January 29, 2007

11:01 PM

A sustitute teacher in Norwitch, CT has been convicted of four felonies for showing porn to kids in class. But Forensic examination of the computer indicated that the un-patched windows 98 machine she was given was infested with spyware, which was actually responsible for the pornography, and the school had forgotten to pay for their filtering subscription Much more on this story here.
posted by delmoi (39 comments total)

sustitue teachers should b e jailed!
posted by mazola at 11:04 PM on January 29, 2007

Perhaps this should be have been an update in the thread from a few days ago?
posted by russilwvong at 11:07 PM on January 29, 2007

Previously. Where's the outrage?

It's Norwich (not "Norwitch"). Pronounced "norridge" by the old coots down at the Bee Bee Dairy. I spent the first 17 years of my life there.
posted by turducken at 11:07 PM on January 29, 2007

Those damn pop-ups. They're everywhere.
posted by maxwelton at 11:07 PM on January 29, 2007

Huh. I searched for the woman's name, and the town. Nothing came up (even with the correct spelling).
posted by delmoi at 11:10 PM on January 29, 2007

delmoi: Your links are better. The story has legs. Hope the Keymaster lets the thread live.
posted by turducken at 11:16 PM on January 29, 2007

Rather than deleting, can we move this thread into the comments of the previous? There is quality here that was lacking in the earlier post (and forgive me if I missed these links in the other thread)

I didn't catch before that it was Win 98 machine and that the school dropped their security subscription.

I mean it was an abhorrent jury decision before I knew these facts, and with the additional information it has moved into the realm of 'patently absurd'. This teacher has been railroaded like she was playing Monopoly.
posted by quin at 11:23 PM on January 29, 2007

delmoi: Your links are better. The story has legs. Hope the Keymaster lets the thread live.

Thanks. If they do decide to keep it, I hope they fix my embarrassing spelling error.
posted by delmoi at 11:25 PM on January 29, 2007

/Where the Firefox spell-check calls me fat-fingering 'patiently' as 'patently'.
posted by quin at 11:27 PM on January 29, 2007

Argh. Skimming the other thread didn't help my peace of mind on this. They really put a person in prison based on the failings of a Windows 98 machine? Really?

Really?

The Defense couldn't conjure a single person to demonstrate how pathetically easy it is to gain access and put whatever someone wants onto a Win98 machine?

Seriously?

As a kid who grew up on Mad Max films, I've longed for the chance to ride across a desert in a muscle-car, craving only the Justice that my shotgun could dispense. But if we have to get there by putting, clearly innocent teachers in prison, then my wasteland wanderings will be Pyhrric at best.
posted by quin at 11:48 PM on January 29, 2007 [1 favorite]

Her defense lawyer claims that they weren't allowed to present that kind of expert testimony.

Railroaded, indeed. That judge should be given the sentence instead.
posted by Malor at 11:53 PM on January 29, 2007

She's a witch! Burn her! Subsitute witch! Pop-up wizard! Lover of the Ur-Goat! Buuuurn!
I know a few subs, and while they're nice people, they're not particularly aware of today's technology. Which is to say they're utterly clueless. And I live within a school district that's supposed to be cutting edge, so I'm guessing this woman is a painfully typical spot, as far as understanding the tubes goes.
posted by maryh at 11:57 PM on January 29, 2007

Her defense lawyer claims that they weren't allowed to present that kind of expert testimony.

Yeah, this was really strange. I always thought it was the prosecution that had to produce evidence, not the defense. And not allowing expert testimony? I'm pretty sure she'll be granted an Appeal.
posted by delmoi at 11:57 PM on January 29, 2007

Apple should be all over this. Contribute to her legal defense and then make an "I'm a Mac/I'm a PC" commercial in which Hodgman stands there in his bathrobe flashing people but through some hilarious twist gets you arrested.

At the end, the mac guy could say: "Man, put some clothes on. You're embarrassing yourself".
posted by felix betachat at 12:01 AM on January 30, 2007 [3 favorites]

I have heard directly from authoritative sources that help is on the way. It may very well be too late, though.
posted by effugas at 12:07 AM on January 30, 2007

I don't think security software written by $DIVINITY could keep porn off an unpatched Win 98 comp. Especially one that kids have access to.

People get all irrational when kids are involved. Add porn and it just gets worse. So, while I feel sorry for the teacher, I'm not surprised she was convicted. We have to set a good example for the children by turning off our brains while protecting them, after all.
posted by QIbHom at 12:09 AM on January 30, 2007

"...windows 98 machine..."

The judge should have thrown the case out of court right there and then.
posted by rougy at 12:19 AM on January 30, 2007 [1 favorite]

See, if they were running Lynx this wouldn't have happened.
posted by Mitheral at 12:26 AM on January 30, 2007

Search for Hillary B. Strackbein falling asleep
posted by surlycat at 12:38 AM on January 30, 2007

Innocent until proven guilty is so, soo, soooo...pre 9/11.

