[LINK] Bugbear runs rampant in Australian parliament

[Howard Lowndes]

On Fri, 25 Oct 2002, Craig Sanders wrote:

> On Fri, Oct 25, 2002 at 03:15:08PM +1000, Howard Lowndes wrote:
> > > [...] they certainly have an obligation to keep personal information
> > > private.  [...]
> >
> > Bullshit do they have an obligation to keep personal information
> > private.
>
> some they do, some they don't.  some they even have an obligation to
> make public.
>
> the electoral roll, for example, must be published - partly to avoid
> electoral fraud.  the downside is that because it's public, marketing
> vermin can get their hands on it and use it for direct marketing.

They make it available by you having to attend at an AEC office and read
each entry off a microfiche.  You cannot get the entire file in electronic
format.

>
>
> > [re: CASA register]
>
> it might be worth another try now that the privacy act has been passed.

The amendments of 21/12/01 merely extended the impact of the Act to
emcompass non-government agencies.  Little changed WRT government agencies
by the 21/12/01 amendments.

> > Actually the gummint could use the Bugbear virus to their advantage to
> > do one of those unattributed leaks to the media.  "Damn it, it
> > couldn't have come from my office, it must have been the Bugbear
> > virus"
>
> do you really think a politician (or staffer) is going to be savvy
> enough to forge that?    they'd have to make exactly the same stupid
> mistakes that the virus author made, otherwise any reasonably competent
> tech would spot it as soon as they examined the message.

They almost got away with the "Children overboard" affair.  Don't
underestimate the skills of dedicated staffers.

-- 
Howard.
LANNet Computing Associates - Your Linux people
Contact detail at http://www.lannetlinux.com
"Flatter government, not fatter government." - me
 Get rid of the Australian states.
------------------------------------------
If electricity comes from electrons, does morality come from morons?


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