6 ms·

As a young kid right about to go to college I got to meet Ed (probably 24 years ago now). He was easy to talk to and seemed eager to share knowledge. I remember

by anonu 3y ago

As a young kid right about to go to college I got to meet Ed (probably 24 years ago now). He was easy to talk to and seemed eager to share knowledge. I remember him showing me some of his work on a Mathematica workbook. He told me a story about how the phone dial tones were designed with 2 frequencies such that a human wouldn't accidentally make those sounds while talking. But he figured out how to simultaneously hum and whistle to mimic a dial tone. The phone company guys were in disbelief but loved the MIT folks (the first phreakers) because they would keep finding vulnerabilities in the phone system. That story was fascinating to me and was my first intro to the hacker mindset. Ed was one of those OG hackers. May he rest in peace.

seanthemon 3y ago
I recommend reading "ghost in the wires", I can't speak for how genuine all the stories are, but it's a whirlwind of phreaking and hacking
wumms 3y ago
> But he figured out how to simultaneously hum and whistle to mimic a dial tone. And there I was, humbly whistling in front of this comment. I managed to humwhistle "11*". Though the detector [0] might have a different accuracy than me. [0] https://nhollmann.github.io/DTMF-Tool/ https://nhollmann.github.io/DTMF-Tool/
- bombolo 3y ago
  Hahahha amazing! I produced "D##DDD##D*DD*DD00*00*133009". This is fun.
mistrial9 3y ago
> because they would keep finding vulnerabilities in the phone system that is certainly rewriting history there! The FBI was involved more than once, several young men went to jail over this. You said "loved" ? thats actually twisted to say that
- masswerk 3y ago
  The probably first reported hacking incident (in the modern sense, as in computer assisted phone phreaking) was at MIT using a PDP-1 to connect various tie-lines between MIT and Harvard, and reaching out on tie-lines to the Millstone Radar Facility, the Sudbury defense installation, IBM Kingston/NY, and to the MITRE Corporation, while redirecting the long distance call fees to a local radar station. As reported in "The Tech", 20 Nov. 1963 issue[0]. It doesn't seem that this had any serious consequences, though. Carlton Tucker, MIT’s telephone system administrator, is quoted with (while expressing warnings regarding future liabilities), "we don’t have too much trouble with the boys; we appreciate their curiosity." [0] http://tech.mit.edu/V83/PDF/V83-N24.pdf http://tech.mit.edu/V83/PDF/V83-N24.pdf
  - masswerk 3y ago
    The above URL seems to be dead, see: https://thetech.com/issues/83/24/pdf https://thetech.com/issues/83/24/pdf
- koalacola 3y ago
  yeah thats how I remember it
- anonu 3y ago
  I don't have a date for that story - but I would expect it was before the widespread adoption of Touch Tone in 1963... And maybe the authorities were more lenient then, as well as with faculty. I think this was probably late 50s or early 60s. I imagine DTMF was deployed at MIT before it was done nationwide. Not trying to rewrite history - just saying theres a lack of detail in my comment and yours.

by anonu 3y ago

seanthemon 3y ago

I recommend reading "ghost in the wires", I can't speak for how genuine all the stories are, but it's a whirlwind of phreaking and hacking

wumms 3y ago

> But he figured out how to simultaneously hum and whistle to mimic a dial tone. And there I was, humbly whistling in front of this comment. I managed to humwhistle "11*". Though the detector [0] might have a different accuracy than me. [0] https://nhollmann.github.io/DTMF-Tool/ https://nhollmann.github.io/DTMF-Tool/

bombolo 3y ago
Hahahha amazing! I produced "D##DDD##D*DD*DD00*00*133009". This is fun.

mistrial9 3y ago

> because they would keep finding vulnerabilities in the phone system that is certainly rewriting history there! The FBI was involved more than once, several young men went to jail over this. You said "loved" ? thats actually twisted to say that

masswerk 3y ago
The probably first reported hacking incident (in the modern sense, as in computer assisted phone phreaking) was at MIT using a PDP-1 to connect various tie-lines between MIT and Harvard, and reaching out on tie-lines to the Millstone Radar Facility, the Sudbury defense installation, IBM Kingston/NY, and to the MITRE Corporation, while redirecting the long distance call fees to a local radar station. As reported in "The Tech", 20 Nov. 1963 issue[0]. It doesn't seem that this had any serious consequences, though. Carlton Tucker, MIT’s telephone system administrator, is quoted with (while expressing warnings regarding future liabilities), "we don’t have too much trouble with the boys; we appreciate their curiosity." [0] http://tech.mit.edu/V83/PDF/V83-N24.pdf http://tech.mit.edu/V83/PDF/V83-N24.pdf
- masswerk 3y ago
  The above URL seems to be dead, see: https://thetech.com/issues/83/24/pdf https://thetech.com/issues/83/24/pdf
koalacola 3y ago
yeah thats how I remember it
anonu 3y ago
I don't have a date for that story - but I would expect it was before the widespread adoption of Touch Tone in 1963... And maybe the authorities were more lenient then, as well as with faculty. I think this was probably late 50s or early 60s. I imagine DTMF was deployed at MIT before it was done nationwide. Not trying to rewrite history - just saying theres a lack of detail in my comment and yours.