Michael Lawrie
Encyclopedia
Michael Lawrie is a British
computer security
and social networking expert known for many things ranging from running MUD
s to accidentally being the world's first Cybersquatter. He lives in Cambridge
, England
where he created and runs the Cambridge Freecycle
group, one of the largest in Europe
.
, he took over management of MUD1
at Essex University in 1987. MUD1 was the first online role playing world, played by text through Telnet
.
After its shutdown he carried on running MIST, another early virtual world, until he closed that down in 1991. Famous then simply as Lorry, he wrote the seminal guide for MUD management "Confessions of an Arch-Wizard". Years later he wrote a few updates to this explaining how it all worked in practice.
In 1988 he took over the AberMUD
project for a year, running a standard distribution of the game at Southampton University, Leeds University and the IBM PC Users Group. He also managed a VAX
based mud at St David's University College, Lampeter. Lawrie was the first person to send out the AberMUD source code
to Vijay Subramaniam thus starting the proliferation of MUDs throughout the world.
and had his first IRC Operator
on Vijay Subramaniam's IRC Server
in 1989. Since then he has been heavily involved in IRC both in the UK and worldwide and was central in creating Ircnet
when the European servers split away from EFnet
.
, the British Psychological Society
, Digital Equipment Corporation
and British Telecom into HCI
and CSCW. HICOM's VMS
system was open to anybody who wanted an account and as well as being famous for being the only machine that the hacker Kevin Mitnick
ever had a legitimate account on. It was also the first public access Internet Service Provider
in the UK.
over his ownership of the domain name
harrods.com. This was the first case of its type against an individual who had registered a name and Lawrie eventually lost because he didn't turn up in court. In an explanation he wrote later, Lawrie claims that the case was mostly a misunderstanding and there was no point turning up in court.
Lawrie has also worked on the other side of the courtroom, prosecuting a number of cases with British Telecom including the case against One in a Million.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
computer security
Computer security
Computer security is a branch of computer technology known as information security as applied to computers and networks. The objective of computer security includes protection of information and property from theft, corruption, or natural disaster, while allowing the information and property to...
and social networking expert known for many things ranging from running MUD
MUD
A MUD , pronounced , is a multiplayer real-time virtual world, with the term usually referring to text-based instances of these. MUDs combine elements of role-playing games, hack and slash, player versus player, interactive fiction, and online chat...
s to accidentally being the world's first Cybersquatter. He lives in Cambridge
Cambridge
The city of Cambridge is a university town and the administrative centre of the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It lies in East Anglia about north of London. Cambridge is at the heart of the high-technology centre known as Silicon Fen – a play on Silicon Valley and the fens surrounding the...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
where he created and runs the Cambridge Freecycle
The Freecycle Network
The Freecycle Network is a non-profit organization registered in the state of Arizona, USA, and separately registered as a UK charity, that organizes a worldwide network of "gifting" groups, aiming to divert reusable goods from landfills...
group, one of the largest in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
.
Early involvement in MUDS
While at the University of LeedsUniversity of Leeds
The University of Leeds is a British Redbrick university located in the city of Leeds, West Yorkshire, England...
, he took over management of MUD1
MUD1
Multi-User Dungeon, or MUD is the first MUD and the oldest virtual world in existence. It was created in 1978 by Roy Trubshaw at Essex University on a DEC PDP-10 in the UK, using the MACRO-10 assembly language...
at Essex University in 1987. MUD1 was the first online role playing world, played by text through Telnet
TELNET
Telnet is a network protocol used on the Internet or local area networks to provide a bidirectional interactive text-oriented communications facility using a virtual terminal connection...
.
After its shutdown he carried on running MIST, another early virtual world, until he closed that down in 1991. Famous then simply as Lorry, he wrote the seminal guide for MUD management "Confessions of an Arch-Wizard". Years later he wrote a few updates to this explaining how it all worked in practice.
In 1988 he took over the AberMUD
AberMUD
AberMUD, pronounced , was the first popular open source MUD, named after the town in which it was written, Aberystwyth. The first version was written in B by Alan Cox, Richard Acott, Jim Finnis, and Leon Thrane based at University of Wales, Aberystwyth for an old Honeywell mainframe and opened in...
project for a year, running a standard distribution of the game at Southampton University, Leeds University and the IBM PC Users Group. He also managed a VAX
VAX
VAX was an instruction set architecture developed by Digital Equipment Corporation in the mid-1970s. A 32-bit complex instruction set computer ISA, it was designed to extend or replace DEC's various Programmed Data Processor ISAs...
based mud at St David's University College, Lampeter. Lawrie was the first person to send out the AberMUD source code
Source code
In computer science, source code is text written using the format and syntax of the programming language that it is being written in. Such a language is specially designed to facilitate the work of computer programmers, who specify the actions to be performed by a computer mostly by writing source...
to Vijay Subramaniam thus starting the proliferation of MUDs throughout the world.
