Date: Tue, 30 Mar 93 22:39:29 EST From: lodcom@MINDVOX.PHANTOM.COM(LOD Communications) Subject: File 6--Collecting Cu Files (From "LOD") Thank you for requesting information about the Hack/Phreak Underground BBS Message Base Files. The first Price Listing of completed message base Files will be sent to you via email in early to mid April 1993. Until then, the following background information should provide you with a better picture of this undertaking. A significant portion of now retired computer underground participants (hackers and phone phreaks) have expressed an interest in seeing all of those old messages they posted on various underground hacker bulletin boards during their respective 'careers'. This is especially the case for those who never downloaded the messages; sold, gave away, or chucked their disks; and those who were visited by law enforcement officials who TOOK EVERYTHING including that suspicious looking toaster 8-/. In addition to this crowd, those who have come to the 'scene' relatively recently are keenly interested in what their 'forefathers' talked about and what computer systems and networks they were into. This interest, and the growing curiosity of corporations, security professionals, and the general public to know what all those 'hacker kids' were REALLY up to (starting World War III of course!) is the reasoning behind this undertaking. Basically, LOD Communications is creating a Historical Library of the dark portion of Cyberspace. Throughout history physical objects have been preserved for posterity for the benefit of the next generation of humans. Cyberspace however, isn't very physical; data contained on floppy diskettes has a finite lifetime as does the technology to retrieve that data. Most of the underground systems operated at a time when TRS80's, VIC-20's, Commodore 64's, and Apple //'s were state of the art. Today, it's difficult to find anyone who has one of these machines in operating condition not to mention the brain cells left to recall how to operate them. :( The aim of the project is to acquire as much information as possible which was contained on the underground hack/phreak bulletin boards that were in operation during a decade long period dating from the beginnings (1979, 80 - MOM: Modem Over Manhattan and 8BBS) to the legendary OSUNY, Plovernet, Legion of Doom!, Metal Shop, etc. up through the Phoenix Project circa 1989. Currently messages from over 40 different BBS's have been dug up although very few message bases are 100% complete. Not having a complete 'set' does not diminish their value however. As happens with most projects, the effort and monetary investment turned out to be substantially more than originally anticipated. Literally hundreds of man-hours have been spent copying dusty apple ][ disks, transferring them to IBM (or typing in hard copy versions when electronic versions were unavailable), organizing the over one thousand individual files according to what BBS the messages were originally posted on, and splicing the files together. Also, after consulting with the appropriate civil liberties organizations and actual legal counsel, a very slight editing of the messages restricted to long distance access codes, phone numbers, and computer passwords had to be made to ensure that there is nothing illegal contained within the messages. Every effort was made to keep the messages in their pristine condition: 40 columns, ALL CAPS, spelling errors, inaccuracies of various kinds, and ALL. In order to at least break even, a dollar value has been attached to each set of message bases. The dollar values were determined based on the following conglomeration: the number of years ago the BBS operated, its popularity and message content, whether the BBS or portions thereof were deemed 'Elite' (and therefore restricted access to but a small number of users), and the total number of messages compiled. The prices were kept as low as possible and range from $1.00 to $9.00 for each Copyrighted (c) 1993 by LOD Communications, H/P BBS message base set. Most sets include [in addition to the messages themselves]: a historical background and description of the BBS, any tutorials aka "G-Philes" that were online as well as downloaded userlists if available. Due to the economics involved in diskettes, snail mail costs, and filling orders, a minimum order of $20.00 is required. Corporations and Government agencies must order the complete set and pay a moderately higher rate. The files will be available in IBM (5.25 or 3.5 inch), Amiga, and Apple MacIntosh formats and orders are expected to arrive at the requestors' physical mail box in 2-4 weeks upon receipt of the order. Paper versions can be ordered but cost double (many messages are of 40 column format and therefore wastes lots of paper) and take twice the time to deliver. These Files will hopefully provide those who were not part of the underground experience to learn what it was all about instead of relying on those often slanted (negatively) accounts found in the press. How much did the hackers and phone phreaks who used these bulletin boards know and how did they find it out? Did they have the capability to shut down phone service of Area Code proportions, could they ruin someone's credit, could they 'move satellites in the heavens', could they monitor packet switching network conversations? The answers lay within the messages which were painstakingly collected and are currently being organized into Files. Your patience is appreciated. LOD Communications: Leaders in Engineering, Social and Otherwise Email: lodcom@mindvox.phantom.com Voice Mail: 512-448-5098 Snail Mail: LOD Communications 603 W. 13th Suite 1A-278 Austin, Texas 78701 Downloaded From P-80 International Information Systems 304-744-2253