[Asiasource-l] Re: Net Art, an fresh example from Greece

[Simos Xenitellis]

Hi again,
This is the second and last part of the net art story. 

The artist Dimitris Fotiou has been released on bail (3000 euros)
after protests from online users from Greece and abroad.
My source is http://ta-nea.dolnet.gr/print_article.php?e=A&f=18167&m=P23&aa=1
(yeah, in Greek - also has photo of artist).
The Dirty Works website was available for one and a half months.
During that time, Fotiou was receiving both positive and negative
feedback on his work. He took special steps so that no credit card
details could be send to his Website; you could write your credit card
information in the HTML form but there was no way to submit/send the
data, as the Submit button was missing. This is an important part of
the story, since he could have been convicted under e-crime laws
relating to e-commerce.
On Saturday (12 Feb 05), six people from the Electronic Crime Unit
(police) arrested him and he stayed in jail for 3 days.
When he came out, he said "Things could have been worse. The fact I am
free makes me satisfied."

At http://fotiou.net/projects/net.art/DWG_support.html there is
extensive background on the Dirty Works
net art, along with other projects by Greek artists. That page had
been available since 2004.
Another example of net art mentioned: at http://www.fleshpack.com/
they offer human trafficking services (Lina Theodorou, 2003).

I suppose that many other countries might feel that net art would be a
good way to bring to the limelight similar issues of black economy.

Simos

On Tue, 15 Feb 2005 09:56:00 +0000, Simos Xenitellis <simosx at gmail.com> wrote:
> Hi All,
> (As I am not in Greece, I learnt about these from blog entries. I try
> to convey the full story as accurately as I can).
> This posting relates to the presentation of Marcel on net art. It's an
> recent example in Greece that got out of hand the last two days.
> 
> An art student (check website for his full credentials), Dimitris
> Fwtiou (http://www.fotiou.net/) created an elaborate hoax. He set up
> an Website called http://www.dirtyworks-greece.info/ (it's down now,
> Google Cache: http://216.239.63.104/search?q=cache:http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dirtyworks-greece.info%2Fgr%2Forder.html)
> where people can bribe their way into getting a job in the public
> sector, getting a military rank, or transfer between universities.
> He even created a page where you add your personal information.
> However, a Submit button was missing so that to filter out the
> gullible that would like to register. In addition, in the HTML code,
> he also wrote that it's a hoax. In addition, I read in the blogs that
> in a prominent place on the site one could read the following (my very
> loose translation):
> "DWG | Dirty Works Greece is an Internet art webpage (net.art). The
> specific webpage shows an official-looking view of a fake company. The
> inspiratation was unofficial and official views of citizens about the
> Greek reality [about public afairs]. The creator of the webpage does
> not accept any responsibility for potential gullible visitors".
> 
> What happened? Local news papers and national TV channels picked it up
> and presented it as a true story. To make matters worse, he just got
> arrested.
> 
> Strangely enough, all blog entries about the issue are in Greek :(
> http://isag.meng.auth.gr/blogentis/Oneiros/2005/02/03/yellowreporters
> (very good coverage)
> http://histologion-gr.blogspot.com/2005/02/dirty-works.html
> http://www.reality-tape.com/index.php?p=82
> 
> Newspapers that picked this up:
> http://www.digital-era.org/DWG_MAKEDONIA.jpg
> 
> Our public TV channel (all other channels are private) says (my VERY
> rough translation, I normally do English->Greek, not the other way
> round:-):
> "The police of Attiki [biggest municipality of Greece, includes Athens
> city] managed to solve a big fraud, commited by a 34-year old
> sculptor. The fraudster was conning his victims presenting a page of
> politicians that he was supposed to know and through photo-montage he
> showed them holding papers with the logotype of his company.
> Through his company he was promising jobs in the public sector,
> transfers of students [between universities], and success in job
> competitions in the public sector [called ASEP].
> The amount of money the 34-year old was receiving started at 500 euros
> and reaching to 2000 depending on the case of the unsuspecting
> visitor. The payment was done with credit card where the visitor would
> fill in in a special form his personal details, the number [of credit
> card], the security code [must refer to 3-digit code in recent credit
> cards] and the expiration date. In the investigation of his house
> [Fotiou], were found a hard disk, three credit cards, lots of CD Roms
> for a computer and notes that proved the crimes he was comminting.
> The last 2 months, the webpage received thousands of visitors from
> around the world, as well as from children of Greek immigrants. At the
> same time, the police [actually it's something higher up from the
> normal police, cannot convey meaning] received tens of complaints from
> foreigners and locals regarding the fraud. Against his a case was
> formed and sent to the prosecutor."
> Source:
> http://news.ert.gr/newsDetails.asp?ID=113151
> 
> APN: New case of fraud (or joke?)  through the Internet (my title translation)
> http://www.apn.gr/manager/publish/article_1217.shtml
> [Here you can see some hints that they almost get it]
> 
> Sky Radio: Big fraud from the Internet (my title translation)
> http://www.skairadio.gr/4dcgi/_w_articles_skaigreece_616694_14/02/2005_121650
> 
> Flash.gr: Dirtyworks.gr
> http://greece.flash.gr/soon/2005/2/13/27783id/
> 
> I did not find any newspaper pages on the issue in English.
> Please treat it as a blunder of some super super-zealous journalists
> (oh, and police).
> I'll try to inform of the after effects (when the guy gets released).
> 
> Simos
> 
> --
> Simos Xenitellis
> My e-maίl is simosx at gmail dοt com
> My Website is http://simos.info/
> 


-- 
Simos Xenitellis
My e-maίl is simosx at gmail dοt com
My Website is http://simos.info/