P4e Editorial Nelaaskan
* Mmd IbA JL Sr A A Afi A Thursday, November 10,1988
Curt Wagner, Editor, 472-1766
Mike Reillcy, Editorial Page Editor
Diana Johnson, Managing Editor
I^ee. Rood, Associate News Editor
Bob Nelson, Wire Page Editor
Andy Pollock, Columnist
Micki Haller, Entertainment Editor
Computers byte dust
Viruses spread via computer systems
r«p here really is truth to saying, “ft’s better to be safe
S than sony/' As the edit! and ftu season falls upon
M us, we take die necessary precautions bundling up
and taking vitamins.
The saying also applies to computerland, as computer
viruses spread rapidly through systems across the country.
A computer virus is a mischievous little program that
infiltrates systems via disk or electronic bulletin boards
such as Mid-net, a nationwide computer network that the
University of Nebraska-Lincoln subscribes to. The vims
can then lurk inside programs in a computer’s memory or
on disk waiting to strike.
It can cause minor problems, like what happened last
March when a virus caused terminals to bleep a “universal
message of peace” before destroying itself. Or it might
wreak havoc erasing information after informing a per
sonal-computer user: “Your files wili now byte the dust.”
The most recenf virus, allegedly created by Robert T.
Morris Jr., a Cornell graduate student, was intended as an
experiment. The virus, however, lost control of itself and
ran amok, causing thousands of computers in university
and military centers to shut down. UNL shut computers
down temporarily last weekend in a precautionary meas
ure against the virus. UNL systems were found unin
fected.
Though this virus has garnered the most recent media
attention, trade publications have known of the problem
for a while.
The current issue of Macworld magazine discusses
several viruses and lists several ways of safeguarding
against them, one of which is not to panic. The problem is
serious bi t one must realize that Big Brother is not hiding
in the Super Mario Brothers game disc.
The hackers who create the viruses have caused dam
age and are capable of causing a great deal more. They
have, however, pointed out a flaw in the computer sys
tem. The holes were there all along and it was inevitable
that a young, gifted Mr. Spock would discover them.
Now the risk is here and must be dealt with. SDecific
laws will be introduced. But these hackers shouldn’t be
put in jail, they should be put to work. They obviously
know what they’re doing. Let them find ways of protect
ing against the viruses they created.
Meanwhile, it is important to use caution and common
sense:
• Some electronic bulletins are now monitored, but
exercise caution when using them.
• When using software, make sure it is from a reputable
source.
• Back up copies of important information on disc or
tape.
The risk is here, so be careful what, you stick in your
personal computer. This is one virus that shouldn’t go un
treated.
— John Bract
for The Daily Ntbraska*
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Smokers asked not to toss butts
I am grateful for the new smoking
policy at the University of Nebraska
Lincoln, but as usual when govern
ment regulates something there is
always spillover benefits and costs.
One benefit is cleaner air indoors, but
the cost of more cigarette butts litter
on the ground all over the place.
1 do understand that smoking is a
habit that is hard to break but it would
be nice if a few more of those smokers
would throw away their butts in ai
ashtray or trash can. I have seei
people crush their cigarettes rigli
next to an ashtray. I do not know i
they get on such a high with cigarette
that they forget the butt they throw oi
the ground is not biodegradable.
It really makes this place look bad
Larry L. Davi
student-at larg
diguiXi SidH WiUUlidlS
the official policy of the lull 1988
Daily Nebraskan. Policy is set by the
Daily Nebraskan Editorial Board.
The Daily Nebraskan’s publishers
are the regents, who established the
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the daily production of the paper.
According to policy set by th<
regents, responsibility for the edito
rial content of the newspaper lie
solely in the hands of its student edi
tors.
. —I ’>lim - - ___
rBULT5H0KfS’ 1
For anyone who has been more than a passive reader
of Bull Shorts, you know that I like to taice commercials
and poke fun at the ones which I find to be totally
unrealistic or ridiculous. Well, there is a local
commercial I must make a point about and hopefully an
example. _
h:.i i » neinn a woman named Sarah Thompson on
its commercials. This woman tells us all the wonderful
things Hinky Dinky does for us. I have no problem with
Hinky Dinky. I shop there myself. It's Sarah's whiny,
high-pitched "liiike ahhhhhh hooo ahhhh, even ahhhh,
itsss ahhh suuuuuper saaaavings market and yeehh Ieeee
just said that.' ' which makes my skin crawl. I d rather
hear someone's fingernails on a blackboard.
