|
TROY, N.Y. -- Amid the torrent of jabber in Internet chat rooms - flirting by QTpie and BoogieBoy, arguments about politics and horror flicks - are terrorists plotting their next move?
The government certainly isn't discounting the possibility. It's taking the idea seriously enough to fund a yearlong study on chat room surveillance under an anti-terrorism program.
A Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute computer science professor hopes to develop mathematical models that can uncover structure within the scattershot traffic of online public forums.
Chat rooms are the highly popular and freewheeling areas on the Internet where people with self-created nicknames discuss just about anything: teachers, Kafka, cute boys, politics, love, root canal. They are also places where malicious hackers have been known to trade software tools, stolen passwords and credit card numbers. The Pew Internet & American Life Project estimates that 28 million Americans have visited Internet chat rooms.
Trying to monitor the sea of traffic on all the chat channels would be like assigning a police officer to listen in on every conversation on the sidewalk - virtually impossible.
Instead of rummaging through megabytes of messages, RPI professor Bulent Yener will use mathematical models in search of patterns in the chatter. Downloading data from selected chat rooms, Yener will track the times that messages were sent, creating a statistical profile of the traffic.
If, for instance, RatBoi and bowler1 consistently send messages within seconds of each other in a crowded chat room, you could infer that they were speaking to one another amid the "noise" of the chat room.
"For us, the challenge is to be able to determine, without reading the messages, who is talking to whom," Yener said.
In search of "hidden communities," Yener also wants to check messages for certain keywords that could reveal something about what's being discussed in groups.
The $157,673 grant comes from the National Science Foundation's Approaches to Combat Terrorism program. It was selected in coordination with the nation's intelligence agencies.
The NSF's Leland Jameson said the foundation judged the proposal strictly on its broader scientific merit, leaving it to the intelligence community to determine its national security value. Neither the CIA nor the FBI would comment on the grant, with a CIA spokeswoman citing the confidentiality of sources and methods.
Security officials know al-Qaida and other terrorist groups use the Internet for everything from propaganda to offering tips on kidnapping. But it's not clear if terrorists rely much on chat rooms for planning and coordination.
Michael Vatis, founding director of the National Infrastructure Protection Center and now a consultant, said he had heard of terrorists using chat rooms, which he said offer some security as long as code phrases are used. Other cybersecurity experts doubted chat rooms' usefulness to terrorists given the other current options, from Web mail to hiding messages on designated Web pages that can only be seen by those who know where to look.
"In a world in which you can embed your message in a pixel on a picture on a home page about tea cozies, I don't know whether if you're any better if you think chat would be any particular magnet," Jonathan Zittrain, an Internet scholar at Harvard Law School.
Since they are focusing on public chat rooms, authorities are not violating constitutional rights to privacy when they keep an eye on the traffic, experts said. Law enforcement agents have trolled chat rooms for years in search of pedophiles, sometimes adopting profiles making it look like they are young teens.
But the idea of the government reviewing massive amounts of public communications still raises some concerns.
Mark Rasch, a former head of the Justice Department's computer crimes unit, said such a system would bring the country one step closer to the Pentagon's much-maligned Terrorism Information Awareness program.
Research on that massive data-mining project was halted after an uproar over its impact on privacy.
"It's the ability to gather and analyze massive amounts of data that creates the privacy problem," Rasch said, "even though no individual bit of data is particularly private."
Chat room story.
That night she once again sat back down in front of her computer and check her email. The very first email she had was a reply to her application. It was from Words and it informed her that she had been accepted as a member and included a short welcome from the manager himself.
She was delighted and she clicked onto the community right away. There on the message board was a welcome to Mary Jane from Words and she spent the next half hour figuring out how to reply to it. Finally completing that task , she went poking around in the rest of the community, reading everything she could find.
It was then that Mary Jane found that the community had its own chat room . There was a short cut from the community to the chat room on the "Welcome Page". She sat very still for a moment, debating with herself wither or not to go in. Like most people she had heard all the horror stories about chat rooms and she sure didnt want to become involved in that scene. But these were writers, she reasoned, surely they would be different. Finally she took a deep breath and clicked on the chat icon.
Mary Jane Dodson was not disappointed. The chat room was fun and it was full of creative people who discussed writing. She loved being a part of it. She had been there about ten minutes when Words came into the room and said Hi to her. Here was the man who she had been so curious about.
