  We've
distributed 685 so far, of which some 500 of the children are
still missing."

     Cotton says he produces the GIFs, then sends them to about
five other Bulletin Boards in the country, which in turn
distributes them through various networks and other means to get
to over 200 BBSs.  "I have 200 node addresses that have sent in
request forms, but I know there are many others that get the GIFs
that haven't sent in a form."  According to Cotton, the GIFS are
accessible from the FileBone, which is a File Distribution
Network.  "We're on Fidonet, Rimenet, Familynet, GTnet and
Internet."

     The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children is the
chief source of pictures that Cotton creates GIFs, although he
does also get some from the Texas Department of Public Safety
Missing Child/Missing Person Clearing House.

     "When a child is found, hopefully alive, I create a text file
with the information on when, where and whether the child was
found alive.  That file can replace the GIF."  In addition, the
text files CHILD.MIS and CHILD.FND are continually updated.

     "Sysops and other people call my board all the time
requesting the GIFS and other information.  Some law enforcement
agencies, and even private investigators carry the echo and the
GIFs on BBSs they run."  Occasionally, he says, a Sysop will call
the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children looking for
GIFs or anything else they might be able to use.  Usually, they
are referred to him.

     Cotton notes that some of the GIFs are put to unusual uses.
"Some people print them out and take them to the local police
department.  I've also heard that some have been made into a
computer slideshow and run at computer stores."

     Despite all his work, Cotton doesn't know if any children
have been found as a result of the distribution of the GIFs.  He
sees this as just one portion of Heidi Search.  "We help other
groups set up searches for missing children and also help look for
children.  We also do child identification programs."  In fact, he
says a child identification program set for November in one Texas
city is expected to fingerprint 16 thousand boys and girls.

     It's pretty easy for a sysop to start picking up the GIFs of
missing children.  A FREQ (File Request) to Fidonet node 387/622
for REQUEST.ZIP will result in the application.  Or they can be
retrieved off the FileBone on the various networks mentioned
earlier in the column.  But Cotton says if someone sends him
disks, he'll be happy to put the pictures on the disks and return
them.  "We have over Nine megabytes of GIFs and information about
missing children."  Here's the address:

Marv Cotton
c/o Heidi Search
2402 Pat Booker Road
Universal City, TX 78148

The phone number (voice) for Heidi Search is 210 659 0338.

-----

     Various and Sundry things that have crossed my desk this past
month:

     Time-Warner, TCI and Microsoft are keeping their cards close
to their breasts.  They are apparently getting ready to launch a
new program called "Cablesoft" which could act as a replacement
for newspapers, magazines, catalogues and movies.  But, as I sit
here writing, they haven't made a formal announcement and they are
refusing to talk about it for the time being.  Stay tuned....

     In what looks like trouble to me, an anti-trust attorney has
been nominated to head the Federal Communications Commission.  Now
that TV, phone and computer companies are looking at ways to merge
their expertise, the FCC is becoming more and more concerned with
problems involving possible antitrust violations.  Reed Hunt is
expected to sail through confirmation hearings.

     Speaking of anti-trust, the Federal Trade Commission has
closed investigation into Intel Corporation.  The FTC was looking
at allegations the company refused to sell chips to distributors
after they began marketing competing chips, and that Intel forced
customers to buy one product in order to get another.  The
investigation came to a close with no action being taken.

     In a series of raids, U.S. Marshals seized more than nine and
a half million dollars worth of pirated copies of MS-DOS 5 and
WINDOWS 3.1.  One of the alleged pirates had more than 125
thousand illegal copies of the programs.

This just for grins from the Associated Press:

     "Billy Idol says he wanted his next album to be something
'raw and nasty.'  The result is 'Cyberpunk.'  Idol explains the
term cyberpunk as a rebel science that allows individuals to
freely interact with others via computer technology.  It can also
be used to create.  The hard driving music of 'Cyberpunk' was
recorded on Idol's home studio equipment, which is controlled by a
Macintosh computer.  Idol says a song like 'Shock to the System'
is one of the 'roughest punk tracks' he's done since his days with
Generation X.  He says recordings like 'Rebel Yell' were, in his
words, too 'properly recorded.'"

     Whatever.


                                               (c) 1993 Robert Parson