[FPSPACE] State Employee Fired For Using State Property To Search For Aliens

[LARRY KLAES]

State Employee Fired For Using State Property To Search For Aliens


Reported by:   AP
10/8/04 11:37:33 AM

The search for extraterrestrial life has ended at the Ohio Department of 
Job and Family Services.

The department on Thursday fired a computer programmer who admitted to 
using a state-owned computer server to process data for the Search for 
Extraterrestrial Intelligence project, run by the University of 
California at Berkeley.

Charles E. Smith, 63, told administrators he didn't think loading the 
SETI software on the server was much of a problem because he ran the 
program only on weekends and on weekdays between 7 p.m. and 7 a.m., when 
the server wasn't being used, according to a disciplinary report.

Department director Tom Hayes disagreed.

"I understand his desire to search for intelligent life in outer space, 
because obviously he doesn't find it in the mirror in the morning," 
Hayes said. "I think that people can be comfortable that security has 
beamed this man out of our building." [Oh yeah, this guy is just a beacon of 
intelligence himself. - LK]

Smith, who earned $60,000 a year, didn't return a phone call seeking 
comment from The (Cleveland) Plain Dealer. There was no immediate 
response to messages left Friday by The Associated Press at the two 
phone listings in Columbus under the name Charles E. Smith.


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