💾 Archived View for gemini.spam.works › mirrors › textfiles › phreak › PHREAKING › phrkhis.txt captured on 2022-07-17 at 11:09:11.
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THE HISTORY OF PHREAKING ------------------------ FROM 2600...... DID YOU KNOW THAT PHREAKING STARTED FROM THE MOST UNLIKELY SOURCE...... CAP'N CRUNCH CEREAL! YES, IN THE 1960'S A TOY WHISTLE WAS PLACED IN THE FAMOUS CEREAL. UNFORTUNATELY (NOT FOR US),THE WHISTLE GENERATED 2,600 CYCLE-TONE, DUDE! A YOUNG MAN WHO JUST ENTERED THE USAF AS A RADIO TECH., WAS FASCINATED WHEN HE DISCOVERED THAT BLOWING THE WHISTLE INTO THE FONE AFTER DIALING ANY LONG- DISTANCE # AND HEAING THE DISCONNECT SIGNAL, THE TRUNK WOULD REMAIN OPEN WITHOUT TOLL CHARGES ACCOUNTING, AND THEN ON, ANY NUMBER COULD BE DIALED REPEATEDLY. 800 #'S (INWATS) , WERE LATER USED AS THE STARTER CALL TO AVOID ANY CHARGES. HE USED THIS TO CALL HOME WHILE STATIONED IN ENGLAND. THE CAP'N PRACTICED FOR YEARS. HE REPORTEDLY WOULD PLACE CALLS AROUND THE WORLD TO HIMSELF. HE WOULD THEN TALK AND HERE HIMSELF 20 SEC. LATER. HE WENT ON TO DISCOVER THE OPERATOR CODES INCLUDING AUTO-RELAY (OPERATOR INTERUPT, OR VERIFY BUSY). THUS, EAVESDROPPING IN CONVERSATIONS. HE CLAIMED TO LISTEN IN ON THE FOLLOWING: 1. PRES. OF THE USA 2. FBI WHEN IT WAS AFTER PATTY HEARST 3. THE SECT. OF DEFENSE 4. AND VARIOUS MILITARY BASES THRU AUTOVON. CAP'N CRUNCH WAS THRUST INTO THE SPOTLITE WITH AN ARTICLE IN ESQUIRE. THE TERM "BLUE BOX" CAME ABOUT BECAUSE THE FIRST ONE THAT WAS CAPTURED WAS THAT COLOR. THE CAP'N SOON WENT BEYOND THE SIMPLE WHISTLE TO MORE COMPLICATED DEVICES.