Advertisement

CLUH Seeks Greater Computer Freedom

Urges Explicit Rules of Network Conduct

Eugene E. Kim '96, former president of theHarvard Computer Society, said yesterday hebelieves that many of CLUH's proposals are "notall that radical."

Kim said he thinks the proposal is a reactionto ambiguous user guidelines, which may in somecases be appropriate.

"One of [HASCS's] arguments is that theguidelines are purposefully ambiguous," Kim said."That's not something I necessarily disagreewith."

Kim says vague guidelines may help to catchbehaviors which HASCS could not have anticipated.

Currently, HASCS policy forbids users fromparticipating in illegal activity; sendingharassing e-mail, chain mail or mass mailings;posting anonymous messages; using the system forcommercial use; and engaging in activity thatwould affect network usage.

Advertisement

Kim says CLUH has focused on narrowing thedefinition of these prohibited areas, rather thanon formulating suggestions for the implementationof their proposals.

One proposal which may be difficult toimplement is the goal of increased studentrepresentation on the CIT.

Dean of Applied Sciences Paul C. Martin, whoco-chairs the committee, said he had not readdetails of CLUH's report but that it was"unlikely" that their proposal for a 50 percentstudent committee would be enacted.

One undergraduate and one graduate studentcurrently serve on the committee.

Yalen acknowledged yesterday that restructuringthe committee may be the most difficult goal toaccomplish.

CLUH distributed its report to members of theCIT and plans to meet with committee members laterthis month, according to Drake.

"I definitely feel undergrads should have moresay," Tarr said. "It's the undergrads who use thesystems the most and in that position they have abetter sense of what's going on and a user'sperspective."

The report urges that free speech protection ofU.S. mail be applied to electronic communication.Since anonymous, annoying and mass mailings can besent through the postal system, they should not bebanned from the Internet, Yalen said.

Several computer science concentratorsexpressed agreement with that claim yesterday.

"Just because it's not pen on paper doesn'tmean it can be censored," said Michael B. Lee '97.

Advertisement