nettime: mcluhan: don't believe the hype (fwd)

[Jesse Hirsh <jesse@tao.ca>]

wow this jesse hirsh spin is going crazy

here is the response i sent after being acused of rape (for doing a 
majordomo command no less)

http://www.tao.ca/~jesse

---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Sun, 5 Jan 1997 14:12:45 -0500 (EST)
From: Jesse Hirsh <jesse@tao.ca>
To: freemcluhan@tao.ca
Subject: mcluhan: don't believe the hype

Holy Spins Batman, the McLuhan Project declared Information Warfare!

Well I reply with peace.

I did not steal the mcluhan-list, I did not rape anyone.

I am a lover, not a fighter.

This is public space, I walked into the room, and invited the friends of mcluhan 
to the seminars continued in his name.

My name is Jesse Hirsh, I am 22, and I am the Director of the New Media Unit at the 
McLuhan Program in Culture and Technology at the University of Toronto. The 
program is a not-for-profit organization in the University of Toronto. I am both 
a volunteer and student at the program. The seminars are free and open to the 
public. There are no commercial interests associated with the seminars or these 
postings.

We have brought back the Monday Night Seminars as a free gift to the people. 
McLuhan Scholars of past generations have in-fought over the orthodoxy of 
McLuhan. Factions have arisen like a childish techno-clergy.

I am the new generation, and I come in peace and unity.

I organize the seminars with the help of Eric McLuhan, Derrick de Kerkchove, Liss 
Jeffrey, and any other member of the McLuhan Community who wishes to revive the 
spirit of life and innovation inherent in the name.

In fact my friend Nelson Thall, even had this to say:

>Date: Sat, 4 Jan 1997 20:01:21 -0500
>From: Nelthall@aol.com
>To: jesse@tao.ca
>Subject: Reply
>
>Best regards on your seminars.

And I thank dear Nelson for his kind words, as he is someone who I deeply respect 
and admire. In fact it was my intention this morning (before this attack) to 
invite him to be a speaker for one of the seminars. (Interested Nelson?)

I am the digital generation. I know not walls or barriers, privacy or property. 
We are redefining public space, and an email list is as much a room, as it is for 
one and all.

I am 'McLuhan in Action', the existential hacker of the datashpere who 
lives the medium as message. I have taken the teachings from 1964 
Understanding Media and have integrated them into 1997 life. I am the 
living probe that explores the externalized global brain. I am the 
generation that will truly 'hack the planet'.

I did not steal this list. I did not break into any computers to get it. As a 
longstanding member of the mcluhan-list I had access to the list membership just 
like everyone else. All I had to do was send an email to 
majordomo@astral.magic.ca with the command 'who mcluhan-list'. I then received an 
email with all the members of the list. I didn't even leave my email program.

My new friend spencer had this to say:

>Date: Sun, 05 Jan 1997 08:11:40 -0500
>From: spencer cosmos <spencer@his.com>
>To: jesse@tao.ca
>Subject: re: "theft" of McLuhan"
>
>Go, Jesse, Go!  Someday, someone is going to convince somebody that
>thought is not property and needn't be "authorized."
>
>spencer Cosmos
>scosmos@usa.net

The person who runs the mcluhan-list is named Robert. Robert I believe you owe 
any woman (or man) who has been raped an apology. Claiming that I raped the 
list is absurd, and detracts from the seriousness and severity associated with 
the word. Only a man would use it in such a way.

Your response was childish and reactionary. You cannot own a list of subscribers, 
and you cannot control what is posted to it. When a group of people converge in a 
room you cannot control what they talk about.

When I logged into my server this morning (I own and run tao.ca) I had a 250mb 
collection of mail bombs. My server was effectively shut down, and my account 
sabotaged. This is contrary to the federal criminal code, section 462.2, computer 
mischief, with a maximum penalty of 10 years and $10,000. I am at this point 
debating whether I should call my friend, the computer crime speicalist at 52 
Division here in Toronto, and ask him to press charges. My server logs have full 
records of all involved. I have broken no laws, but instead I have been subject 
to libel and attack. I'd appreciate hearing what others think of this course of 
action.

I had only intended to use this list once. I greatly enjoy the mcluhan-list and 
do not want to hamper its continued operation. After this message I will not use 
this list again. Although all of you may be certain that you will hear from me 
again, as I am very active, vocal, and involved in the continued development of 
'McLuhan Scholarship'. All requests to be removed have and will be ignored, as 
this list 'does not exist'.

In the short while that this incident has been going on I have been contacted by 
a number of media outlets. Please consider this my formal statement, and I can be 
reached for further comment at either jesse@tao.ca or at the McLuhan Program at 
416-978-7026

As for those folk still interested in the seminars, I have set up a new list 
called seminars@tao.ca. To subscribe send an email to majordomo@tao.ca with the 
message subscribe seminars in the body of the message.

Folk interested in participating via videoconference are encouraged to resend 
their request as many were lost during the attack.

Anyone interested in obtaining a copy of the members of the 'mcluhan-list' are 
invited to send email to majordomo@astral.magic.ca with the command:
'who mcluhan-list' in the body of the message.

I apologize for any inconveniences of any sort.
Peace and Happy New Year to All

Jesse Hirsh

http://www.tao.ca/~jesse


---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Sat, 4 Jan 1997 20:56:08 -0500 (EST)
From: Project.McLuhan@astral.magic.ca
Reply-To: mclr@astral.magic.ca
To: McLuhan-List.Subscribers@astral.magic.ca
Subject: McLuhan-List "Raped" -- Your Name "Stolen"


Dear "McLuhan-List" Subscriber:

Since its inception in 1994, this list (run by
the non-profit and charitable CENTER FOR MEDIA
SCIENCES, McLuhan Research Division) has used
"Majordomo" sofware, one of the two currently
popular mail list packages. Majordomo allows for
large list managment (over 3,000 names on our main
list, currently) but lacks state-of-the-art
"security" features. In other words, if you want
to ATTACK our server and STEAL our list, and if
you have the time and the inclination, you
probably can.

It appears that this has, in fact, been done.
Most of our list has received a communication
from "jesse@tao.ca", (also known as
"mcluhan@tao.ca" and "mcluhan-list@tao.ca")
announcing some so-called McLuhan "seminars" to
take place shortly in Toronto.

We did NOT authorize this transmission!! We have
no connection with these people. We cannot speak
for the quality of the seminars they are
conducting. (After Marshall's untimely death in
1980, the original "McLuhan evening seminars"
were conducted by our very own Nelson Thall at
the University of Toronto. Nelson has no connection
whatsoever with these new seminars, however.)

What's more, we think the electronic "theft" of
our list -- a list we took three years to build
-- is REPREHENSIBLE. If you agree, you can direct
your comments directly to <jesse@tao.ca>. If you
receive any more communications from these
people, consider that these also are
"unauthorized". These are no better than junk
mail or SPAM. Worse, they are designed to give
the IMPRESSION they are part of a list you are
already subscribed too. At present the ONLY way
you can be sure you are receiving a VALID message
from THIS list is :

* return URL states "mclr@astral.magic.ca"; OR
* "astral.magic" in the sending ID; OR
* direct quotes from NELSON THALL in the body of
        the message

We regret the inconvenience. We are as shocked
and amazed by this as you are. Probably moreso.



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