He was friendly and nice and was actually talking to her! Time passed but she was unaware of it. She laughed and talked to all the different chatters and she got to know them. She shared with them her secret desire to write. Something she had shared with no one else and they all encouraged her to try and to post her stories in the community. Words encouraged her as well and she was drawn to him. She wanted to write and she wanted his opinion.
Finally she said goodbye to the chatters and left the room with a promise to write something soon. Mary Jane was shocked to find that it was almost two in the morning. Where had the time gone? Tired, but happy, Mary Jane went off to bed and looked forward to tomorrow so she could start writing.
The next day she posted her very first poem and it was well received by the other members who posted their opinions. Words also posted. She could not remember ever feeling so pleased with herself.
The weekend ended and on Monday she went back to work. It was then that Mary Jane fell into a pattern. She spent her days at work and her nights writing, and always went into the chat room for an hour or so to meet with the other members and Words.
At work the other people began to notice a change in Mary Jane. She started to act more self-assured, more outgoing. She smiled more. The word got around the water cooler fast: Mary Jane must be in love! Had she heard this rumor Mary Jane would have been shocked. She didnt consider herself in love with anything but the written word. She finally had an outlet for all the feelings within her and it was an exhilarating feeling of freedom that affected her in every other aspect of her life.
It was sometime in her third week as a member of the community that Word whispered to her while she was in the chat room. Mary Jane was totally flustered. She had no idea how to handle a private conversation. In fact, Words had to ask her in the open room, to please turn on her whisper option so he could speak to her, which embarrassed her to no end. She turned them on, and right away Words spoke to her. He was very polite and very nice. He complimented her on her poetry and he asked her how long she had been writing. It was all very innocent and she relaxed and enjoyed the talk. After that they talked every day in whisper. Always about writing, and a little about their personal life. He was divorced, though he never went into any details about it. Slowly, over the weeks he and Mary Jane grew to be friends.
One night, in the room she asked Words why he didnt have a picture posted in his profile. He merely laughed and told her it was because he was way too ugly to take a picture. Besides, he said, I am merely words on a screen and you can't take a picture of those can you. She had laughed and said no more about it, but she was curious now. What did this man look like, and come to that, why was she so dang interested? She had to laugh at herself at that thought. One day Words asked her if he could add her to his IM list and she happily said YES. From then on they talked on IM everyday and they became closer. He shared with her his hopes and fears and listened to her as she told him about her disastrous marriage. An emotional bond formed.
She learned that Words real name was Jason Beck and he had published seven books. Even though he loved writing, his real passion was helping new writers to perfect their craft, thus the community was started.
More and more she found herself thinking about Jason Beck when she was not online. He was always there, in her thoughts. She went out and bought a copy of all his books and she read them all. It was then that she noticed something funny. Nowhere, on any of the books cover pages or bio pages was there a picture of Jason. She still didnt know what he looked like and it started to bug her a little.
Mary Jane and Jasons relationship entered new territory one night on IM. They had been talking for hours, off and on, and Mary Jane was about to sign off when she typed:
Mary Jane says: Jason I gotta get to bed, work comes early tomorrow see you tomorrow night love ya!
She sat there for a moment, shocked that she had used that word "love" and she stared at the screen, suddenly afraid of what he might say in return. Had she overstepped the boundaries of friendship? Would he take offense? For a few seconds he said nothing, then he typed
Jason says: God help me, I love you too.
Mary Jane felt as if an electric current had flashed through her body. She wasnt sure what to say, but before she could recover Jason went offline! He was gone and she sat there in the dark room staring at the computer screen and wondered what she had done. Then she realized a truth she had not allowed herself to think she really did love this man. It was a terrible shock to her. How had this happened? When did it happen? Mary Jane slept very little that night.
The next night, on Instant Message, they met and they talked about what had happened. He told her that he had fallen in love with her and she admitted to him that she too had fallen in love and the act of voicing these feelings had an effect on both of them. They accepted the truth of these feelings and they began to revel in it. They became an "item" in the chat room and they loved letting the other chatters know that their relationship had evolved to this new stage. For Mary Jane it was as if she had been reborn. Her writing became easier and full of emotion that she had always denied in the past. Jason published his eighth book and dedicated it to her, with love. He sent her an autographed copy which she proudly brought to her work and showed the ladies in the office.
Mary Jane Dodson was happy for the first time in a long while. She felt feelings she had only dreamed of before. She wanted more. She wanted to meet Jason. She wanted to hold him in her arms and kiss him for real. She now craved a real love in real life. She told Jason this one night and got a shock.
