a selection from EDUPAGE

[David Farber <farber () central cis upenn edu>]

SECRET FORMULA POSTED TO INTERNET
The RSA encryption software RC4 owned by RSA Data Security, Inc., has been
anonymously and illegally posted to electronic bulletin boards on the
Internet, perhaps compromising the software's long-term effectiveness. (New
York Times 9/17/94 p.17)




TELECOM LEGISLATION INCLUDES HIDDEN TAX
An op-ed piece by economist Paul Merski in the Wall Street Journal warns
that the American public may soon be hit with a $20 billion tax, courtesy
of the Communications Act of 1994 and Senator Hollings. The proposed
legislation "redefines universal service as an `evolving package of
services' that includes any telecom and information services -- including
interactive video -- that the Federal Communications Commission thinks
should be provided at `just, reasonable and affordable' rates to all
Americans." (Wall Street Journal 9/16/94 A10)


INFORMATION BY THE BOX
The New Yorker's Ken Auletta accuses news-discussion shows like The
McLaughlin Group, Crossfire, and The Capitol Gang of raising the decibel
level of American politics by basing themselves on the false presumption
that most public-policy questions fall into a liberal or a conservative box
-- into yes-or-no answers. (New Yorker 9/19/94 p.46)