contributed by The Phantom
Legislation to give internet surfers better and more thorough privacy rights will soon be introduced by US Rep. Ed Markey. Among the proposed provisions are that web sites must notify all web surfers who connect to their site what personal data is being collect and exactly how the data may be used. (Ed Note: This is all well and good but until the web site can be held liable for accidentally or purposely misusing or releasing that data a notice on a web site is not going to do squat. Private information must be treated as a commodity that has value before companies will take it seriously.)

CNN

contributed by skriptkiddie
We're not quite sure if this is tongue-in-cheek or not, but in what appears to be an exercise in post-Melissa fear mongering, a writer for Canada's National Post argues for stricter penalties for hacking and other computer crimes which "threaten the system upon which the democratic world depends." From the strident tone and inflammatory rhetoric, one would think that the Melissa virus brought society to within minutes of Armageddon (a catastrophe averted only by the combined forces of CERT, the FBI and everybody's favorite super hero, AOL).

We await the follow up article advocating an international registry for computers, modems and other weapons of mass hysteria...err...destruction.

National Post

contributed by Code Kid
Looks like David L Smith, who was arraigned Thursday morning, is not the only person the FBI is looking at as the writer of Melissa. Information leading to a second individual in Europe has been provided to the FBI.

ZD Net

contributed by Aleph One
An article on Melissa and Viruses in general and how they thrive within a homogeneous environment. An article that asks the right questions. Definitely a must read.

Salon

contributed by h_i_r
Hackers Information Report, an HNN Affiliate has provided a new version of g-spot the graphic user interface to the Unix version of Back Orifice. While we have not had time to check this out ourselves we are told that "this really rocks".

gspot121.tar.gz (axon.jccc.net/pub/software/gspot121.tar.gz)

contributed by L4m3r
Boston wants your old obsolete, broken or no longer needed computer. They want to fill potholes with it. Massachusetts recently passed a law that will prohibit the land filling of CRTs after September 1st. Local officials hope that area recycling companies can turn the unused computer parts into a plastic goo to fill potholes.

Nando Times

contributed by Anonymous
Cracked
http://www.fibredust.com
http://www.tentex.com