                           .-------------------.
                            !Spook !Help file 
                           '-------------------'

Version: 1.11a (5 January 2009)

Author of original program: Nat Queen <n.m.queen@bham.ac.uk>

Author of front end: Jon Ripley <jon@jonripley.com>

Primary distribution site: http://www.queen.clara.net/pgp/acorn.html


**IMPORTANT**: If you use !Edit as your text editor, you must make a small
configuration change in the program, otherwise its output may be corrupted.
For details, see the section '!Spook setup' below.


What does the program do?
=========================

You can use !Spook to insert a random phrase at the position of the cursor
while writing an e-mail message in any text editor, with the aim of annoying
or distracting anyone who might be surreptitiously monitoring your
communications.


Why do this?
============

"No one shall be subjected to arbitrary interference with his privacy,
family, home or correspondence..." - Article 12, Universal Declaration of
Human Rights.

Many people like to protest against routine monitoring of their daily
electronic communications by secretive and powerful intelligence agencies
(see below), by sprinkling their communications with a few suggestive
'trigger words'. !Spook not only automates this process, but also generates
a great variety of interesting phrases.


Who's listening?
================

Billions of everyday e-mail messages, fax messages, phone conversations and
other electronic communications are automatically and indiscriminately
intercepted by a secretive system codenamed 'Echelon', which has been
largely designed and coordinated by the US National Security Agency (NSA)
and operated jointly with intelligence agencies in the UK (GCHQ), Canada
(CSE), Australia (DSD) and New Zealand (GCSB). This spy network, operated
under a secret agreement known as UKUSA, may be the greatest risk to
continued freedom and democracy that has ever existed.

Data collected by this global surveillance system is analysed in real time
by powerful computers which identify certain designated 'keywords'.
Potentially 'interesting' messages are singled out for further analysis by
sophisticated artificial intelligence programs, and then by intelligence
experts.

Governments try to justify Big Brother monitoring by claiming that it is
needed to catch terrorists, drug dealers, etc. Many people naively accept
this, saying that they have "nothing to hide". But, following the same
'logic', why not have all postal letters opened and read by Big Brother, or
all private conversations monitored by means of hidden microphones in every
room? Who would agree to that?

A good general description of what Echelon does and how it works can be
found at the following websites:

http://www.aclu.org/safefree/nsaspying/23989res20060131.html

http://mediafilter.org/CAQ/CAQ59GlobalSnoop.html


What output does !Spook produce?
================================

It is likely that keywords by themselves do not 'trigger' analysis by
Echelon, since there must be millions of innocent communications containing
words like 'bomb'. It is generally believed that Echelon searches for such
words in specified contexts or combinations. For this reason, !Spook
generates keywords as part of suggestive phrases (while seldom actually
saying anything definite in complete sentences). The program contains a
large 'dictionary', and the keywords can occur in many different
combinations, so that it would not be easy for any automated monitoring
system to learn to ignore its output.

It is impossible to say what effect this may have on the operation of
Echelon, if any. But if it makes the snoopers waste even a few minutes of
their time, it will achieve something. In any case, the program is fun to
use.


!Spook setup
============

If you use !Edit as your text editor, you must change "edit%=FALSE" near the
start of the !RunImage file inside !Spook to "edit%=TRUE". This is necessary
because of an apparent bug in !Edit. If you do not do this, every 20th
character of each line of output will be omitted!

If you use any other text editor, you need do nothing. The default
configuration is appropriate.


How is the program used?
========================

To add a random phrase containing one or more keywords to the text at the
position of the cursor when using any text editor, click Select on the
!Spook icon on the icon bar. By default, successive phrases are added on
separate lines - a linefeed is added at the end of each phrase.

If you prefer, you can force !Spook to insert a space character instead of a
linefeed at the end of each phrase, by changing "newline%=TRUE" near the
start of the !RunImage file by "newline%=FALSE".

If you don't like any particular output, simply delete it and try again.

!Spook is intended for use in e-mail only when the recipient already
understands and appreciates its purpose. Don't use it otherwise.


'Greetings'
===========

As an additional feature, you can also generate a random friendly (or
sometimes not so friendly!) 'greeting' for the snoopers by clicking Adjust
on the !Spook icon. Successive 'greetings' are printed on separate lines.


Additional options
==================

Main menu from the icon bar:

* 'Words...' and 'Greetings...' load the corresponding 'dictionary' files
   into a text editor.

* 'Reload Spook' quits and reloads the program. This is useful for
   activating any changes made to the 'Words' or 'Greetings' files.

Info window:

* 'Help' loads this !Help file into an editor.

* 'Web-Site' attempts to get a browser to fetch Nat Queen's page on RISC OS
   security utilities, where the latest version of this program can be
   found.

* 'Nat Queen' and 'Jon Ripley' attempt to send an e-mail to those authors if
   an e-mail client is available.


What is the picture in the !Spook icon?
=======================================

The !Spook icon is taken from a photo of a small part of the electronic
monitoring station at Menwith Hill in Yorkshire, England, which is the
world's largest spying station and a key element in the Echelon network.


Future development
==================

The 'dictionary' of keywords contained in this program will be updated from
time to time, to add even more variety and to ensure that it remains
topical. The author thanks all the beta testers who have already suggested
interesting keywords for the list and will welcome any further suggestions.


Adding your own phrases and 'greetings'
=======================================

Users are encouraged to add their own items to the files 'Words' and
'Greetings' for their personal use. However, modified versions of the
program may not be distributed in any form.

If substantial additions are made, it may be necessary to increase the Wimp
Slot that the program requires, in the !Run file. If the number of items in
any single group exceeds 100, it will be necessary to change the value of
the variable maxitems% defined near the start of the !RunImage file.


History
=======

v1.0 - First public release (19 October 2001)

v.1.11 - Front end added by Jon Ripley, with new configuration options and
         bugfix to avoid repeating characters in text editors other than
         !Edit (16 November 2001)

Versions with numbers like 1.11a ending with a letter include updated
'dictionaries' but have no major new functionality.


Legal notice
============

!Spook is freeware. The copyright is retained by the authors, Nat Queen and
Jon Ripley. You may copy and distribute this software freely as long as
none of the files are altered or removed. If you distribute !Spook in any PD
library, magazine cover disc or CD, or on any site on the Internet, please
drop a line about it in our mailboxes, so that we can keep you informed
about possible future updates. Any distribution method is allowed, provided
that you do not make any profit from it. This software must not be
distributed as part of any other application without our prior permission.