3 ms·

I remember using a 300 baud modem with an acoustic coupler (rubber-cupped cradle). After a while, that got swapped out for a electrically-connected/jacked 1200

I remember using a 300 baud modem with an acoustic coupler (rubber-cupped cradle). After a while, that got swapped out for a electrically-connected/jacked 1200 baud modem. That also made "war dialing" practical. Not something I engaged in (kind of wish now that I'd been more "interesting"), but the business I was connecting to had to block an ex-employee a couple of times, who kept finding their dial-in number. Today's systems may be way faster and more "entertaining", in a mass sense. But I miss the old culture. Including the openness and exchange. If you were interested, and you weren't a jerk, people would bend over backwards to help you. And they enjoyed doing so -- well, most of them. Which is how I ended up on those first systems, anyway. I think a lot of people miss that culture. But, it just doesn't scale to the general population.

isostatic 8y ago
Surely people today have watched Wargames - Broderick used an acoustic coupler in his nefarious attempts to get into his classmate's pants
- pasbesoin 8y ago
  I was wondering about that, but I didn't update my post. Was there an acoustic hang-up signal? I've forgotten. Regardless, the 1200 baud modem, in addition to feeling like it was "keeping up" with the user, also made connecting more convenient.
- LeoPanthera 8y ago
  Which, perhaps ironically, is a small plot hole in the movie. "Wardialing" is not possible with a coupler - since the computer has no ability to hang up, or dial. When using a coupler, you have to dial manually.
  - kimdotcom 8y ago
    Could you not run a relay from thr parallel port and pulse dial?
    - LeoPanthera 8y ago
      Yeah, you could. But there’s no pulse dialing depicted in the movie.
PhasmaFelis 8y ago
> I think a lot of people miss that culture. But, it just doesn't scale to the general population. I think that's the crux of it. It worked because it wasn't instantly accessible to everyone. There was a certain minimum level of tech savvy, or at least intellectual curiosity, required. Most people were emotionally invested, at least a little, and that helped form strong communities. I love that the internet is so egalitarian, but I do miss the days when things were smaller and tighter-knit; when most services were run for love, not for money.

isostatic 8y ago

Surely people today have watched Wargames - Broderick used an acoustic coupler in his nefarious attempts to get into his classmate's pants

pasbesoin 8y ago
I was wondering about that, but I didn't update my post. Was there an acoustic hang-up signal? I've forgotten. Regardless, the 1200 baud modem, in addition to feeling like it was "keeping up" with the user, also made connecting more convenient.
LeoPanthera 8y ago
Which, perhaps ironically, is a small plot hole in the movie. "Wardialing" is not possible with a coupler - since the computer has no ability to hang up, or dial. When using a coupler, you have to dial manually.
- kimdotcom 8y ago
  Could you not run a relay from thr parallel port and pulse dial?
  - LeoPanthera 8y ago
    Yeah, you could. But there’s no pulse dialing depicted in the movie.

PhasmaFelis 8y ago

> I think a lot of people miss that culture. But, it just doesn't scale to the general population. I think that's the crux of it. It worked because it wasn't instantly accessible to everyone. There was a certain minimum level of tech savvy, or at least intellectual curiosity, required. Most people were emotionally invested, at least a little, and that helped form strong communities. I love that the internet is so egalitarian, but I do miss the days when things were smaller and tighter-knit; when most services were run for love, not for money.