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--> --> Decision on e-mail safety was wrong The (Klamath Falls) Herald and News Dec. 12 That a federal judge would prohibit the entire Department of Interior from using the Internet seems too bizarre to be true. But true it is. Last week, a federal judge ruled that the Interior Department can't use the Internet, except in emergencies. If the Internet is so insecure that the Interior Department can't use it, what about the Department of Defense? Treasury? Justice? Even the threat of more from Osama bin Laden hasn't been enough to shut down Web-based activities in the rest of the federal government. It's true that the Interior Department's handling of money due Indians from oil and gas leases has been a scandal, as has been the Interior Department's attempts to cover its tracks. For decades, the Interior Department has paid little or no attention to its responsibility to safeguard Indian interests, and in recent years it has tried its best to evade the consequences of its failures. A few years ago, contempt charges were prepared against Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt for laxity in cleaning up the problem. A big part of the problem has been records - they are a shambles. Now, the federal judge who's hearing the case has decided that because hackers might penetrate the computerized records in Washington, Interior personnel in the Klamath Basin can't send e-mails containing the latest information about the level of Upper Klamath Lake. Sheesh. You might think that judges are, by definition, judicious. But, in this case anyway, you'd be dead wrong. Email your... Technical questions & comments to: WebMaster Daily Tidings editorial comments & questions to: Editor Visit our other Oregon Newspapers... | Albany Democrat-Herald | Ashland Daily Tidings | Corvallis Gazette-Times | | Lebanon Express | Newport News-Times | Springfield News | Cottage Grove Sentinel | Ashland Daily Tidings 1661 Siskiyou Blvd. Ashland, OR 97520 Telephone 541-482-3456 © Copyright 2001 Lee Northwest Publishing