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Appendix 3

Project McLuhan Dispute

1 Leave a comment on paragraph 1 0 This group is one which I have been following closely for about two years. They run a website for those with WWW access, and a mailing list for those without. The mailing list is sent out to subscribers once a month – “we try not to bore” – and features debates of interest to people involved in media research. A recent flurry of activity occurred when someone logged on to the mailing list and obtained the email addresses of every subscriber. They then sent a message advertising their lecture series on McLuhan to everyone on the list.

2 Leave a comment on paragraph 2 0 From: Jesse Hirsh (jesse@tao.ca)
Fri, 03 Jan 1997 18:49:27 -0500

3 Leave a comment on paragraph 3 0 -----------------------------------------------
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

4 Leave a comment on paragraph 4 0 PLEASE FORWARD AND POST

5 Leave a comment on paragraph 5 0 The McLuhan Program in Culture and Technolgy at
the University of Toronto presents:

6 Leave a comment on paragraph 6 0 McLuhan Monday Night Seminars

7 Leave a comment on paragraph 7 0 The McLuhan Monday Night Seminars will continue
in 1997 with a new series. In the tradition of
the open seminars held by Marshall McLuhan, they
are a forum for unrestricted discussion of topics
related to media and their effect within society,
culture, politics, economy, and psychology.
Everyone who has an interest in such questions
is invited to participate in the exchange of
ideas and the connected development of new
insight.

8 Leave a comment on paragraph 8 0 The Seminars are an open and free discussion
where the medium is the message and the audience
is the content. A keynote speaker will deliver a
short introduction to provide the participants
with the basic information related to the topic
to kick off the discussion. The diversity of
participants will ensure a lively, spontaneous,
and multi-disciplinary discussion where the
ideas flow freely from one field to another.

9 Leave a comment on paragraph 9 0 Time & Location: Every Monday night from
7.30-9.30 p.m. at the Faculty of Information
Studies (FIS) 140 St. George Street (the north
east corner on the same block as robarts
library) in the video conferencing room (rm 305).

10 Leave a comment on paragraph 10 0 The seminars are free and open to the public.
Space is determined on a first come, first serve
basis. The seminars are for the open minded, and
no previous knowledge is expected.

11 Leave a comment on paragraph 11 0 Organizations or individuals who are not in
Toronto who have access to video-conferencing
facilities are encouraged to participate via
Centrex Video. For further information email
jesse@tao.ca or call the McLuhan Program at
416-978-7026

12 Leave a comment on paragraph 12 0 Jan 6 - Identity: How do new media affect our
personal and collective identity? How does the
notion of "self" change in a connective
environment? Will it lead to atomization or are
we moving into an era of new individuality? How
can we think of multiple or flexible identities?

13 Leave a comment on paragraph 13 0 Jan 13 - Borders: Are there borders in
Cyberspace? If so, what and where are they? What
are the new roles of trade and international
development? What are the new definitions? What
are the new limits?

14 Leave a comment on paragraph 14 0 Jan 20 - Mind and The Global Village: What is
the relation between mind, nature, and new
technologies? What are the relations between
mind and economy? Who are the commodities in the
information economy? What is the role of
imagination in the epistemology of
hypertextuality?

15 Leave a comment on paragraph 15 0 Jan 27 - The Media Collective What is actvisim
in the media environment? What and who are the
culture jammers, media-ecologists, and
ontological semiological geurilla warriors? What
are memes, virii, and logic bombs? How does the
Internet manifest in the material world?

16 Leave a comment on paragraph 16 0 Feb 3 - Information Warfare What is the
redefinition of reality and why does it affect
our economy? What is security in the global
media marketplace? Is this the new 'war to end
all wars'?

17 Leave a comment on paragraph 17 0 Feb 10 - Geography: Is there a geography in
Cyberspace? How do logical and material space
relate to each other? What happens to time as
space is redefined? What is the future of the
state, city, and neighbourhood?

18 Leave a comment on paragraph 18 0 Feb 17 - Public Space: Democracy is directly
connected with the concept of the public sphere
which has its archetypal metaphor in the Greek
agora, a place where all the free men of Athens
could gather. The concept of publicity is based
on the unity of audience, time, place and
subject. How can that be translated into the
electronic world?

