Isis Club Failed To Activate Security Setting on HCS Site

The saga of the Isis Club’s e-mail archives begins five-and-a-half months ago, when the then-president of Harvard Computer Society, Gregory N. Price ’06, announced on May 1 that his organization would begin allowing student groups not officially recognized by the University to create e-mail lists using the HCS website.

The following day, a Class of 2005 member in the Isis Club—who is currently traveling abroad and could not be reached for comment—created a club e-mail list through HCS.

In her first e-mail over the list on May 2, the creator complained: “that set up page is so damn confusing.”

According to the current president of HCS, Matthew A. Gline ’06, the creator of the Isis list apparently failed to activate a setting on the computer society’s website that would have prevented non-members from reading the e-mail archives.

According to Gline, most of the 1,642 official and unofficial student groups that maintain HCS lists have chosen to make their archives public.

“To some extent, we place the burden of configuring lists on the people who are creating the list, with the implicit understanding that we will help people with whatever they need help with,” said Gline, who is also a Crimson columnist.

“Isis did not contact us at any time,” Gline added.

Although he said that most HCS users are aware that some lists are open to the public, Gline said: “I personally am sorry something like this happened because it’s obviously uncomfortable for everyone involved.”

Since Wednesday night, when the archives were first obtained, the Isis Club has altered its list settings on the HCS website to prevent non-members from reading the e-mails.

In its coverage, The Crimson has avoided the use of names or identifying e-mails that are likely to embarrass rank-and-file Isis members or women who are seeking admission to he club.

­—DANIEL J. HEMEL