IRC
Lawrie has been involved in IRC (Internet Relay Chat) since it first left FinlandFinland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
and had his first IRC Operator
IRC operator
An IRC operator is a user on an Internet Relay Chat network who has privileged access. IRC operators are charged with the task of enforcing the network's rules, and in many cases, improving the network in various areas...
on Vijay Subramaniam's IRC Server
IRCd
An IRCd, short for Internet Relay Chat daemon, is server software that implements the IRC protocol, enabling people to talk to each other via the Internet . It is distinct from an IRC bot that connects outbound to an IRC channel.The server listens to connections from IRC clients on a set of TCP ports...
in 1989. Since then he has been heavily involved in IRC both in the UK and worldwide and was central in creating Ircnet
IRCnet
IRCnet is one of the largest IRC networks with more than 60,000 users using it daily. An early 2005 record had approximately 123,110 users simultaneously connected to the network.-History:...
when the European servers split away from EFnet
EFnet
EFnet or Eris Free network is a major IRC network, with more than 35,000 users. It is the modern-day descendant of the original IRC network.- History :...
.
Public Access Systems
Michael Lawrie is an ardent supporter of free, public-access systems and servers and is deeply rooted in the history of such services and in the development and opening up of the internet in the UK. He was one of the management team of Edinburgh University's Tardis Project in 1987 and later managed HICOM, a joint project between the British Computer SocietyBritish Computer Society
The British Computer Society, is a professional body and a learned society that represents those working in Information Technology in the United Kingdom and internationally...
, the British Psychological Society
British Psychological Society
The British Psychological Society is a representative body for psychologists and psychology in the United Kingdom. The BPS is also a Registered Charity and, along with advantages, this also imposes certain constraints on what the society can and cannot do...
, Digital Equipment Corporation
Digital Equipment Corporation
Digital Equipment Corporation was a major American company in the computer industry and a leading vendor of computer systems, software and peripherals from the 1960s to the 1990s...
and British Telecom into HCI
HCI
HCI may refer to:- Computing :* Home Computer Initiative, a United Kingdom government programme designed to increase the use of computers in the home...
and CSCW. HICOM's VMS
VMS
- Communication and transportation :* Voice Mail System, automated telephone messaging* Video Messaging Service , video messaging for 3G handsets* VMS MobiFone, one of the largest mobile phone operators in Vietnam...
system was open to anybody who wanted an account and as well as being famous for being the only machine that the hacker Kevin Mitnick
Kevin Mitnick
Kevin David Mitnick is a computer security consultant, author, and hacker. In the late 20th century, he was convicted of various computer- and communications-related crimes. At the time of his arrest, he was the most-wanted computer criminal in the United States.-Personal life:Mitnick grew up in...
ever had a legitimate account on. It was also the first public access Internet Service Provider
Internet service provider
An Internet service provider is a company that provides access to the Internet. Access ISPs directly connect customers to the Internet using copper wires, wireless or fiber-optic connections. Hosting ISPs lease server space for smaller businesses and host other people servers...
in the UK.
Career
In his non-online life Michael Lawrie started off as systems and security manager and computer misuse expert and is now a well-respected Commercial Security Consultant and threat assessment specialist. He has worked for a number of large companies and headed up the Commercial Security team at British Telecom.Domain Names
In 1996, Lawrie was sued by luxury retailer HarrodsHarrods
Harrods is an upmarket department store located in Brompton Road in Brompton, in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, London. The Harrods brand also applies to other enterprises undertaken by the Harrods group of companies including Harrods Bank, Harrods Estates, Harrods Aviation and Air...
over his ownership of the domain name
Domain name
A domain name is an identification string that defines a realm of administrative autonomy, authority, or control in the Internet. Domain names are formed by the rules and procedures of the Domain Name System ....
harrods.com. This was the first case of its type against an individual who had registered a name and Lawrie eventually lost because he didn't turn up in court. In an explanation he wrote later, Lawrie claims that the case was mostly a misunderstanding and there was no point turning up in court.
Lawrie has also worked on the other side of the courtroom, prosecuting a number of cases with British Telecom including the case against One in a Million.