4 ms·

Fans raise cash to help phone phreaker John Draper, aka Cap‘n Crunch

120 points by stillmaned 12y ago

kylelibra 12y ago
Maybe someone can clarify, the Ars article doesn't mention this, but wasn't there another effort to fundraise for him and help him out? I thought there was a similar attempt a few months ago, but I can't seem to find any info on it. Maybe I'm mistaken, either way, it is good to see people coming to his aid.
- dalke 12y ago
  Yes, there was. I searched HN and found https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1993898 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1993898 from 4 years ago, titled "John Draper Donation Drive Verified". More details at http://www.blackhatworld.com/blackhat-seo/blackhat-lounge/261835-save-captain-crunch-john-draper.html http://www.blackhatworld.com/blackhat-seo/blackhat-lounge/26... . It's also mentioned fleetingly in http://www.webcrunchers.com/friends-of-crunch/ http://www.webcrunchers.com/friends-of-crunch/ .
- jdcrunchman1 12y ago
  That was back in 2009 when I had a previous surgery.
en4bz 12y ago
For those interested he's currently doing an AMA on reddit. http://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/2hpje1/im_the_person_who_showed_steve_jobs_the_blue_box/ http://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/2hpje1/im_the_person_w...
- ilamont 12y ago
  Wonderful AMA ... take 10 minutes to read his responses. He's depressingly open about the past and present, but it's great to see he has plans for the future.
- patio11 12y ago
  His answer to "Are you wealthy?" is sobering, as I would not naively have expected destitution for someone with his technical ability or status as an early Apple employee. We're presently in the best market of the history of ever, but I think young engineers should be prudent about recognizing that we too will eventually be old some day. Make sure you've got a plan for it.
new299 12y ago
The qikfunder project was previously in the top five on then HN front page but even though it was well voted, got buried after an hour or so. Not sure why, but glad the Ars page is now on.
xtracto 12y ago
I hope he is considering Fecal Transplant for his C.Diff infection.
eclyps19 12y ago
He joined my Cards Against Humanity game in Burger King a couple years ago at Defcon. Definitely an interesting guy... He had lots of stories and was pretty open about everything.
ck2 12y ago
So glad we got that healthcare problem all buttoned up in America over the past six years. Would anyone have to have a fundraiser in any other "1st world" country for medical problems? But hey let's go spend billions on more wars, bomb the billions in equipment we bought for Iraq and then buy more equipment to replace it for Iraq. ps. it is funny how people forget Steve Jobs started out committing felonies without ever getting prosecuted pps. apparently what he really needs is a fundraiser to publish a book he has been working on, including a chapter on Woz
- cbd1984 12y ago
  > So glad we got that healthcare problem all buttoned up in America over the past six years. "Politics is the art of the possible." — Otto von Bismarck (attributed) When one side is opposing a plan it originated, how can anyone make progress? > But hey let's go spend billions on more wars, bomb the billions in equipment we bought for Iraq and then buy more equipment to replace it for Iraq. This is only relevant if you have to placate deficit hawks who don't put a priority on medical spending.
  - a_bonobo 12y ago
    Fun coincidence: Bismarck implemented the first welfare state in the history of the world, with sickness, accident and disability insurance and old age pension. To quote: The real grievance of the worker is the insecurity of his existence; he is not sure that he will always have work, he is not sure that he will always be healthy, and he foresees that he will one day be old and unfit to work. If he falls into poverty, even if only through a prolonged illness, he is then completely helpless, left to his own devices, and society does not currently recognize any real obligation towards him beyond the usual help for the poor, even if he has been working all the time ever so faithfully and diligently. The usual help for the poor, however, leaves a lot to be desired, especially in large cities, where it is very much worse than in the country.
    - a_bonobo 12y ago
      Sorry for the formatting, here is the quote without that scroll bar: The real grievance of the worker is the insecurity of his existence; he is not sure that he will always have work, he is not sure that he will always be healthy, and he foresees that he will one day be old and unfit to work. If he falls into poverty, even if only through a prolonged illness, he is then completely helpless, left to his own devices, and society does not currently recognize any real obligation towards him beyond the usual help for the poor, even if he has been working all the time ever so faithfully and diligently. The usual help for the poor, however, leaves a lot to be desired, especially in large cities, where it is very much worse than in the country.
bcl 12y ago
" Draper himself doesn't even know who started the fundraiser, but the money is intended to help with his medical bills" If he doesn't know who started it, how do we know the money will actually get to him?

