But Lisa, isn't this rather irresponsible? I mean how can you be sure this software is only sniffing your own machines (perfectly alright I guess) and not spying on you (i.e. sending info about you on to whomever) or spamming other netusers? I assume you don't know the people behind this software. Don't you think it's better to avoid installing "mystery" software on any machine, particularly one connected to the Internet?
Dean
Lisa M> I assume you all know about the FBI and their 'Carnivore' program
which spies on people by sniffing their computer packets and uses
> this ill-gotten information to get guys in trouble. Some fellows in
> New York City developed their own Carnivore thing based on information
> taken from FBI files. Don't ask me how they got into the FBI files.
>
[TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: The people at the Radical Software Group and rzihome.org can be trusted not to load unwanted junk on one's computer, and things you might happen to see on other computers come to you in 'read only' mode. That is, nothing which passes through the ether that you happen to view can 'jump out' and attach itself to you. So they are reasonably safe to deal with. Lisa did warn us against abusing credit card numbers and passwords which happen to pass through the ether, and the law provides serious penalties against making personal gain of ill-gotten knowledge which does not belong to us, just like on ham radio when you are tuning the dial and overhear a conversation not intended for yourself. You cannot do it! If you have any questions about what is, and is not honest on the internet these days, see our illustrated manual, Honesty and the Internet at
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> If you like what they have to say, then you can build your own
> sniffer with this program. Just download the version which goes
> with your operating system:
>
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> We tried it here on Patrick's computer network and it is sitting here
> right now sniffing at his weather station stuff and some email on
> another computer. Of course, I presume you could also use this
> Carnivore to spy on people and their credit card numbers or things
> like that on the net, but why would you want to do something wrong
> like steal credit card numbers and passwords?
> If you administer a computer network at your school or company, I
> don't see any reason why you couldn't use this in the routine course
> of your duties at work, etc. Just use this tool in an ethical and
> honest way, as all guys do when they use their computers; the way the
> government does its business. Patrick said it should make a good
> worthwhile project for readers this weekend.
> Lisa M.
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and anyway, a _real_man_ always knows how to adjust his computer to avoid stepping in a pile of dung as he makes his way though the barnyard which used to be the commons traveling down the non-highway. PAT]