Philippine prosecutors, citing insufficient evidence, have released Love Bug suspect Reonel Ramones. He was arrested May 8 and charged with violating the Philippines's law against password and computer fraud. He has a return date in court May 19. The charge was apparently based on an Internet service provider's complaint that the Love Bug originated in the flat the 27-year-old bank worker shares with his girlfriend, Irene de Guzman - who is also a Love Bug suspect but has not yet surrendered to authorities. One problem: the Philippines have no law against computer hacking or virus spreading. Ramones told reporters he expects the continuing investigation to show his innocence once and for all. The Love Bug has wreaked an estimated $5 billion in damage thus far, with estimated final tallies expected to hit as high as $10 billion. Meanwhile, Philippine police reportedly say there were as many as ten people connected to the AMA Computer College in Manila involved in creating and disseminating the Love Bug, now classified as the fastest and widest spreading computer virus of all time. It traveled by e-mail to Microsoft Outlook e-mail users as an attachment to e-mails titled "I Love You" or "Love Letter", sent itself to every e-mail address in a user's address book, and once opened would wipe out image and music files. Current variants, according to the latest reporting, include tainted messages with subject lines such as Dangerous Virus Warning; Virus ALERT; How To Protect Yourself From The ILOVEYOU Bug; and Thank You For Flying With Arab Airlines.
PHOENIX - This is the most wired city in the United States - for senior citizens, at least, according to America Online. AOL says the 55-and-older group is the fastest growing Internet segment in the land, spending an average 22 hours a week online as opposed to 6-7 hours a week for average AOL membership. AOL also says the seniors may have been slower to get online in the first place but they're making up for it real fast - with interests ranging from financial planning to travel and health. Otherwise, they're just like their younger fellow Netizens - e-mail, information gathering, shopping, and playing. Of those in the 55 and older crowd AOL surveyed, 69 percent said computers brought their families closer together, including more frequent communication between children and their grandparents.
MINNEAPOLIS - Seven librarians here say patrons surfing Internet porn equals "an intimidating, hostile, and offensive working environment" - and they're taking it to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission by way of a discrimination complaint.
Attorney Robert Halagan sent a letter to the library board president and library director saying the librarians should not have to choose between their jobs and "a hostile, sexually perverse and dangerous workplace."
But they're not exactly getting sympathy from American Library Association leader Judith Krug, who says they have an alternative action - make the library computers more private. That didn't sit well with Halagan, who countered that privacy screens on computers aren't enough because they block from angles only. Minneapolis is all but required, he said, to ''provide an environment that is not hostile and offensive. They're going to have to make some choices."
--- Compiled by Humphrey Pennyworth
