Reporter still doesn't get it!

[audit]

This guy still has no fucking clue.

http://www.freep.com/money/tech/mwend14_20031114.htm

MIKE WENDLAND: Wardrivers say idea is to find networks, not steal

BY MIKE WENDLAND
FREE PRESS COLUMNIST

November 14, 2003

BY MIKE WENDLAND
FREE PRESS COLUMNIST

An obscure group of computer geeks called wardrivers are claiming they're getting a bad rap after the FBI busted two men with wireless gear apparently used to break into a computer system at the Lowe's home improvement store in Southfield.

Despite the ominous sounding name, wardrivers want it made clear that the activity itself is not the same thing as hacking, or breaking in and stealing data from a computer. by the FBI in the act of accessing and stealing information from the Lowe's parking lot.

Wardrivers admit to cruising parking lots, and even neighborhoods, looking for unsecured wireless computer networks, whose signals often bleed outside of homes and offices.

But what they do then is the question. I've heard from dozens all week, all of whom insist that they just note the unsecured network in a logbook. Sometimes, several said, they notify the network owner about the inadequate security. (See the Mike's Mailbag item to the left.)

Wardrivers have a bunch of Web sites, including www.wardrivingisnotacrime.org, which tries to distance wardrivers from people who engage in criminal acts.

Then there's a Michigan site (www.michiganwireless.org) that even posts maps of more than 7,000 unsecured wireless access points in Michigan. That site claims its interest is in researching and improving wireless security, not stealing information.

"Wardriving is the same thing as driving around your town with your radio set to scan," claimed somebody named John, who posted the Michigan group's link on my Tech-Knowlogy blog (www.pcmike.com).

The Michigan group offers software links, instructions, frequencies to tune to and even GPS satellite coordinates of Wi-Fi networks around the state.

While they may insist that's just "research," I think all that information is like giving a green light to the bad guys.

The one constructive thing wardriving accomplishes is it warns us to secure our wireless networks. Too many weirdos out there would like in.

Contact MIKE WENDLAND at 313-222-8861 or mwendland@freepress.com.

[highwizard]

This guy still has no fucking clue.

http://www.freep.com/money/tech/mwend14_20031114.htm

MIKE WENDLAND: Wardrivers say idea is to find networks, not steal

BY MIKE WENDLAND
FREE PRESS COLUMNIST

November 14, 2003

From the way it looks, the emails and calls from wardrivers only made things worse.

[audit]

HW,

Mike has no clue what so ever, he knows about michiganwireless and has known about us for quite some time now, he knows that the person named John that posted on his blog was me also.

I e-mail him weekly about stories that he writes because they are all very poorly done. He writes what he does to scare people, plain and simple. When I spoke with the reporter that did the story on the 2 waterford guys, he told me that it was Mike that gave him all the information that wardrivers are people that commit crimes and that having your laptop on in a car should be a crime.

As I've done in the past, I sent him another e-mail this morning about this and plan on calling him later this morning about this story, I want this guy to get a damn clue, yea it may be a lost cause but it's my goal now to make sure that I can get at least 1 media person to truly understand what we do is not illegal.

audit

[audit]

Newsflash, I just recieved this in my e-mail.
Subject: Re: Wardrivers say idea is to find networks, not steal
To: John <John@Michiganwireless.org>


Thanks, John, for all the links and references and your offer to be a
source. I will definitely take you up on it as this issue continues in
the news.
I'm adding you to my contacts list right now.
------------------------------------------------------------------------ --------
Mike Wendland
Technology Columnist - The Detroit Free Press
Internet Correspondent - NBC-TV News Channel affiliates
Fellow, The Poynter Institute
313-222-8861 office; 313-530-2583 mobile
see my blogs: www.mikesejournal.com
AIM/iChat screenname: mwendland@aol.com

[highwizard]

HW,

Mike has no clue what so ever, he knows about michiganwireless and has known about us for quite some time now, he knows that the person named John that posted on his blog was me also.

I e-mail him weekly about stories that he writes because they are all very poorly done. He writes what he does to scare people, plain and simple. When I spoke with the reporter that did the story on the 2 waterford guys, he told me that it was Mike that gave him all the information that wardrivers are people that commit crimes and that having your laptop on in a car should be a crime.

As I've done in the past, I sent him another e-mail this morning about this and plan on calling him later this morning about this story, I want this guy to get a damn clue, yea it may be a lost cause but it's my goal now to make sure that I can get at least 1 media person to truly understand what we do is not illegal.

audit

I agree with you, but, he has the voice in this matter. Sparring off against certain Media Personality can be a dangerous game to play.

You seem to have a good head on your shoulders. However, some wardrivers may say things to him that would blow this well out of the proportion. I just don't want to see the next headline:
Local Columnist attack by Hackers. Hackers seek Jihad on Local Columnist.

You see where I am coming from?

[audit]

I agree with you, but, he has the voice in this matter. Sparring off against certain Media Personality can be a dangerous game to play.