120 points by stillmaned 12y ago

Maybe someone can clarify, the Ars article doesn't mention this, but wasn't there another effort to fundraise for him and help him out? I thought there was a similar attempt a few months ago, but I can't seem to find any info on it. Maybe I'm mistaken, either way, it is good to see people coming to his aid.

dalke 12y ago
Yes, there was. I searched HN and found https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1993898 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1993898 from 4 years ago, titled "John Draper Donation Drive Verified". More details at http://www.blackhatworld.com/blackhat-seo/blackhat-lounge/261835-save-captain-crunch-john-draper.html http://www.blackhatworld.com/blackhat-seo/blackhat-lounge/26... . It's also mentioned fleetingly in http://www.webcrunchers.com/friends-of-crunch/ http://www.webcrunchers.com/friends-of-crunch/ .
jdcrunchman1 12y ago
That was back in 2009 when I had a previous surgery.

en4bz 12y ago

For those interested he's currently doing an AMA on reddit. http://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/2hpje1/im_the_person_who_showed_steve_jobs_the_blue_box/ http://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/2hpje1/im_the_person_w...

ilamont 12y ago
Wonderful AMA ... take 10 minutes to read his responses. He's depressingly open about the past and present, but it's great to see he has plans for the future.
patio11 12y ago
His answer to "Are you wealthy?" is sobering, as I would not naively have expected destitution for someone with his technical ability or status as an early Apple employee. We're presently in the best market of the history of ever, but I think young engineers should be prudent about recognizing that we too will eventually be old some day. Make sure you've got a plan for it.

new299 12y ago

The qikfunder project was previously in the top five on then HN front page but even though it was well voted, got buried after an hour or so. Not sure why, but glad the Ars page is now on.

xtracto 12y ago

I hope he is considering Fecal Transplant for his C.Diff infection.

eclyps19 12y ago

He joined my Cards Against Humanity game in Burger King a couple years ago at Defcon. Definitely an interesting guy... He had lots of stories and was pretty open about everything.

ck2 12y ago

So glad we got that healthcare problem all buttoned up in America over the past six years. Would anyone have to have a fundraiser in any other "1st world" country for medical problems? But hey let's go spend billions on more wars, bomb the billions in equipment we bought for Iraq and then buy more equipment to replace it for Iraq. ps. it is funny how people forget Steve Jobs started out committing felonies without ever getting prosecuted pps. apparently what he really needs is a fundraiser to publish a book he has been working on, including a chapter on Woz

cbd1984 12y ago
> So glad we got that healthcare problem all buttoned up in America over the past six years. "Politics is the art of the possible." — Otto von Bismarck (attributed) When one side is opposing a plan it originated, how can anyone make progress? > But hey let's go spend billions on more wars, bomb the billions in equipment we bought for Iraq and then buy more equipment to replace it for Iraq. This is only relevant if you have to placate deficit hawks who don't put a priority on medical spending.
- a_bonobo 12y ago
  Fun coincidence: Bismarck implemented the first welfare state in the history of the world, with sickness, accident and disability insurance and old age pension. To quote: The real grievance of the worker is the insecurity of his existence; he is not sure that he will always have work, he is not sure that he will always be healthy, and he foresees that he will one day be old and unfit to work. If he falls into poverty, even if only through a prolonged illness, he is then completely helpless, left to his own devices, and society does not currently recognize any real obligation towards him beyond the usual help for the poor, even if he has been working all the time ever so faithfully and diligently. The usual help for the poor, however, leaves a lot to be desired, especially in large cities, where it is very much worse than in the country.
  - a_bonobo 12y ago
    Sorry for the formatting, here is the quote without that scroll bar: The real grievance of the worker is the insecurity of his existence; he is not sure that he will always have work, he is not sure that he will always be healthy, and he foresees that he will one day be old and unfit to work. If he falls into poverty, even if only through a prolonged illness, he is then completely helpless, left to his own devices, and society does not currently recognize any real obligation towards him beyond the usual help for the poor, even if he has been working all the time ever so faithfully and diligently. The usual help for the poor, however, leaves a lot to be desired, especially in large cities, where it is very much worse than in the country.

bcl 12y ago

" Draper himself doesn't even know who started the fundraiser, but the money is intended to help with his medical bills" If he doesn't know who started it, how do we know the money will actually get to him?