From: Arun Mehta <amehta@giasdl01.vsnl.net.in>
Date: Thu, 11 Jul 1996 09:36:06 +0800
To: Martin Minow <cypherpunks@toad.com
Subject: Re: Minitel "saved" by hackers?
Message-ID: <1.5.4.32.19960711023104.002d60f8@giasdl01.vsnl.net.in>
MIME-Version: 1.0
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At 08:10 10/07/96 -0700, Martin Minow wrote:
>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"

True, but as I understand it, there was also a hacking involved: they took
the original software, modified it (what I would also call hacking) and made
it freely available: that is what made the messageries possible. If I'm
using the technical terminology wrong, thanks for the correction.

I'd love to find out exactly what happened.

>Perhaps this is just another example of the cypherpunks manifesto:
>"information wants to be free."

More than that, we do!
Arun Mehta Phone +91-11-6841172, 6849103 amehta@cpsr.org
http://mahavir.doe.ernet.in/~pinaward/arun.htm
The protestors of Tiananmen Square will be back. Next time, 
the battle will be fought in cyberspace, where the students 
have the more powerful tanks...