Again, it's not Hinky Dinky I dislike, it s the
commercials.
Here is where you can make a difference: Next time you
hear the commercial on the radio, call the station to
protest. Next time you shop at Hinky Dinky, drop off
a signed copy of this article.
Let's make our airwaves safe
for our ears.
New ideas and opinion abound
I Columnist deems new board members rebels with a cause
C lir it up,” must have been on
the voters’ minds Tuesday
when they cast their ballots
in the NU Board of Regents’ races.
Four incumbents sought re-elec
tion. Two were successful. Two were
not.
Sounds simple. Or is it?
On a board, which appears to be
unified most of the time, how can
some members maintain their popu
larity, while others lo c it? Granted,
some differences exist in the regents’
constituencies, but those arc unclear.
The 5th and 3rd districts, both “oul
- state,” arc not incredibly different.
Therefore, the differences must lie
- in the candidates themselves. The
board must not be as unified as it
looks.
Margaret Robinson and Nancy
t Hoch (incumbents who both retained
i then seals) can be considered rebels
t on the board. I use rebels here with the
f same connotation in mind that I have
s when describing Thomas Jefferson or
i Martin Luther Ring Jr.
Both take stands, reject the desires
of central administration and do what
boards commonly don’t like to do —
J namely, splitting votes.
The regents’ recent decision not to
buy a computer system that had al
ready been shipped to the university
i provides an excellent example. Hoch
and Robinson opposed the purchase
; and split the vote. Their votes, along
■ with Don Fricke’s and Don Blank’s,
i were rejections of the authority of
■ central administration and repre
sented a legitimate check and bal
uncc, which is exhibited loo seldom at
this university.
Regents Robert Koefoot and
James Moylan, on the other hand,
voted for buying the computer sys
tem. Koefoot and Moylan lost in their
bids for re-election.
I am not saying the computer vote
is the reason they lost, but it reflects an
example of the entire reason. In re
gards to university matters, both men
■-r
arc conservative, lacking the inter
rogative attitudes that Robinson and
Hoch have. They tend to trust without
much question the judgment and
decisions of central administration.
Koefont and Mnvlnn Kau« loiwLwl
lo be pari of a conservative main
stream that has dominated the board
for several years. Many, including
mysciif, believe this conservativeness
has stunted the progress of NU and
inhibited the maintenance of quality
education. And the quality of the
university has certainly been threat
ened— look at our status in financing
research and faculty pay.
A careful observer of the board
remarked to me yesterday, “The old
boy network has been smashed.”
ll is difficult to say that, but it
merits some truth. Moylan and
Koefool arc gcxxl people, but they®
have been entrapped by a conserva
tive attitude towards N U that has been
realized by their constituents.
Rosemary Skrupa, who defeats
Moylan, has been criticized for har
assing the management of the Omani
Public Power District. Maybe iw
board needs this. Hopefully, how
ever, Skrupa will realize that I NL
not the University of Nebraska a
Omaha, is the flagship campus, ant
should remain so.
Robert Allen, who deleatct
Koefoot, recently posed these; ques
lions in a Lincoln Star article: (The
NU administration is a definite issue
Do we need a president? The Nl
foundation moved out of Varner Hall
Does the NU staff need it all?
These questions reflect a bold arv
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a fresh (wist
Hopefully, these inquisitive atti
tudes will not be drowned out by u*
board’s mystical suppression ol m**
pendent opinion and thought. Ana
hopefully the inquisitive atutudw*
now often dormant in current.boar
members, will be given fresh blooa
The new board will be composed
of regents who have new ideas ana
different opinions. In order to aggres
sively lead the university in the u
lure, on a road of progression cqua
and belter than those of other coHeg
and universities, the board must lisien
to these ideas and opinions witn
spcct and an open mind.
Pollock |a • senior news-editorial ®0or 1
and a DN editorial columnist.