Mary Jane says: Darling, I think its time we met dont you?
Jason says: No baby, we can never do that.
Mary Jane says: WHY NOT? I LOVE YOU, YOU LOVE ME!
There was silence for a moment then Jason typed again ..
Jason says: You remember what I told you once? I am merely words on the screen ..well that is all I am and all I can ever be my love. It doesnt change how I feel about you. I will always love you but we can never meet in the real world Im sorry.
Mary Jane was crushed. Tears were running down her cheeks and her hands were shaking THIS COULD NOT BE HAPPENING TO HER ..the words screamed in her head. She quickly signed offline without saying goodbye, ran to her bedroom and threw herself on the bed and began to cry.
Mary Jane could not sleep that night. So many things were going through her head, so many possibilities. What if he was really married? Was that the reason he would not meet her? Why had he never talked about what he looked like? Why were there no pictures of him anywhere?
The next morning she awoke with a new resolve. She was going to find this man and she was going to talk to him face to face. She was determined to know if it had all been a lie and she was determined to know what secrets he might be hiding. She called her job and gave them a story about a death in the family and said she needed to take a week of her vacation. Her boss was very understanding and told her to do what she needed to do and her job would be waiting when she got back.
Then Mary Jane Dodson went to work on her problem. She knew his name, she knew what town he lived in. She made some calls, got on the net and searched for some information. Within a few hours she had his address. Then she called a travel agent to make reservations for a flight.
That night Mary Jane Dodson arrived in Tampa Florida. She rented a car at the airport and drove to the city and got a hotel room. Early the next morning she was on the road with a map of the city streets. It took her almost an hour to find the right house. She pulled up in front of the large Spanish style home with a large front lawn. She did not get out right away, she just sat in the car and watched the house. There were no kids toys in the front yard. That was a good sign she thought and there was a light on in the front room so someone was definitely home.
She was suddenly assailed with doubt. What would she do if a woman answered the door? What, come to think of it, was she doing here at all? Banging her hand down on the steering wheel of the car in frustration, she said "To hell with it!"
Quickly she got out of the car and walked up to the front door. Her heart was pounding in her chest as she knocked on the front door. She heard footsteps approaching from within the house and she stood straight and stiff backed as she waited for the door to open.
The door opened and Mary Jane caught her breath. The man in the doorway was tall, over six foot tall with long black hair that showed a touch of gray at the temples. He was handsome with the build of an athlete and his green eyes seemed to pierce her as he stood there in front of her.
"May I help you?" His voice was deep, just like she had imagined.
"Jason?" She stammered, "Its me, Mary Jane. Please can I come in? We need to talk"
The mans voice became cold and his eyes were hard. Im sorry, You have the wrong house!" He started to swing the door closed but stopped as another voice sounded behind him.
"Let her in Jerry??.it had to happen sooner or later I guess." This voice had a weird sound to it, like a computer voice, not human at all.
Jerry sighed and opened the door a little wider. "Come on in Mary Jane." he sounded so sad when he said this that Mary Jane didnt know what to do.finally she walked through the door.
In the hallway, behind the man at the door, she saw something that almost made her faint. There, in a wheelchair, was what looked like a carbon copy of the man at the door. Except this mans body was wasted to almost skin and bones. His body was held upright in the chair by straps and there was some sort of computerized machine in front of his face from which his words were coming.
"Mary Jane, meet my brother, Jason." Jerry stepped around the staring Mary Jane and walked over to stand next to the wheelchair. "He has been like this for ten years now, ever since a car wreck damaged his brain stem. Its called the "locked in" syndrome. He can't talk, he cant move on his own. His wheelchair is powered by his breath and the voice is computer generated and he controls it with his eyes."
As if to demonstrate this, Jason spoke again. "Its true Mary Jane." he said and the weird emotionless computer voice assaulted her ears. "This is why we could never meet. This is why I always told you that I am only the words on the screen. This is who I am now. So now I have to ask you .. Can you still love me?"
Before she could answer, he spoke again. "This is my twin brother, Jerry. He has been caring for me since my accident, when my wife found out she couldnt love me either. I like to think that Jerry is how I used to look but now THIS is who I am." The computer generated voice that issued from the chair seemed devoid of emotion. Cold and empty words each of which stung Mary Jane like angry wasps, caused her to stiffen and she felt the tears overflow her eyes and began to course down her cheeks.