19 Leave a comment on paragraph 19 0 Feb 24 - The Artist as Antenna - The New
Renaissance What is the new culture, and where
does it cultivate? Why are we in a renaissance
and how do we know? What messages can we
decipher from our existence, and what can we do?

20 Leave a comment on paragraph 20 0 Further questions and comments including
proposals for speakers or presentations are
welcome. Email jesse@tao.ca

21 Leave a comment on paragraph 21 0 http://www.fis.utoronto.ca/mcluhan

22 Leave a comment on paragraph 22 0 http://www.tao.ca/fire/mms/
-----------------------------------------------------------

23 Leave a comment on paragraph 23 0 This did not seem to be a terribly significant event, and I would have forgotten it if it hadn’t been for a vitriolic message from the list owner:

24 Leave a comment on paragraph 24 0 Date: Sat, 4 Jan 1997 20:56:08 -0500 (EST)
To: McLuhan-List.Subscribers@astral.magic.ca
Subject: McLuhan-List "Raped" -- Your Name
"Stolen"
Sender: owner-mcluhan-list@astral.magic.ca

25 Leave a comment on paragraph 25 0 Dear "McLuhan-List" Subscriber:

26 Leave a comment on paragraph 26 0 Since its inception in 1994, this list (run by
the non-profit and charitable CENTER FOR MEDIA
SCIENCES, McLuhan Research Division) has used
"Majordomo" sofware, one of the two currently
popular mail list packages. Majordomo allows for
large list managment (over 3,000 names on our
main list, currently) but lacks state-of-the-art
"security" features. In other words, if you want
to ATTACK our server and STEAL our list, and if
you have the time and the inclination, you
probably can.

27 Leave a comment on paragraph 27 0 It appears that this has, in fact, been done.
Most of our list has received a communication
from "jesse@tao.ca", (also known as
"mcluhan@tao.ca" and "mcluhan-list@tao.ca")
announcing some so-called McLuhan "seminars" to
take place shortly in Toronto.

28 Leave a comment on paragraph 28 0 We did NOT authorize this transmission!! We have
no connection with these people. We cannot speak
for the quality of the seminars they are
conducting. (After Marshall's untimely death in
1980, the original "McLuhan evening seminars"
were conducted by our very own Nelson Thall at
the University of Toronto. Nelson has no
connection whatsoever with these new seminars,
however.)

29 Leave a comment on paragraph 29 0 What's more, we think the electronic "theft" of
our list -- a list we took three years to build
-- is REPREHENSIBLE. If you agree, you can
direct your comments directly to .
If you receive any more communications from these
people, consider that these also are
"unauthorized". These are no better than junk
mail or SPAM. Worse, they are designed to give
the IMPRESSION they are part of a list you are
already subscribed too. At present the ONLY way
you can be sure you are receiving a VALID
message from THIS list is :

30 Leave a comment on paragraph 30 0 * return URL states "mclr@astral.magic.ca"; OR
* "astral.magic" in the sending ID; OR
* direct quotes from NELSON THALL in the body of
the message

31 Leave a comment on paragraph 31 0 We regret the inconvenience. We are as shocked
and amazed by this as you are. Probably moreso.

32 Leave a comment on paragraph 32 0 @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@
Communication and Editorial Offices
Project McLuhan On The 'Net (since 1994)

33 Leave a comment on paragraph 33 0 I wondered what had provoked such an outburst, and exactly what the author (who remained anonymous) meant by the word ‘raped’ in the subject line of the message. A reply from the ‘offender’ followed shortly:

34 Leave a comment on paragraph 34 0 Date: Sun, 5 Jan 1997 14:12:45 -0500 (EST)
To: freemcluhan@tao.ca
Subject: mcluhan: don't believe the hype
Sender: owner-freemcluhan@tao.ca

35 Leave a comment on paragraph 35 0 Holy Spins Batman, the McLuhan Project declared
Information Warfare!

36 Leave a comment on paragraph 36 0 Well I reply with peace.

37 Leave a comment on paragraph 37 0 I did not steal the mcluhan-list, I did not rape
anyone.

38 Leave a comment on paragraph 38 0 I am a lover, not a fighter.

39 Leave a comment on paragraph 39 0 This is public space, I walked into the room,
and invited the friends of mcluhan to the
seminars continued in his name.

