Update 2: A risky download?

Distributed.net, the provider of the screensaver software that got a Georgia college IT technician thrown into jail, is taking a lot of heat for not springing to his defense. The company argues that since the state prosecutor has yet to present discovery evidence in the case, it doesn't have enough information to comment.

As reported here previously, David McOwen, a former systems administrator at DeKalb Technical College in Georgia, has been indicted on eight felony counts for downloading a cycle-sharing application from Distributed.net. Some researchers and scientists have been using the software to solve large computing problems by creating distributed networks that can aggregate unused computer cycle time.

McOwen's trial was set to begin Dec. 10 but is delayed and the judge has granted a continuance.

According to Distributed.net, McOwen's indictment has prompted those participating in the company's projects to get clear approval from their bosses before pledging unused cycle time. This caveat is included in Distributed.net's licensing requirements.

Better yet, the company advises users to go to their boss' boss, the head the department or higher, to get the blessing for this endeavor. And then get this permission in writing.

You might spare yourself the trauma of losing your job, your next job, or rapidly going broke over legal fees and spending the Christmas season wondering if you are going to be able to hold on to your house.

On this subject, I received an e-mail from a gentleman who rightly took me to task for disparaging DeKalb county in last week's newsletter, as a place I would never want to visit. McOwen was held at the DeKalb county jail run by a sheriff who has been accused of plotting the assassination of his successor.

Now, just because the local sheriff allegedly believes that he can get away with allegedly gunning down a law-abiding citizen on his front lawn, does not mean that DeKalb county is not a perfectly nice place to live. As the concerned reader points out, DeKalb has lower taxes and living expenses than surrounding counties in the Atlanta area. He also rightly notes that the murders of Mayor George Moscone and supervisor Harvey Milk by a fellow member of the San Francisco board of supervisors in 1978, didn't do much for the reputation of his fair city.

But should you choose to live in DeKalb county, here is one thing you might want to keep in mind: If you are downloading third-party software onto machines in your college or corporate network in Georgia (or anywhere else), get permission first.

Ann Harrison is a technology reporter in San Francisco. She can be reached at ah@well.com.

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