a phreaker manifesto

hackers and phreakers, the ancient rivalry.

old texts talk about hackers, phreakers, crackers, script kiddies, even jackers and trashers. but the two constants are hackers and phreakers.

hackers and phreakers aren't even a rivalry. when i talk to hackers and introduce myself as a phreaker, they say, "people still do that?" yes, people still do that. not many, but enough.

you sit there and blame people for not securing their computer systems. the systems that you yourselves built, resisting for so long adding strength, armor, because it made you feel big-brotherish. now big brother is in your god damned computer because you built it weak. now you can't trust your own tools.

this is no way to build freedom. this is no way to run a culture.

part of phreaking is a rejection of this. i use my ears, my actual senses, as my tools. if i don't hear it, it didn't happen. maybe it sounds dated, old school. it is. you say, "all the phones sound alike, and it's all digital, how can you tell? everything is the same."

everything leaves its trace in the signal. i can hear packet loss in silence, hookswitch in speech. i can hear handoff between carriers, and i can hear what kind of phone you're using before you even answer.

give me a good pair of ears and i can hear for miles. you can too. it's not hard, just nobody does it.