@hobbsc that’s so similar to my computing experience, as well as learning about #phreaking from #2600 - my friends and I did manage to get some stuff working but I really don’t have a strong memory of exactly what we accomplished.
The computing part, we got a computer for Christmas in probably 95 or 96 and it was pretty much off from there. Taking it apart to figure out how to get more memory to play doom 2. What an OS was, etc.
Imagine the look of confusion when I told my younger coworkers that my friend got suspended for using a Red Box in the highschool cafeteria. 😆
I'm really disappointed that #phreaking is not a followed hashtag here. Lord knows there are enough geeks here, certainly enough old geeks here.
I wish I had been around when #phreaking was a thing
Example of a Red Box
https://video.infiniteloop.tv/videos/watch/dd5f1548-209b-4ebd-a19e-1f6ff631c89f
Gonna tell the kids this is how we got free long distance calls from payphones.
In the early days of the internet, before social media and Discord, hackers, phreakers, and tech enthusiasts gathered on IRC, BBSes, and Telnet-based systems. IRC (Internet Relay Chat) was the go-to for real-time discussions, with networks like EFnet and DALnet hosting everything from hacker collectives to warez groups. BBSes (Bulletin Board Systems) were the underground forums of the ‘80s and ‘90s, where users dialed in, shared files, and exchanged knowledge, often hidden behind ANSI art-laden login screens. Telnet provided access to everything from early online games to university networks—if you knew where to look. While much of this culture has faded, its influence is still felt in today’s decentralized and privacy-focused communities.
#IRC #BBS #Telnet #RetroTech #HackerCulture #Phreaking #OldSchoolInternet
In 1984, 2600: The Hacker Quarterly was founded by Emmanuel Goldstein (Eric Corley), named after the infamous 2600 Hz tone used by phone phreakers to manipulate the telephone system. The magazine became a cornerstone of hacker culture, covering everything from phreaking to cybersecurity. Around the same time, Off The Hook, 2600’s hacker radio show, hit the airwaves on WBAI in New York, bringing discussions of technology, privacy, and digital rights to a wider audience. Both the magazine and radio show carried the rebellious spirit of early phreakers like Captain Crunch (John Draper), who used the 2600 Hz tone to explore and exploit phone networks. Decades later, 2600 remains a symbol of hacker knowledge, free speech, and digital exploration.
#2600 #HackerCulture #Phreaking #HackerQuarterly #OffTheHook #Privacy #Infosec
Josef Carl Engressia Jr., aka: Whistler, later known as Joybubbles, was a blind phone phreaker with the extraordinary gift of absolute pitch. He could whistle a perfect 2600 Hz tone, the exact frequency needed to manipulate AT&T’s phone system. Without using any devices, he could seize control of long-distance calls just by whistling into the handset.
In 1971, Engressia became the first phreaker to face legal consequences when he was arrested and fined twenty-five dollars for phone fraud. Despite this, he remained a legendary figure in phreaking culture. Later in life, he legally changed his name to Joybubbles.
Phone phreaking isn’t dead it merely evolved. In late 2024, a new wave of phreakers started exploiting VoIP systems, rerouting calls, and bypassing authentication with techniques that echo the golden age of blue boxes. Some are resurrecting old tricks with modern twists, while others are uncovering fresh vulnerabilities in digital telecom networks. The art of bending the phone system to your will is alive and well.
#Phreaking #Hacking #VoIP #Telecom #TechUnderground #BlueBox
In 1903, as Guglielmo Marconi prepared to showcase his "secure" wireless telegraph at the Royal Institution, the demonstration was suddenly hijacked. Instead of Marconi’s message, the machine tapped out "Rats" in Morse code, followed by crude poetry mocking his security claims.
The culprit was Nevil Maskelyne, a stage magician and radio expert who knew Marconi’s system wasn’t as secure as advertised. Using his own transmitter, he exposed its vulnerabilities, marking the first recorded instance of hacking and signal hijacking.
#HackingHistory #Cybersecurity #RadioHacking #Phreaking #TechTrivia
In the early days of the internet, before slick blogs and endless social media feeds, TEXTFILES.COM was a goldmine for hackers, phreakers, and digital explorers. Launched in 1998 by Jason Scott, the site preserves thousands of underground documents from the BBS era. Guides on phone phreaking, early hacking techniques, and cyber counterculture manifestos are all there. It is a time capsule of raw, unfiltered knowledge from an era when the internet was wild and untamed. If you want to see where digital rebellion started, TEXTFILES.COM is still up, still free, and still essential reading.
#Hacking #Phreaking #BBS #RetroComputing #Cyberpunk #Textfiles
In 1985, a group of hackers published the first issue of Phrack, a textfile magazine covering hacking, phreaking, and cybersecurity before those terms even had mainstream recognition. Over the past 40 years, Phrack has survived takedowns, legal threats, and the rise and fall of countless hacker groups. It remains one of the longest-running underground publications in history. A testament to the resilience of hacker culture.
Phrack remains as relevant as ever, continuing to inspire and shape the future of cybersecurity and the broader tech world. Here’s to 40 years of disrupting the system.
#Phrack #40YearsStrong #HackerCulture #Phreaking #TechHistory #CyberSecurity #DigitalRevolution #HackTheSystem
LG und winke winke aus Paderborn 🤩🐈🤖✨ hnf.de #hnf #winkekatze #phreaking #katzenmatrix #MIT #hacker
📞 Exciting new (open access!) article from Jacob Bruggeman comparing "telephone enthusiasts" in the UK and phone #phreaking in the US. He argues compellingly that each contributed to a global movement of telco hackers.
Love this note about the availability of documentation: "To anyone paying close attention, the electronic keys to the telephone systems of both countries were ready for the taking."
🔗 Jacob A. Bruggeman, "Phreaking the U.K.", Interfaces, vol 6, 2025. https://cse.umn.edu/cbi/interfaces
Hello darling. Nice to see you. Its been a long time, you're just as lovely as you used to be. #phones #phreaking #landlines #omg #lol #wtf
This morning I have discovered iOS knows the word #phreaking but not Cuisinart. I am on board with this choice.
