To: Jan Walker; DARPA
Jonathan Smith, Mark West; University of Pennsylvania
CC: US Senator Barbara Boxer
US Senator Dianne Feinstein
US Representative Tom Lantos
Daily Pennsylvanian
Theo de Raadt
Subject: DARPA cancelling OpenBSD Hotel Reservations
To whom it may concern,
I am one of the 60 people affected by your decision to cancel the hotel accommodations for the OpenBSD Hackathon in Calgary.
When I first heard that the monies were canceled, I (and many others) assumed it was due to budget concerns, as the US is in a
recession right now. It concerns me that DARPA is willing to waste approximately $15,000 USD on the cancellation fee without
receiving a return on that investment. I assume that the advancement of computing security is a beneficial situation for DARPA and
the public at large, and cannot comprehend why a decision that countermines that effort was made.
* What reasoning did you use in coming to this decision?
* What exactly is meant by the comment "As part of our standard process, we are reviewing and evaluating the work now being done and
proposed to be done in the future" (Jan Walker, Spokeswoman for DARPA, as quoted by AP)
* What prompted the hostile decision of forcing the hotel to refuse the remaining 20% fee from independent sources?
* Why has a promise been broken to 60 people, many of whom had to make personal sacrifices to pay for the plane ticket, and to get
time off of work? Some of the attendees have very limited budgets, and the decision to attend was made in spite of financial
hardships.
I currently do not have the skills to be a developer for the OpenBSD project, but I am attempting to learn them. They have
graciously invited me, presumably to better my programming/security skills. Computer security skills are a desired trait in both
government and private sector programmers. The cancellation of the OpenBSD funding, and apparently hostile actions against the
group can be interpreted as defiance of an Executive directive to better secure private sector computer systems.
Please be aware that any responses I receive will be posted to public mailing lists, with appropriate credit given, of course.
--
phessler
[address and phone number]
A voting US Citizen
President of the San Francisco OpenBSD Users Group
Jonathan Smith, Mark West; University of Pennsylvania
CC: US Senator Barbara Boxer
US Senator Dianne Feinstein
US Representative Tom Lantos
Daily Pennsylvanian
Theo de Raadt
Subject: DARPA cancelling OpenBSD Hotel Reservations
To whom it may concern,
I am one of the 60 people affected by your decision to cancel the hotel accommodations for the OpenBSD Hackathon in Calgary.
When I first heard that the monies were canceled, I (and many others) assumed it was due to budget concerns, as the US is in a
recession right now. It concerns me that DARPA is willing to waste approximately $15,000 USD on the cancellation fee without
receiving a return on that investment. I assume that the advancement of computing security is a beneficial situation for DARPA and
the public at large, and cannot comprehend why a decision that countermines that effort was made.
* What reasoning did you use in coming to this decision?
* What exactly is meant by the comment "As part of our standard process, we are reviewing and evaluating the work now being done and
proposed to be done in the future" (Jan Walker, Spokeswoman for DARPA, as quoted by AP)
* What prompted the hostile decision of forcing the hotel to refuse the remaining 20% fee from independent sources?
* Why has a promise been broken to 60 people, many of whom had to make personal sacrifices to pay for the plane ticket, and to get
time off of work? Some of the attendees have very limited budgets, and the decision to attend was made in spite of financial
hardships.
I currently do not have the skills to be a developer for the OpenBSD project, but I am attempting to learn them. They have
graciously invited me, presumably to better my programming/security skills. Computer security skills are a desired trait in both
government and private sector programmers. The cancellation of the OpenBSD funding, and apparently hostile actions against the
group can be interpreted as defiance of an Executive directive to better secure private sector computer systems.
Please be aware that any responses I receive will be posted to public mailing lists, with appropriate credit given, of course.
--
phessler
[address and phone number]
A voting US Citizen
President of the San Francisco OpenBSD Users Group
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