Computer Privacy Digest Tue, 23 Nov 93

Computer Privacy Digest Tue, 23 Nov 93 Volume 3 : Issue: 080

Today's Topics: Moderator: Dennis G. Rears

Re: 10,000 Phonebooks on CDROM

stopping junk mail:new idea

Electronic communication survey

Re: California Driver License and SSN

Re: Computer Bulletin Boards should NOT be censored.

Privacy rights clearinghouse

The Computer Privacy Digest is a forum for discussion on the

effect of technology on privacy. The digest is moderated and

gatewayed into the USENET newsgroup comp.society.privacy

(Moderated). Submissions should be sent to

comp-privacy@pica.army.mil and administrative requests to

comp-privacy-request@pica.army.mil.

Back issues are available via anonymous ftp on ftp.pica.army.mil

[129.139.160.133].

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From: Winston Edmond <wbe@northshore.ecosoft.com>

Subject: Re: 10,000 Phonebooks on CDROM

Organization: Panther Software and Research

Date: Sat, 20 Nov 1993 21:30:07 GMT

Apparently-To: comp-society-privacy@uunet.uu.net

Mark Bell <idela!bell@ide.com> writes:

I just bought a set of seven CDROMS which have most of the listed

telephone numbers in the US. Six disks cover the nation for both

residential and business, and a seventh disk has all the businesses

listed again, also broken out by SIC code, etc. so you can scan them

by industry.

Compuserve has had something similar for years. One is called BIZ*FILE (a

list of all businesses listed in any Yellow Pages in the U.S. or Canada) and

the other is (I think) PHONE*FILE (the list of names from the White Pages of

the U.S. and Canada). You can look up people or businesses by (partial) name

and area code or state. The cost is only somewhat more than their standard

connect time charge, and the lists are, I assume, updated from time to time.

-WBE

------------------------------

From: Donald Burr <picard@coyote.rain.org>

Subject: Re: 10,000 Phonebooks on CDROM

Date: 22 Nov 1993 13:26:03 -0800

Organization: Regional Access Information Network

Mark Bell <idela!bell@ide.com> writes:

>These disks were $85 for the set, 1993 edition, at my local computer

>swapmeet. I'd say this is one genie that's out of the privacy bottle.

>But if you're doing a high school reunion it is just the thing.

That is debatable. Since phone books are PUBLIC material (I.e. I can

walk into Anytown, USA's phone office and say "Gimme your phone book!",

or walk up to just about any pay phone (assuming it hasn't been

vandalized that much) and look at it). If this CD-ROM carried listings

of people for whom they DON'T want their names published, or if some

guy, upon looking at the First Edition of the CD-ROM saying "No, I don't

want my number in there anymore", but the CD-ROM people still leave

his/her number in the next edition, then this is a clear violation of

privacy, etc. and the CD-ROM folks would be at fault.

Then again, this is still a somewhat shaky ground. One thing that comes

to mind is the big stink people made about Lotus Marketplace, the CD-ROM

for businesses that listed LOTS of people's addresses and phone numbers.

From what I understand (I didn't really pay very much attention to the

Marketplace debates, nor did I ever see a copy of Marketplace) it is a

listing of people's phone numbers and addresses, gleaned from public

sources such as telephone books. This is (IMHO) clearly in violation of

people's right to privacy, etc. Whereas the CD-ROM phonebook the

original poster mentioned, this was targeted specifically at businesses,

ostensibly for them to start sending these folks tons of junk mail,

adding them (unknowingly so) to their mailing lists, etc.

This is an odd issue, since the instrument (the phonebook CD-ROM) BY

ITSELF is neutral (i.e. it's just another representation of publicly-

available information), but depending on ITS USAGE, it can be a violation

of people's rights, etc. (For example, compare the following two usages:

People using it for a class reunion, or telemarketers using it to rip

people off.)

Donald Burr (aka Captain Picard, Picard, Picards, and SuperTribble)

EMAIL: picard@rain.org; AMERICA ONLINE: CapnPicard

A Trekker, and DAMN proud of it! -+- Want FREE Unix for 386/486? EMAIL ME!!

"We're just two lost souls / Swimming in a fish bowl" -- Pink Floyd

------------------------------

From: Steven Minor McClure <steve@owlnet.rice.edu>

Subject: stopping junk mail:new idea

Organization: Rice University

Date: Sat, 20 Nov 1993 21:51:38 GMT

The main problem with junk mail isn't that people don't want it,

what people want is a way to get "better" junk mail.

I would like to stop getting so much stuff for Columbia record club

and start getting more stuff from computer and electronic places, for

instance. Some big company (Lotus anyone ?) could compile a *Voluntary*

list of what junk mail people would like to get and then sell this

to the junk mail providers. No one would be getting anything they don't

as least theoretically want. Of course, the company could also send

out updates periodically on CDROM or whatever.

Better yet, this info could be licensed to the junk mail providers

and then taken away should the junk mail providers not live up to the

implicit promise not to send folks things they don't want. For instance,

if the company gets to many complaints about Columbia record club---cut

them off--make them remove all the info from there system and revoke

their license to the data.

Sufficient care should be taken with the privacy of this listing

or consumers would quit sending in their info..or worse, start lying.

Care should also be taken to make sure that I don't send in info saying

that I'm Senator X and I'd like more junk mail from hard core

sex magazines (unless of course I really am Senator X).

------

Anyway, if anyone uses this idea---I want a 10% royalty :-)

The real problem with junk mail: The companies sending it

think *they* know what we want better than *we* do.

Kind of absurd when you think about it.

Steve McClure

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From: burchianti <burchian%ucssun1@sdsu.edu>

Newsgroups: alt.privacy,comp.society.privacy,comp.mail.misc,comp.admin.policy,comp.human-factors

Subject: Electronic communication survey

Date: 20 Nov 1993 22:46:45 GMT

Organization: San Diego State University Computing Services

Summary: Organization behavior survey

[Moderator's Note: This was also cross-posted to the moderated group

comp.risks. I sent the moderator there a separate copy. ._dennis ]

I am doing a MBA project at San Diego State Univ. on the electronic

communication impact on organizational behavior. If you have interest

in this topic can you please respond to my E-mail address to the

questionnaire below. I will post my results when the project is completed

at the end of the term. Thanks.

Mike Burchianti

MBA student, SDSU

E-mail: burchian@ucssun1.sdsu.edu

*******************

* Questionnaire *

*******************

1. What level of computer expertise do you possess?

Beginner Intermediate Advanced

1 2 3 4 5

2. In which organization setting do you get most of your electronic

communication exposure?

1. Business 2. Government 3. Military 4. School 5. Other

3. Do you have an E-mail usage policy in your work/school environment?

1. Yes 2. No 3. Don't know

4. Is electronic communication usage monitored in your work/school environment?

1. Yes 2. No 3. Don't know

5. Electronic communication (E-mail, FAX, voice mail, computer phones, etc.)

is impacting your daily life in a positive way in your work/school

environment.

a) By improving your job/school satisfaction.