At 04:32 PM 5/26/1999 -0400, you wrote:
>
>If this is a ? thats been dealt with before I joined the list my
>apologies.
> I repeatedly come across personal and confidential information on
>discarded computers. I sit and shake my head in shock. Lawyers seem to
>be the worst. I have considered contacting the original owners and
>educating them about practicing safe hex but, especially in the case of
>lawyers and women, don't want to have them freak out and think I'm being
>weird and calling the police. On the other hand I feel that I should do
>something. In the end I just format the drives and forget about it.
> Has anyone experienced contacting an original owner? What was the
>response. This is something that I've not read about in the media as Y2K
>and Hackers get all the press but I suspect this is a bigger potential
>problem.
>
>
>Colan
>
In my opinion you are doing the right thing in just formatting the HD. If
too much noise is made about this problem the word will get around and
people will destroy their discarded computers rather than let them get into
the hands of collecters.
In some cases users don't know how to scrub the hard drive, and in others
the computer has gone down and they can't erase it without going to some
expense.
Possibly somebody (Sam?) could come up with a "Computer Collector's Code
of Ethics" which would include erasing any confidential material on
acquired computers.
Regards
Charlie Fox
Charles E. Fox
Chas E. Fox Video Productions
793 Argyle Rd. Windsor N8Y 3J8 Ont. Canada
email foxvideo_at_wincom.net Homepage
http://www.wincom.net/foxvideo
Received on Thu May 27 1999 - 08:22:23 BST