40 Leave a comment on paragraph 40 0 My name is Jesse Hirsh, I am 22, and I am the
Director of the New Media Unit at the McLuhan
Program in Culture and Technology at the
University of Toronto. The program is a
not-for-profit organization in the University of
Toronto. I am both a volunteer and student at the
program. The seminars are free and open to the
public. There are no commercial interests
associated with the seminars or these postings.

41 Leave a comment on paragraph 41 0 We have brought back the Monday Night Seminars
as a free gift to the people. McLuhan Scholars
of past generations have in-fought over the
orthodoxy of McLuhan. Factions have arisen like
a childish techno-clergy.

42 Leave a comment on paragraph 42 0 I am the new generation, and I come in peace and
unity.

43 Leave a comment on paragraph 43 0 I organize the seminars with the help of Eric
McLuhan, Derrick de Kerkchove, Liss Jeffrey, and
any other member of the McLuhan Community who
wishes to revive the spirit of life and
innovation inherent in the name.

44 Leave a comment on paragraph 44 0 In fact my friend Nelson Thall, even had this to
say:

45 Leave a comment on paragraph 45 0 >Date: Sat, 4 Jan 1997 20:01:21 -0500
>From: Nelthall@aol.com
>To: jesse@tao.ca
>Subject: Reply
>
>Best regards on your seminars.

46 Leave a comment on paragraph 46 0 And I thank dear Nelson for his kind words, as
he is someone who I deeply respect and admire.
In fact it was my intention this morning (before
this attack) to invite him to be a speaker for
one of the seminars. (Interested Nelson?)

47 Leave a comment on paragraph 47 0 I am the digital generation. I know not walls or
barriers, privacy or property. We are redefining
public space, and an email list is as much a
room, as it is for one and all.

48 Leave a comment on paragraph 48 0 I am 'McLuhan in Action', the existential hacker
of the datashpere who lives the medium as
message. I have taken the teachings from 1964
Understanding Media and have integrated them
into 1997 life. I am the living probe that
explores the externalized global brain. I am the
generation that will truly 'hack the planet'.

49 Leave a comment on paragraph 49 0 I did not steal this list. I did not break into
any computers to get it. As a longstanding
member of the mcluhan-list I had access to the
list membership just like everyone else. All I
had to do was send an email to
majordomo@astral.magic.ca with the command 'who
mcluhan-list'. I then received an email with all
the members of the list. I didn't even leave my
email program.

50 Leave a comment on paragraph 50 0 My new friend spencer had this to say:

51 Leave a comment on paragraph 51 0 >Date: Sun, 05 Jan 1997 08:11:40 -0500
>From: spencer cosmos
>To: jesse@tao.ca
>Subject: re: "theft" of McLuhan"
>
>Go, Jesse, Go! Someday, someone is going to
convince somebody that
>thought is not property and needn't be
"authorized."
>
>spencer Cosmos
>scosmos@usa.net
The person who runs the mcluhan-list is named
Robert. Robert I believe you owe any woman (or
man) who has been raped an apology. Claiming
that I raped the list is absurd, and detracts
from the seriousness and severity associated
with the word. Only a man would use it in such a
way.

52 Leave a comment on paragraph 52 0 Your response was childish and reactionary. You
cannot own a list of subscribers, and you cannot
control what is posted to it. When a group of
people converge in a room you cannot control
what they talk about.

53 Leave a comment on paragraph 53 0 When I logged into my server this morning (I own
and run tao.ca) I had a 250mb collection of mail
bombs. My server was effectively shut down, and
my account sabotaged. This is contrary to the
federal criminal code, section 462.2, computer
mischief, with a maximum penalty of 10 years and
$10,000. I am at this point debating whether I
should call my friend, the computer crime
speicalist at 52 Division here in Toronto, and
ask him to press charges. My server logs have
full records of all involved. I have broken no
laws, but instead I have been subject to libel
and attack. I'd appreciate hearing what others
think of this course of action.

