eh, we have a lawyer, and he said that no news story will help me, because *IM* supposed to be the next news story (they are making an example out of me) <div style="direction: ltr;">> OK, this wasn't done over the network correct? You did this locally with a > LiveCD? If that was the case, they have no grounds for what they did. Here > are you other loopholes, only because whoever wrote the rules is actually a > fairly ignorant person just trying to cover their own ass. >  * Do you guys write programs at school as part of school projects? >     - I am pretty sure you do, so this would be against that rule as well </div>It was done locally under the "techhelp" account on the local windows boxes, which was admin yet left without a password.  But since it was local, yes, it was not done over the network at all.  Also, yes, i have written many programs for Java and C++ that are part of my AP Java class. > Hacking is not bad, cracking is bad. I hate the idiots who can't distinguish > the difference. I actually ahte even more the fact they are put in charge to > provide an education, yet they never educated themselves on said topic. :-( it was hashed, so technically i had to crack it.  but then again, the username wasn't <div style="direction: ltr;">> Have you signed anything that says you will follow the rules you stated about > the hacking crap? </div>yes. but then again i never needed to, it was in the handbook we were given at the beginning of the year. Right now im waiting for the word on what they have decided to do to me, they are "still investigating it" although im not sure what more there is to investigate, i admitted everything as soon as they asked me about it.  I even offered to help, but they didn't like that idea much... This is homecoming weekend, and i spent most of it terrified... oh well, live and learn. > I hope and pray you get through this w/o trouble. I hate to say, I told you > so, but man, I feel bad for you. Anything we can do to help out, we are here > for you RJ! Take care bud! I cant thank you all enough! (especially you nixternal) but my parents have suggested that i find everyone i have helped and ask them to send a letter to the principal to let her know that i am not the "malicious hacker" they make me out to be. (her email address is <a href="mailto:dsmith@elmhurst205.org">dsmith@elmhurst205.org</a>) anyways I thank you all for your support, please let me know any more advice you have! <div>On 10/9/06, Richard Johnson <<a href="mailto:nixternal@ubuntu.com">nixternal@ubuntu.com</a>> wrote:<blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; padding-left: 1ex;"> On Monday 09 October 2006 17:16, RJ Marsan wrote: > God I gotta love how you all are helping me out here.  I guess i really > should go into detail here (though i initially checked my emails to get > that physics lab i should be workign on...) > > Exactly what happened was this: > I discovered this "techhelp" account thats a local account that has admin > privliges, yet no password > I used that to run "fgdump" > I discovered 6 passwords, and verified they worked by logging in to the > outside email service (Yes... this is what's gonna kill me) > Thats it.  I never tampered with any files, never "disrupted" the system. It is killing you without a doubt right now. > In all technicality, the school rule book is littered with "including but > not limited to"'s  but in the exact words: > "Improper use of the YCHS Network is prohibited.  Uses of teh YCHS network > taht are prohibited include, but are not limited to: > ... > ... > ... (stuff about drugs, pornogrophy, gambling) > 10. Intentionally disrupting the use of teh YCHS network for other users, OK, you never disrupted the network > including but not limited to, disruptive use of any process, program, or > tool for acertaining passwords, or engaging in "hacking" of any kind, > including, but not limited to, the illegal or unlawful entry into an > electronic system to gain secret information" OK, this wasn't done over the network correct? You did this locally with a LiveCD? If that was the case, they have no grounds for what they did. Here are you other loopholes, only because whoever wrote the rules is actually a fairly ignorant person just trying to cover their own ass. * Do you guys write programs at school as part of school projects?      - I am pretty sure you do, so this would be against that rule as well Hacking is not bad, cracking is bad. I hate the idiots who can't distinguish the difference. I actually ahte even more the fact they are put in charge to provide an education, yet they never educated themselves on said topic. They can't prove the "to gain secret information" as you didn't have any in possession. Plus, you didn't gain access illegally as the username you had was open to the public apparently. Even discovering those 6 passwords isn't illegal. I think they may have blown this out of proportion, but then again, this is coming from a technical standpoint, as I can understand the ignorant bureaucrat known as a teacher or principle. > > So, to me at least, it sounds like i need to have "disrupted" the use of > the network in order to have broken a rule, somethign i certainly never > did. also, they mention numerous times that all student email and > information is never  private, and all students must sign a form > aknowlaging this. Have you signed anything that says you will follow the rules you stated about the hacking crap? > > hope this helps. > > Also, the IT guys have already patched the holes, and, at least as of now, > are refusing to accept my offer to help them with any futher securety > measures. I am surprised by the fact they have people intelligible enough to provide that service. Check this out, it is 3 years old, but you can see this guy did something similar to you, and didn't get busted. <a href="http://www.modbee.com/local/story/6314333p-7264093c.html">http://www.modbee.com/local/story/6314333p-7264093c.html </a> I think in order for you to get past this w/o any ramifications, you are going to need a lawyer. This on your school record could haunt you for a long time to come. You need to fight this, your parents need to fight it even more. They need to be at all of the board meetings as well. I hope and pray you get through this w/o trouble. I hate to say, I told you so, but man, I feel bad for you. Anything we can do to help out, we are here for you RJ! Take care bud! -- .:Richard Johnson .:<a href="mailto:nixternal@ubuntu.com">nixternal@ubuntu.com</a> .:<a href="http://ubuntu.com">ubuntu.com</a> .:<a href="http://kubuntu.com">kubuntu.com</a> .: <a href="http://edubuntu.com">edubuntu.com</a> .:<a href="http://xubuntu.com">xubuntu.com</a> -- Ubuntu-us-chicago mailing list <a href="mailto:Ubuntu-us-chicago@lists.ubuntu.com">Ubuntu-us-chicago@lists.ubuntu.com </a> <a href="https://lists.ubuntu.com/mailman/listinfo/ubuntu-us-chicago">https://lists.ubuntu.com/mailman/listinfo/ubuntu-us-chicago</a> </blockquote></div>