Win98? IE5?

Which Eastern Bloc country are we talking about again????
posted by rougy at 12:52 AM on January 30, 2007

Which Eastern Bloc country are we talking about again????

Uh, for the record, the "backward" Eastern Bloc uses IE less than North Americans. Firefox usage in this area is around 30%. (More stats here)
posted by Ljubljana at 1:39 AM on January 30, 2007

I am shocked.
posted by Wolof at 3:28 AM on January 30, 2007

Schocked!
posted by Wolof at 3:29 AM on January 30, 2007

*carries on for 15 comments à la delmoi*
posted by Wolof at 3:30 AM on January 30, 2007

russilwvong, does anybody even look in week-old threads?
posted by metaplectic at 4:13 AM on January 30, 2007

I'm guessing he meant Eastern-Bloc, circa the 1980s. Word up. Since the last thread on this topic, I see America continues to suck.
posted by chunking express at 6:46 AM on January 30, 2007

I know a few subs, and while they're nice people, they're not particularly aware of today's technology. Which is to say they're utterly clueless.

Yea, I work IT in a school and this is the truth. Typically, a day sub doesn't even use the computer.

See, if they were running Lynx this wouldn't have happened.

I assume this was in jest, but I couldn't even begin to imagine educating the teachers on how to use a different OS. They have enough trouble remembering to check their printer is on.
posted by jmd82 at 7:19 AM on January 30, 2007

Actually, it's "Hilary" with one L, but if this isn't appeal fodder, what the hell would be?

I remember my then-SO's school district's subs were required to be (a) at least 18, (b) breathing and (c) not have a criminal record. Computer skilz? Tshhyeahright.
posted by pax digita at 7:21 AM on January 30, 2007

I think they meant Lynx, the browser, which runs on Windows.
posted by OmieWise at 7:40 AM on January 30, 2007

I assume this was in jest, but I couldn't even begin to imagine educating the teachers on how to use a different OS. They have enough trouble remembering to check their printer is on.

Actually when my mom, who didn't like computers at all started using them she preferred checking her email via command line to checking to checking it via a GUI. For older people used to typewriters and linear thinking, a command line is much more intuitive. The whole concept of a visual interface is just confusing.

I mean think about it, this woman, like my mom and some of my high school teacher had to write down step by step directions in order to do things. what would be simpler to them? A list of things they need to type in (without understanding, really, what they do) or a list of visual things they need to recognize, and perform different actions too? And more importantly, how do you explain how to do it to them without pictures?
posted by delmoi at 7:57 AM on January 30, 2007

Actually, it's "Hilary" with one L, but if this isn't appeal fodder, what the hell would be?

Maybe, but all the results on Google show it with two lls.
posted by delmoi at 7:59 AM on January 30, 2007

So, I'm guessing that the next thing we learn is that she can't actually sue because of some statutory exemption...
posted by lodurr at 10:19 AM on January 30, 2007

Yes I was jokingly referring to the text only browser.
posted by Mitheral at 10:32 AM on January 30, 2007

It's quite an interesting find, thanks delmoi !

From what I read, the computer "detective" isn't but a person trained in 2 weeks to use a program..that is utterly useless to say the least.

What is fascinating me are not the oceans of incompetence surrouding technical evidence ..these I can understand and are quite troubling.

What puzzle the sensation that there may be two systems for admitting evidence, on in favour and the other against the accused.

Furthermore, the defense's expert witness was not allowed to share with the jury more of the evidence he had amassed.

Why ?
posted by elpapacito at 10:44 AM on January 30, 2007

elpapacito writes "

Furthermore, the defense's expert witness was not allowed to share with the jury more of the evidence he had amassed.
"

"Why ?"

Because it was kids being exposed to porn. There is nothing worse, it would seem. Modern-day witch trials.
posted by dirtynumbangelboy at 11:12 AM on January 30, 2007

More teen-related hysteria, courtesy of the good ol' U-S-of-A.
posted by The Card Cheat at 11:35 AM on January 30, 2007

Just for edification, new-hair-styles.com in November of 2004. No popups, but some very loaded text links at the bottom.

Interestingly, this was previously reported as simply hair-styles.com, a completely different site.
posted by dhartung at 12:30 PM on January 30, 2007

Fucking Windows 98! Get Bill Gates in hnyah!
posted by krippledkonscious at 12:32 PM on January 30, 2007

(Ah. I finally read all of the first link. Well, neither IE or Firefox triggered a pop-up on my viewing of the archive, but maybe he means he was getting at the destination via the source code itself.)

It's a shame the Internet Archive is not as active as it used to be. Considering that it archived some sites dozens of times a year, sometimes just a day after the last, there are many sites that have no updates in the last two years at all.
posted by dhartung at 12:36 PM on January 30, 2007