She stared into Jasons eyes unmoving, until tears slowly burned away his image. Jerry grabbed her elbow as she wept and seated her on the couch, close to the man she had grown to love. Composing herself, she apologized and finally smiled tenderly as she lifted her face to him. " My words, they came from my heart, as I felt yours touching me though your love. They came from knowing each other for ourselves." Mary Jane reached out to him, her calmed hand touching his frail body gingerly " Jason, you filled an emptiness inside me with your soul, it will always be part of me, I want you in my life."
Jerry sat down next to Mary Jane "Do you understand that this is as good as it gets. He can only stay up in the chair a very short time and then he has to go back to his bed." His words were soft and not meant to be hurtful. He just needed her to know the truth.
"I understand Jerry." Her voice came out almost as a whisper. "Now can you please give Jason and I a few moments alone. Please."
Jerry stood up and rested one hand lightly on her shoulder. "Of course. If you need me I will be in the den. Just call out." Jerry stood and looked down at her for a moment then, shaking his head sadly, he turned and walked out of the room.
Now it was just the two of them. Mary Jane sitting on the small couch, half turned and faced the man she loved. Jasons eyes seemed to be boring into her as the silence stretched out between them.
Finally she sighed and placed a hand on one of his wasted legs.
"Well my love you certainly know how to throw a girl for a loop." Her smile was bittersweet.
"I never wanted this Mary." the voice so devoid of feeling. "I DO love you, but now you know my secret..I can not love you."
She closed her eyes and took a calming breath. "Yes darling. I can see that but it cant change my heart you know."
"I know," he said. "But for me please darling. You must turn around and walk out the door. For me. For us my darling you must go."
Slowly Mary Jane stood up and took a small step toward Jasons chair. She bent down and tenderly kissed his cheek. Then for a moment she held her face against his soft skin. Her tears mixed with his in joint misery for a moment, then she straightened up, turned and walked to the door. As she opened the door she paused and looked back at the man she loved.
"What about the future, what about us online?" Her voice was stronger. She had made up her mind and she had accepted.
"I will always be there for you Mary Jane." Jason replied. "I will always love you and I will always be the Words on the Screen my love."
Mary Jane Dodson smiled then. "I will talk to you tomorrow when I get home then sweetheart. I have a new poem I want you to read." With that she walked out the door and back to her life but not out of his.
The End
| What A Webcam Camera Can? |
The webcam camera, initially created for personal videoconferencing, late adopted by the user of the Internet, which started to view images from cameras set up by other individuals who were in many parts of the world. It's a real time camera, which registers images in movement and sends them to the web. To transmit these images, the user just needs a digital webcam connected to a computer with Internet and the specific software.
A webcam is easy to install. The person only has to follow the instructions that come with the hardware. To see and transmit webcam images does not require DSL connection, as thumbnail imagery stands for small size, with a medium or bad quality, and they are pictures sent in at specific speed, meaning that the receiver will see a video slower than normal. To watch this video, the user doesn't need a specific program. One can watch it through the browser, like the Internet Explorer or Netscape.
Many webcams, nowadays, offer views into offices, homes and other buildings, as views of cities and others. These images usually are offered voluntarily, and the adult industry utilized this facility to expose real time videos of naked people on Internet. The webcams have an accessible cost and, with the development of DSL and cable connections, people can stay with the camera webcam connected all day long.
To buy a webcam, however, the user has to define what he is looking for, and consider the camera's resolution, connection, design, connectivity and kind of software employed. The possibility of regulating focus, button for pictures, nocturnal vision, microphone integrated and unlimited use (some cams can be carried anywhere) also has to be considered.
| Adult Web Cam Chat |
Adults can use internet for just as many reasons, but one of the most interesting, in fact, is to meet people from all over the world. Adults are discovering all the while what once only teenagers used to have fun with: chat rooms. By using these friendly chat-rooms, people can make friends keep up with parents, and people from anywhere they want to. Easy to interact with, chat rooms can have different proposals, like "friends", "cities" "by ages" and even "sex", so people can get to meet other people by common preferences.
A recent innovation of chat rooms, are the webcam chats. These chat rooms offer people the opportunity to see the other in real-time by means of video imagery, transmitted from a webcam.
If you don't know any adult webcam chat room of your preference, a quick research on the great search engines, like MSN, Yahoo or Google will help you out by listing a huge quantity of home pages you can visit to feel more intimate with it. | | |
