One graduate student whose name is linked tothe transfers of pornographic images logged in thefile said he was "shocked" by Steen's response.

"This strikes me as reactive, not proactive,"the student said. "They know the file's aninvasion of privacy, but they're not doinganything about it. Why not?"

Of the students who were recorded downloadingporn, all seven graduate students interviewed saidthe log was an invasion of privacy.

Seven of the ten undergraduates said theirprivacy had been invaded; the other three saidthey were indifferent.

On Monday, one student contacted by the Crimsoncomplained to HASCS that the file should not bepublic, Steen said.

Another student who downloaded porn and wascontacted by the Crimson sought psychiatric helpat University Health Services (UHS) on Monday.

At that point, Steen ordered that public accessto the files be cut off. Yesterday HASCS engineerschanged the availability of the files on all 35HASCS computers, Steen said.

Steen said that as far as he knows, only theCrimson viewed the files.

But a survey of 15 students active in Harvard'scomputer community showed that some students havebeen aware of the file's existence for at least ayear. Students did not specify to what extent orwith what frequency they viewed the file.

"It is a grey area whether looking at the logfile breaks our rules," Steen said. "We say youcannot look at a user's files if they leave themopen by accident, but these files were [not] ownedby [any specific student]."

Steen acknowledged yesterday that theaccessibility of the log raised a question ofusers' rights to privacy.

"You pointed out a way in which our systems canbe used to violate privacy of individuals," hewrote in an e-mail message yesterday.

One student employed by HASCS said the filecould be changed in seconds, but that HASCS doesnot currently have time to be pro-active.

"They are so busy that unless someonecomplains, they just put it on a list and get toit when they can," the student said.

Last year Richard Steen, former acting directorof HASCS, complained that HASCS lacked theUniversity funding, staffing and space necessaryto meet the demands placed upon it.