You seem to have a good head on your shoulders. However, some wardrivers may say things to him that would blow this well out of the proportion. I just don't want to see the next headline:
Local Columnist attack by Hackers. Hackers seek Jihad on Local Columnist.

You see where I am coming from?

Yes I see where your coming from, I've been picking my words very carefully as well as working with Thorn from the NS forums on this and how it's being handled.

I have no intention of attacking this guy verbally or any other way, I've taken on things like this before and won, like they say, "picks your battles carefully".

If anyone would like a copy of the e-mail that I sent him, PM me and I'll forward off a copy.

audit

[highwizard]

Yes I see where your coming from, I've been picking my words very carefully as well as working with Thorn from the NS forums on this and how it's being handled.

I have no intention of attacking this guy verbally or any other way, I've taken on things like this before and won, like they say, "picks your battles carefully".

If anyone would like a copy of the e-mail that I sent him, PM me and I'll forward off a copy.

audit

Well I concede to your better judgement in handling this man and this matter. I wish you and Thorn the best of luck in rectifying this situation with him.

[audit]

Well I concede to your better judgement in handling this man and this matter. I wish you and Thorn the best of luck in rectifying this situation with him.

I know the art of media fu is a strange one and although I may not be as experianced in it as some of the others here, I do try to consult with others before I speak out to the media about issues.

I believe that this is something that can be resolved and if I see it going in the wrong direction then I will of course back off.

audit

[noid]

I have found that offering your services (free of charge) as a consultant or a technical contact can work wonders. We used to have problems with Fox in LA (KTTV). They would constantly do these weird biased pieces on all sorts of stuff (hackers, raves, the 'gun underground', punk rock music, etc). Their 'journalism' would consist of hanging around a particular group long enough till they got what they wanted to put on the air rather than reporting on what was going on (or in the case of the gun underground piece, they just made stuff up and almost got sued). Eventualy no one would talk to them. A few of us stepped up and volunteered to be technical consultants and now when Fox does 'hacker' pieces, they call us to make sure they are technicaly accurate. It takes some of the 'shock and awe' out of their programming and it dosent scare the squares as much, but its factually accurate reporting and that gives them credibility. Overall, it benefits both groups in the end.

[Chris]

I have found that offering your services (free of charge) as a consultant or a technical contact can work wonders. We used to have problems with Fox in LA (KTTV). They would constantly do these weird biased pieces on all sorts of stuff (hackers, raves, the 'gun underground', punk rock music, etc). Their 'journalism' would consist of hanging around a particular group long enough till they got what they wanted to put on the air rather than reporting on what was going on (or in the case of the gun underground piece, they just made stuff up and almost got sued). Eventualy no one would talk to them. A few of us stepped up and volunteered to be technical consultants and now when Fox does 'hacker' pieces, they call us to make sure they are technicaly accurate. It takes some of the 'shock and awe' out of their programming and it dosent scare the squares as much, but its factually accurate reporting and that gives them credibility. Overall, it benefits both groups in the end.

There is that option...but I have found it more effective to get a room full of five or six hundred of my closest friends together and berate the media publicly for 75 minutes. In all seriousness, since I did my WWWD presentation every reporter that has done a story about the WWWD has sent me the copy first to proof. For some reason they don't seem to want to write fake information about it anymore...maybe it has something to do with calling them out in public, by name, and giving their email address and other pertainent contact information to a room full of people that are angry at their misinformation.

Either that, or my overwheming charm and the ease with which they can get along with me has finally won them over.

You decide.

[audit]

Well next week I'm going to be doing a story with the guy from the Free Press about wardriving in general. He fully admitted to me that he doesn't understand it and is glad to have someone to come to about stories like this in the future. I almost fell out of my chair when he said that he made some mistakes and wants to sit down and correct them in a full story. I WILL be proof reading it before it goes out to make sure it doesn't have all the normal FUD in it.

I don't think he appoved of being called a throwback of evolution either but that's just me. :)

audit

[murakami]

We used to have problems with Fox in LA (KTTV). ... A few of us stepped up and volunteered to be technical consultants

That was just a cheap ploy to try to get into Jillian Barberie's pants :D

[noid]

That was just a cheap ploy to try to get into Jillian Barberie's pants :D

Well, I'd talk about it but Jilian dosen't want me say anything till we get serious. :)

[ck3k]

Either that, or my overwheming charm and the ease with which they can get along with me has finally won them over.

You decide.

I think I will have to go with the first one. I liked the talk, I wonder if anyone got some reaction shots from media in the crowd ;)

[murakami]

Well, I'd talk about it but Jilian dosen't want me say anything till we get serious. :)

Always the gentleman!

Back to topic, you have to wonder if its worth engaging. Frankly most people don't care and the fourth estate (that's the press for the unfamiliar) rarely gets anything right.

Just point them to Jeff Dunteman's book and they can take it from there.