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© Copyright 2000, Jim Loy
I posted a 
banner on my WWW
pages. Why? Kevin Mitnick committed computer crimes for which he went to jail
for almost four years. He was a potentially dangerous person, who could destroy
corporations and people, at the touch of a button or by placing a phone call.
Do I have some kind of anti-establishment sympathy for criminal hackers?
I am sure Kevin committed crimes. At the very least, he stole thousands of dollars worth of phone service. But no crimes were ever proven, because he made a deal. How do you get a criminal to make a deal? The standard way is to show him/her some of your evidence, so that he/she knows that you have a strong case. The other way is to abuse his/her civil rights at every turn. Accuse him/her of crimes that he/she never committed, and convince him/her that you will get a conviction, even on these ridiculous charges. That is why Kevin made a deal.
They say that knowledge is power. Kevin has the kind of knowledge that frightens people. He has the potential to do great harm to people and corporations. Has he done that? Probably not. Will he? No, he cannot use a computer or a phone. That was part of the deal.
Having the potential for doing great harm is not a crime. But Kevin went to jail for almost four years, awaiting trial, without ever being granted a bail hearing. And the government snowed him with a mountain of evidence, but did not give him enough time to examine it.
We, America, "land of the free," abuse people's rights when we are afraid. It's an ugly tradition of ours, in my opinion. They took away Kevin's rights; they can take away your rights.
See Kevin Mitnick Home Page and The Fugitive Game - by Jonathan Littman. Also see The Switchroom (hacker Kevin Poulsen's home page) and The Watchman - by Jonathan Littman.