Wedgie, glad to hear of your trip!

I haven't been to Gloucester in a while, but I'd assume it's a bit more upscale these days. If you want a cool spot that has a similar vibe, you could check out Rockport (you probably know Rockport, but figured I'd make sure). It's also right near Gloucester, so if that doesn't float your boat you can go check that out.
- RickJames77

Booked it last night - 2 nights in Rockport.

Last time I was there was 2000. I'm hoping I can still buy a t-shirt there...

I'm an old nerd. I was using 300 baud dial-up modems to call BBS sites in 1986 (my 16, coincidentally). Things like Pyroto, Message boards, Writing forums, or online geek sites like Metro or Opticomm - which was as old school geek as you could get.

I'm sure some enterprising pervert was out there figuring out how to monetize porn at 300 baud, but I wasn't privvy!
- Monkeypunk

That would have been 1988 for me. I've been on the internet long enough that I was there pre-WWW days.

I was at 2400 baud, which was blistering fast - but remember paying $1K for a 14.4Kpbs modem. Porn was a thing, there were a lot of porn BBSes in the day. If you were savvy enough you knew how to call anywhere without paying long distance charges.

might be able to get the box in TO.
- bobbyisno1

Flyfreaky's box?

That would have been 1988 for me. I've been on the internet long enough that I was there pre-WWW days.

I was at 2400 baud, which was blistering fast - but remember paying $1K for a 14.4Kpbs modem. Porn was a thing, there were a lot of porn BBSes in the day. If you were savvy enough you knew how to call anywhere without paying long distance charges.
- TrashPanda

Back in my day we had cable internet and I didn't hear anyone complaining. You could barely ever play online first person shooters without a bit of lag here and there.

That would have been 1988 for me. I've been on the internet long enough that I was there pre-WWW days.

I was at 2400 baud, which was blistering fast - but remember paying $1K for a 14.4Kpbs modem. Porn was a thing, there were a lot of porn BBSes in the day. If you were savvy enough you knew how to call anywhere without paying long distance charges.
- TrashPanda

Cap'n Crunch whistle?

Booked it last night - 2 nights in Rockport.

Last time I was there was 2000. I'm hoping I can still buy a t-shirt there...
- Atomic Wedgie

That's funny you wound up booking in the exact place I later mentioned

Sorry, I missed your post and saw it this morning. Enjoy the trip

where did Mr Bob Zuruncle come from, had an account for 13 years...lays dormant then pops on to hate on Dubas

what a legend
- senstroll

His dedication to lurking is something we should respect.

That's funny you wound up booking in the exact place I later mentioned

Sorry, I missed your post and saw it this morning. Enjoy the trip
- RickJames77

One other travel-related question:

I still haven't been to Seaport Boston. We are spending a couple of days in Boston - should we go? Keep in mind we will have kids in tow - teen and pre-teen.

I'm kinda into checking out the urban renewal, how they've laid it out, etc. But my wife and kids will find that kinda stuff incredibly boring.

Back in my day we had cable internet and I didn't hear anyone complaining. You could barely ever play online first person shooters without a bit of lag here and there.
- TheMussel

I remember playing the beta of counter-strike with a 56k modem.

Guys with cable were "cheating" in my book.

Cap'n Crunch whistle?
- Atomic Wedgie

No, there were better ways - usually by exploiting the piss poor security that corporations had back then. There were even ways to use Bell against itself - until they went digital.

I remember playing the beta of counter-strike with a 56k modem.

Guys with cable were "cheating" in my book.
- Scabeh

Oh, the good ol' days of "You have to get off the internet - I've got to make a phone call!!"

Back in my day we had cable internet and I didn't hear anyone complaining. You could barely ever play online first person shooters without a bit of lag here and there.
- TheMussel

I didn't pay for my fist two years of Rogers 'wave' cable service because it took them that long to figure out how to make the service usable. 1Mbps seemed so fast...

Oh, the good ol' days of "You have to get off the internet - I've got to make a phone call!!"
- lumlums

Until they learned that you would be disconnected by simply picking up the phone. I had my own line installed for this very reason.

That would have been 1988 for me. I've been on the internet long enough that I was there pre-WWW days.

I was at 2400 baud, which was blistering fast - but remember paying $1K for a 14.4Kpbs modem. Porn was a thing, there were a lot of porn BBSes in the day. If you were savvy enough you knew how to call anywhere without paying long distance charges.
- TrashPanda

I was born in 1988.

No, there were better ways - usually by exploiting the piss poor security that corporations had back then. There were even ways to use Bell against itself - until they went digital.
- TrashPanda

In the late 80s, I read an article in GQ or Details about a bunch of hackers who would break into the phone companies' systems for free long distance (they go into the Empire State Building and "free" some pay phones). They mostly did the social engineering - phone up secretaries, say they are from IT, ask for their passwords.

The end of the article is them phoning up the White House and asking for passwords and receiving them.

I found the whole article fascinating, but I never was into computer programming, so never actually tried anything.

I was bored a couple of years ago, so screwed around on the interwebs and found the article - it was franking hilarious.

