17 Dec
2003
17 Dec
'03
11:17 p.m.
Arun Mehta describes the "hijacking" of Minitel (where users changed a videotex system into two-way communication medium) as a "hacking" (in the computer breakin sense). I think it might be more accurate to call this a "redirection" -- the people using Minitel "manifest[ing] tastes often opposed to those foreseen by experts" A similar thing happened to ARPANET in the late 1970's, with superficially frivolous newsletters such as SF-LOVERS and, of course, the proliferation of personal correspondance. Perhaps this is just another example of the cypherpunks manifesto: "information wants to be free." Martin Minow minow@apple.com