54 Leave a comment on paragraph 54 0 I had only intended to use this list once. I
greatly enjoy the mcluhan-list and do not want
to hamper its continued operation. After this
message I will not use this list again. Although
all of you may be certain that you will hear from
me again, as I am very active, vocal, and
involved in the continued development of
'McLuhan Scholarship'. All requests to be
removed have and will be ignored, as this list
'does not exist'.

55 Leave a comment on paragraph 55 0 In the short while that this incident has been
going on I have been contacted by a number of
media outlets. Please consider this my formal
statement, and I can be reached for further
comment at either jesse@tao.ca or at the McLuhan
Program at 416-978-7026

56 Leave a comment on paragraph 56 0 As for those folk still interested in the
seminars, I have set up a new list called
seminars@tao.ca. To subscribe send an email to
majordomo@tao.ca with the message subscribe
seminars in the body of the message.

57 Leave a comment on paragraph 57 0 Folk interested in participating via
videoconference are encouraged to resend their
request as many were lost during the attack.

58 Leave a comment on paragraph 58 0 Anyone interested in obtaining a copy of the
members of the 'mcluhan-list' are invited to
send email to majordomo@astral.magic.ca with the
command:'who mcluhan-list' in the body of the
message.

59 Leave a comment on paragraph 59 0 I apologize for any inconveniences of any sort.
Peace and Happy New Year to All

60 Leave a comment on paragraph 60 0 Jesse Hirsh

61 Leave a comment on paragraph 61 0 The “information warfare” had escalated, and I waited with bated breath for the next installment. It was turning into what is known on the internet as a ‘flame war’. The ‘owners’ of the list replied again:

62 Leave a comment on paragraph 62 0 Date: Sun, 5 Jan 1997 15:59:16 -0500 (EST)
To: McLuhan-List.Subscribers@astral.magic.ca
Subject: *McLuhan* -- Separating Hype From
Tripe...
Sender: owner-mcluhan-list@astral.magic.ca
Reply-To: mclr@astral.magic.ca

63 Leave a comment on paragraph 63 0 This is the (inevitable) FOLLOWUP to the note
all "McLuhan-List" subscribers have now received
from Mr. Jesse Hirsh on the topic of the "stolen
list."

64 Leave a comment on paragraph 64 0 At the end of his missive, Mr. Hirsh notes:

65 Leave a comment on paragraph 65 0 > "I had only intended to use this list once. I
> greatly enjoy the Mcluhan-List and do not want
to
> hamper its continued operation. After this
message
> I will not use this list again."

66 Leave a comment on paragraph 66 0 That's fine with us. This whole affair was
awkward for both ourselves and our readers. In
fact, one of the reasons this list posts only
once a month (officially) is to minimize CLUTTER
for our subscribers -- no doubt one of the
reasons for its strong popularity as an
"eclectic list."

67 Leave a comment on paragraph 67 0 There is a lot of other "stuff" in Mr. Hirsch's
message which, in the interest of avoiding a
"war of words," we prefer not to delve into too
deeply.

68 Leave a comment on paragraph 68 0 HOWEVER, we must take exception to Mr. Hirsh's
implication that fabricating a duplicate list --
which is what he clearly DID -- is as easy as
falling off a log.

69 Leave a comment on paragraph 69 0 Mr. Hirsh is a "Net expert" [we spoke with him
over the phone today] and is well aware that the
"who" command exists for the purpose of allowing
an existing member of a large list to verify
such individual membership. Converting that
command sequence into a "duplicate list" is not
only a bit of a stretch, but is also considered
a breach of "Net-Etiquette" of cosmic
proportions. In fact, unless we are
ill-informed, that's precisely what SPAM is --
taking names you have no connection with, and
sending them messages they weren't really
expecting!

70 Leave a comment on paragraph 70 0 Had Mr. Hirsh sent his message to us for
posting, we almost certainly would have passed
it along in the normal course. But he doesn't
seem to work that way...

