01-23-2003, 11:00 AM
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Executive Editor
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 29,160
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Hacking's History
"1960s - The Dawn of Hacking: The first computer hackers emerge at MIT. They borrow their name from a term to describe members of a model train group at the school who "hack" the electric trains, tracks, and switches to make them perform faster and differently. A few of the members transfer their curiosity and rigging skills to the new mainframe computing systems being studied and developed on campus."
I've never known much about Hacking, Cracking, and Phreaking, so this brief timeline was a very interesting read!
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01-23-2003, 12:00 PM
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Editor Emeritus
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 10,981
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They used to write code on the clubs blackboard and would hack away lines as they tried to optimize the code. Remember, back then , the smaller the better. And computing time cost big $$.
There is a great book out called "Hackers" by Steven Levy. He talks about all of this. It's a great book.
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01-23-2003, 01:57 PM
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Editor Emeritus
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 10,981
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oh, I forgot to add:
The reason they started working on the computers was they wanted to get the computer to control the phone switch they had hacked to switch for the model railroads.
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01-23-2003, 02:19 PM
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Thinker
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 333
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by BlueRocket
There is a great book out called "Hackers" by Steven Levy. He talks about all of this. It's a great book.
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I just started reading a book called Underground that is available as a free download from the author's website
http://www.underground-book.com
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01-23-2003, 04:57 PM
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Thinker
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 484
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by rlobrecht
I just started reading a book called Underground that is available as a free download from the author's website
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I have downloaded many things over the years, but I don't think I'd download a book about hackers from the author's website. 8O
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01-23-2003, 05:28 PM
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5000+ Posts? I Should OWN This Site!
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 5,133
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by BlueRocket
There is a great book out called "Hackers" by Steven Levy. He talks about all of this. It's a great book.
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That's what I get for sleeping in. Missed my chance to be cool.  I highly recommend that book as well.
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01-23-2003, 06:07 PM
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Philosopher
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 541
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by daS
I have downloaded many things over the years, but I don't think I'd download a book about hackers from the author's website. 8O
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And why's that?
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01-23-2003, 06:44 PM
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Ponderer
Join Date: Oct 2003
Posts: 103
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That article sure took me back... I just have to share this. In 1983 I was 14 and saw Wargames in the theater. I had a TI 99/4a at the time, and coded in extended basic. After seeing that I *had* to get online! Not long after, I got a C-64, a 300 baud modem, and my own phone line. I set up my own BBS and used the handle "The Wizard". That was right around the time the 414's got busted, and I lived in Milwaukee. I remember getting a phone call late one night from a group that was in a conference call looking for the Wizard from the 414 group. I told them that wasn't me, but they let me stay on the line and listen to their conference. Wow! It was fascinating! I had been interested in phreaking and hacking but the fact that there were people doing cool stuff like this astounded me! Over the next several years I learned a lot within the phreak/hack community. Even had a visit from the secret service at my house once, but that's another story altogether. :wink:
Anyway, Wargames is probably the reason that I ultimately ended up in IT and network security. That article mentioned the Captain Crunch whistle.. I recently bought one on ebay for about 8 bucks. Cheap for a piece of hacking history! 
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01-23-2003, 07:44 PM
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Thinker
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 484
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by i_spock
Over the next several years I learned a lot within the phreak/hack community.
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I started programming in the late �70�s (yeah, I�m an old geezer. :? ) I spent my time on 6502 and then PDP-11 assembly language programming but never really knew much about the hacker/phreak community. That is until after I had to fire our VAX sysop in the late 1980�s. Within a few weeks, I got a newspaper clipping faxed to me regarding that sysop. It seems that he was arrested for hacking into DEC to steal the VAX/VMS source code.
Those of you who know hackers and especially phone phreaks know I�m referring to none other than Kevin Mitnick. By the way, forget what you read in � Takedown�. If you want to read the real story, get a copy of � The fugitive Game� or if you can find it � Cyberpunks�. They describe the Kevin that I knew.
As a post script: Mitnick is now off of probation and is (what else?) a security consultant. Seeing him on TV the other day, I don�t recognize the clean-cut, slim guy for the fat slob that used to work for me. I really hope he has turned his life around. I don�t condone his actions, but the punishment he got was way out of proportion to the crimes. Not our justice system�s finest hour. :usa
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01-23-2003, 08:18 PM
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Ponderer
Join Date: Oct 2003
Posts: 103
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Amazing! Thanks for that post..
In tech school (87-89) I learned assembly programming on a PDP-11/05 by flipping switches on the switch register. What a great way to really learn the relationship between hardware and software. I learned Fortran IV and 77 on a later generation PDP 11/xx system and system admin on a PDP running RSTS. Heh! Amazing how much programming we did, esp. since it was for a technician's degree. We even had to write the math routines of a fortran compiler.
I know what you mean about Takedown. Wasn't that written by Shimomura?
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