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University Of Calgary To Offer Course On Spam
jrcsnet writes "CBC is reporting that the University of Calgary is going to be adding yet another controversial course (The first, on computer viruses, was covered on Slashdot a while back). According to the article, 'Students will be taught how to write programs that create e-mail spam as well as spy software.' While there must be some benefit for everyone else by creating programs to work against these nuisances, is it worth the risk to the rest of us or even to the potential careers of the graduates of the course?"
is it worth the risk ... to the potential careers of the graduates of the course?
They're the ones who choose to take the course.
Don't blame me -- I voted for Roslin.
That's what the class is... they teach you about spam under the assumption that you have to have knowledge of that to be able to combat it.
The uofc has a pretty underrated computer science department imho.
ps. go flames go
Aycock acknowledges there is a potential for viruses and other malicious software to spread outside the classroom.
He says that's why there are precautions, such as security cameras and a ban on all outside electronic equipment in the classroom.
Each student signs a legal form that says a breach of the security means an automatic "F" and a potential criminal investigation.
I guess they think that there is a high risk that a person will intentionally wreak havoc with the knowledge he learns in that class. Then again, this might just be a publicity thing for the class. I doubt that it's more dangerous than a class on computer security and virus/malware prevention in terms of the risk of damage being done.
--
Free iPod? Try a free Mac Mini
Or a free Nintendo DS
Wired article as proof
Hey I live in Edmonton, not everyone, like myself, is a right-wing redneck, just like some people in those middle states. actually I can't even think of one person I know who is a conservative.
Actually, it's CPSC 599.63. Here's the instructor's web site.
Who is this "they" you're talking about that's outlawing things?
FYI : Calgary is in Canada.
The University of Calgary was the first to standarize a library of text files to test compression programs. It's known as the Calgary Corpus.
Given this, I'd say that Calgary always keeps ahead of other universities in innovation. And certainly we want virus and spam writers on OUR SIDE. i.e. College graduates (versus socially-inadapted anarchists and script-kiddies). Who knows if one of these guys will later make the ultimate anti-spam tool? Remember that the Reed College graduate, Peter Norton, became so famous for his Antivirus tool.
You know, I was raised in Manitoba/Ontatio, and for all of my life I've been hearing the stereotype perpetuated by the parent. I just moved here (Calgary) a few months back, and I have to tell you, this province is anything but. Maybe it's the hippie influence from BC, maybe it's just that most Canadians don't really travel anywhere, and get 99% of their information from the Toronto-centric CBC.
If this province is right-wing, well at least they've done right-wing "right" (ie: correctly). The taxes here are lower than almost anywhere, people are in general more prosperous than anywhere I've ever been, we have an incredible public transportation system, some of the best roads in the country, an AMAZING parks system, some of the cleanest air I've ever breathed, North America's largest urban park (and mostly natural, too, although in this neck of the woods that basically means prarie grass), an incredibly healthy and athletic population, one of the lowest unemployment rates in the country...
By and large, the government seems to want to keep out of people's lives (contrast this with the "right" down south these days). About the only thing, and I admit it really pisses me off, is the provincial government's opposition to gay marriage.
I also work for one of the big oil companies out here, and from what I've seen, things are a hell of a lot different than they were in the past. I got to go on a field tour of our seismic lines recently (natural gas exploration), and was completely blown away as to the steps taken NOT to destroy the environment. It's really amazing - the people marching through the bush running wires etc are trained to bend tree branches out of their way, as opposed to breaking them off. Zero-impact indeed.
In short, for those that don't live here, don't listen to what you're told. Alberta is pretty much the polar opposite of what you hear on TV. Well, we do have the Stampede still, and some people wear cowboy hats during it. Whoopdee do.
Endless arguments over trivial contradictions in books written by ignorant savages to explain thunder in the dark.
One must study viruses, how they work, and how they are written, in order to work on antiviruses. One must study spam, including how to do it, in order to work on ways to combat it. I don't understand how some people here seriously think this will lead these kids directly into the "dark side" once they graduate. They sound just like the idiots who were totally against sex education in school. Education is the best way to combat many things. Sure, maybe one student among many will dream up a new, more malicious, spam/virus technique with help from these courses. But don't we all say "security through obscurity is pointless"?
Loban Amaan Rahman ==> Anagram of ==> Aha! An Abnormal Man!
Where are you getting this idea that socialists think information is dangerous? Isn't it you capitalist yanks that are enthusiastically taking away people's basic civil rights and trying to find ways to make "unwanted" information criminal?
Labelling someone a socialist and attacking them on that level doesn't work as well as it used to.
I think, therefore I am an Atheist.
Maybe it will start them thinking about a better protocol than SMTP?
They can investigate the history of SMTP, its assumptions w.r.t. mutual trust, where that went wrong, and how a new protocol should be designed so that it is not so easy anymore to hide the origin of mail.
And this:
Together tell me that you sir, are the worst kind of moron plaguing the Earth. You read one or two brief articles, jump to preposterous conclusions to support your half-baked pet theories, and support ridiculous courses of action based on such shamefully flimsy thinking.
I, for one, took the virus course (the predecessor to this one), so let me TELL YOU what the *reality* is:
1. The virus lab has tighter security than any airport I've even been to (1st or 3rd world) short of armed guards. My friend designed the security there. There is no physical way for electrons to leave the lab by wire or signal. The lab is shielded behind electronically insulated brick wall, with no windows, and no physical connection to the outside world short of secured airvents. The lab is video recorded 24/7 via several webcams. There is a electronic lock and entrance protocol every person entering must follow, including the prohibition of any digital or analogue media (this includes paper). The virus machines were windows (any flavour) running on VMware running on OpenBSD. I've probably forgot quite a few things, but the rules were DEAD CLEAR: the only thing that leaves the lab that the virus might live is in your brain.
2. The was a thick manual on all procedures and regulations that all students read and understood. The first 1/4 of the course was spent entirely on ETHICS.
3. This was NOT, I REPEAT NOT, IN ANY WAY SHAPE OR FORM, a course open to any or all students. All applicants had to be personally screened, have excellent grades, and have an impeccable acedemic reputation.
Ofcourse all of the above comes under penalty of an automatic F, Academic misconduct, and possible Criminal Charges. Everyone in the class knew this, everyone in the class wanted to learn cool new things, NO ONE wanted to "become l33t", and everyone there was of the highest calibre of talent and ethics, and you sir and all your joker reactionary buddies, are an insult to the fine people that I worked with there.
I personally know one of those people, a very good friend of mine, and a person I well respect, wrote parts of the OS half of you are using right now. The Unversity of Calgary is a real academic institution, where real serious research takes place, not the private sector sellouts that seem to be common in the US. Just because you can't imagine a school that wouldn't sell its soul for a couple bucks, doesn't mean they don't exist.
Cheers,
Libeled Coward