71 Leave a comment on paragraph 71 0 As we explained to Mr. Hirsh over the phone, we
wish him well with his seminars. That wasn't the
point of our objection. And we take him AT HIS
WORD that he won't do this again.
Sorry, folks, for all the fuss.

72 Leave a comment on paragraph 72 0 @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@
Communication and Editorial Offices
Project McLuhan On The 'Net (since 1994)
Our Web Site: http://www.magic.ca/mcl-prj/

73 Leave a comment on paragraph 73 0 *****
"Even mud gives the illusion of depth" --
Marshall McLuhan

74 Leave a comment on paragraph 74 0 Again the SHOUTING was in evidence, and again the message was unattributed to an individual. The list-owners were, thankfully, aware of the potential for this to become a fully-fledged flame war of the kind that Hirsch experienced when 250Mb of data arrived at his server. They explicitly state that they want to avoid this for the recipients of their list; “There is a lot of other “stuff” in Mr. Hirsch’s message which, in the interest of avoiding a “war of words,” we prefer not to delve into too deeply.” But before the war of words came to its unresolved ending, there was one more message that arrived in my mailbox:

75 Leave a comment on paragraph 75 0 Return-Path:
Date: Sun, 5 Jan 1997 21:16:50 -0500 (EST)
To: The Willi-List
Cc: buschert@chass.utoronto.ca
Subject: Re: McLuhan-List "Raped" -- Your Name
"Stolen"

76 Leave a comment on paragraph 76 0 For quite a while now it has struck me that the
latest generation of McLuhan fans are mainly
interested in spouting a puffy, cloying, jargon of
technology while, for the most part, remaining
blissfully ignorant of how the gadgetry they worship
actually works. (Compare the rhetoric of _Wired_
with risks.digest, say.) This latest tempest would
seem to support my suspicion:

77 Leave a comment on paragraph 77 0 On Sat, 4 Jan 1997 Project.McLuhan@astral.magic.ca
wrote:

78 Leave a comment on paragraph 78 0 [SNIP]
> What's more, we think the electronic "theft" of
> our list -- a list we took three years to build
> -- is REPREHENSIBLE. If you agree, you can direct
> your comments directly to . If you
> receive any more communications from these
> people, consider that these also are
> "unauthorized". These are no better than junk
> mail or SPAM. Worse, they are designed to give
> the IMPRESSION they are part of a list you are
> already subscribed too. At present the ONLY way
> you can be sure you are receiving a VALID message
> from THIS list is :
>
> * return URL states "mclr@astral.magic.ca"; OR
> * "astral.magic" in the sending ID; OR
> * direct quotes from NELSON THALL in the body of
> the message
>
> We regret the inconvenience. We are as shocked
> and amazed by this as you are. Probably moreso.
>
[SNIP]

79 Leave a comment on paragraph 79 0 If, as a listowner, you are truly concerned about
such REPREHENSIBLE tactics you can simply do what
countless other lists have done: switch to Listserv
and disable the "REView" command. To describe a
subscriber using a feature that you yourself have
made available as THEFT is bascially incoherent, to
describe it as "rape" is hysterical and plain stupid
(and likely as not the reaction of someone who has no
experience of the real sexual violence he invokes with
his metaphor).

80 Leave a comment on paragraph 80 0 -- Will

81 Leave a comment on paragraph 81 0 NB: Since sending this out to the principals earlier
today, I note that the Majordomo "who" command is
*still* enabled for this list. Hence this message in
your inbox. I rest my case.

82 Leave a comment on paragraph 82 0 ------------------------------------------
William Buschert
Department of Philosophy
University of Toronto
215 Huron Street
Toronto, Ontario

83 Leave a comment on paragraph 83 0 The poet and the dreamer are distinct,
Diverse, sheer opposite, antipodes.
The one pours out a balm upon the world
The other vexes it.
-- John Keats
------------------------------------------

84 Leave a comment on paragraph 84 0 The quote from Keats in the author’s signature footer seems to sum up the divergence of opinion in this flame war; it was a battle between the poet and the dreamer, and the outcome had reflected the opposite attitudes to the same ‘territory.’

Page 23

Source: https://cpmu.haystack.co.uk/newbie/appendices/appendix-3/