(I just did a quick google search - can't find it now).

Oh, the good ol' days of "You have to get off the internet - I've got to make a phone call!!"
- lumlums

In the late 80s, I read an article in GQ or Details about a bunch of hackers who would break into the phone companies' systems for free long distance (they go into the Empire State Building and "free" some pay phones). They mostly did the social engineering - phone up secretaries, say they are from IT, ask for their passwords.

The end of the article is them phoning up the White House and asking for passwords and receiving them.

I found the whole article fascinating, but I never was into computer programming, so never actually tried anything.

I was bored a couple of years ago, so screwed around on the interwebs and found the article - it was franking hilarious.

(I just did a quick google search - can't find it now).
- Atomic Wedgie

I did, however, find the greatest article ever published in GQ:

https://www.gq.com/story/nba-men-women-groupies

Enjoy!

This article is 13 years old, and I still laugh whenever I see a bottle of Grey Goose Vodka.

One other travel-related question:

I still haven't been to Seaport Boston. We are spending a couple of days in Boston - should we go? Keep in mind we will have kids in tow - teen and pre-teen.

I'm kinda into checking out the urban renewal, how they've laid it out, etc. But my wife and kids will find that kinda stuff incredibly boring.
- Atomic Wedgie

You could eat at a restaurant in the seaport and check it out. It's just under a mile away from south station and pretty neat to see because as you know, it was nothing before

If you walked through it you could check out Lawn on D street, which has a little something for everyone if it's nice out, but a bit out of the way. Take a look at it online and see what you think.

Look at Seaport Boulevard. There are a lot of restaurants, breweries, shops, arcade / entertainment places. Plenty to do for everyone. I don't know your stance on craft beer, but Trillium's new Fort Point location is right there and they have some great stuff along with a roof deck. I haven't been up there, but just from the looks of it you won't have much of a view. One thing I'd do with the Mrs. if you can is have a drink or eat (I think they serve food, I don't recall) on top of the Envoy hotel in the seaport. The view is unreal. They may let children up there, but I'd check (why I suggested it for the two of you). It's all in the vicinity of everything I just mentioned. Go earlier in the evening as it definitely livens up a bit later. Or if you're into that then go later! If you do go, check the wait time and put your name in if there is one. They'll text you and you'll have like 10-15 min to get there and take the elevator up so you can wonder around a bit and don't have to stay chained to a hotel lobby. That was how it was when I went at least.

Until they learned that you would be disconnected by simply picking up the phone. I had my own line installed for this very reason.
- TrashPanda

same here

In the late 80s, I read an article in GQ or Details about a bunch of hackers who would break into the phone companies' systems for free long distance (they go into the Empire State Building and "free" some pay phones). They mostly did the social engineering - phone up secretaries, say they are from IT, ask for their passwords.

The end of the article is them phoning up the White House and asking for passwords and receiving them.

I found the whole article fascinating, but I never was into computer programming, so never actually tried anything.

I was bored a couple of years ago, so screwed around on the interwebs and found the article - it was franking hilarious.

(I just did a quick google search - can't find it now).
- Atomic Wedgie

That GQ article was bullpoop - stealing long distance was much easier than that. Social engineering is still used today, and is extremely effective. Most people in a corporate setting are afraid NOT to be helpful.

Pizza Pizza was a prime target. If you called them, you just waited for the person on the other end to hang up the phone. If you waited long enough (30 - 60 seconds) you would be rewarded with a dial tone and could dial out - anywhere you wanted. It took them a very long time to figure that one out (and longer to fix) and cost them millions.

- RickJames77

Arguably the greatest sketch ever made. RIP Charlie

In the late 80s, I read an article in GQ or Details about a bunch of hackers who would break into the phone companies' systems for free long distance (they go into the Empire State Building and "free" some pay phones). They mostly did the social engineering - phone up secretaries, say they are from IT, ask for their passwords.

The end of the article is them phoning up the White House and asking for passwords and receiving them.

I found the whole article fascinating, but I never was into computer programming, so never actually tried anything.

I was bored a couple of years ago, so screwed around on the interwebs and found the article - it was franking hilarious.

(I just did a quick google search - can't find it now).
- Atomic Wedgie

sounds like stuff Kevin Mitnick did in the 80s and 90s

Aah the Pit. Yup.

Remember Legend of the Red Dragon?
- gravyface

I do, but it's all vague. I actually Googled some of the old BBS Door and MUD games to try and remind myself of them (things like Infinity Complex, which was cool, but I was terrible). I remember thinking PimpWars was absurdly funny, but I never really played anything religiously. Global War (Risk) was probably the one thing I played the most - largely because I had a few friends who kept games going.

sounds like stuff Kevin Mitnick did in the 80s and 90s
- senstroll

Mitnik was an amateur - he's only famous because he got caught.

Oh, the good ol' days of "You have to get off the internet - I've got to make a phone call!!"
- lumlums

My parents had an office in the basement for their business and when we'd get kicked off the house line, we'd "improvise".

Yeah, well, let me tell you, when they found it there was to be paid