____________________________________________________________________ | ___ __ __ | | | | |___) | | | | (_ | Rhode Island Computer | Volume 2, Issue 2 | | | \ | |__ |__| __) | Underground Society | March-April, 1993 | |______________________|_______________________|_____________________| ======================================================= RICUS Table of Contents 2.02 ======================================================= 1 ... Opening to RICUS 2.02 2 ... RICUS Feedback 3 ... ESS? What's That?! 4 ... The CLAN Library Network 5 ... The Edge Resigns from Telecom 6 ... Lamah Wars (Story) 7 ... Hate (Poem) 8 ... New Group: Sons 0f Liberty 9 ... Closing ======================================================= --------------------------------------------------------------------- 1: Opening to RICUS 2.02 ------------------------ Welcome to yet another issue of RICUS. This issue is also special, because it marks the first birthday of RICUS... In this issue, we have some cool stuff for you. Particularly, that CLAN article is really neat, and I'd like to thank the CLANMan for submitting it! We even got some "Letters to the Editor"-type feedback over the last issue! Which is more than I can say for any other... It seems our friends in Southern RI weren't too happy when we included their OmniNet nodelist/conflist! Have fun, CyNom -------------------------------------------------------------------- 2: RICUS Feedback ----------------- Date: 01-28-93 (17:28) Number: 17432 of 17439 (Echo) To: RICUS GUYS... Refer#: NONE From: DANIEL PODGURSKI Read: NO Subj: WEENIE WRITER Status: PUBLIC MESSAGE Conf: -NENET COMMON (1) Read Type: GENERAL Pulled from the RICUS newsletter: ----------------------- 9: Omni-Net Information ----------------------- OmniNet is a network based on FrontDoor/FidoNet technology, originating from southern RI. Someone though it would be cool to get the nodelist, conference tag names, etc. So, here they are: [Editors Note: OmniNet nodelist from RICUS201 not included. ] Heh, some fool thinks that he has the nodelist for the net...I suggest that this f00l get his info straight before he writes for RICUS... Here come the Rh0dents...bah... BMO --- WM v2.06/91-0061 * Origin: Exploding piglets!!! My god, it's raining bacon! (1:323/105) ----------------------------------------------- The Editor's Response: ----------------------------------------------- Are you saying that WASN'T the nodelist? I am aware it was a quite old one, but much of the information is still valid. I am also aware that some of the systems that were supposed to be added to the net and left commented in that version of the nodelist were uncommented. At any rate, it's nice to see the networks being used to their full potential. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 3: ESS? What's That?! --------------------- Question: What # ESS is your phone under? --------- ------------------------------- Have you ever wondered this? No...? Well, Squinky has! So, he called up the Operator on his 3-way calling and asked what Electronic Switching System his phone was under. First off, the Electronic Switching System is the computer/switch/piece of hardware down at your NE Telephone central office. There are different "types" of ESS systems. Different capabilities, etc. There are even other switches put out by different companies (like a DMS switch) that perform the same function as an ESS. ESS provides call waiting, call forwarding, three way calling, speed dialing, and other neat services that weren't available without it. I think the first one was installed in the mid-1960s. It also has the ability to do nasty things, like provide dialed number registers (DNRs) and such, which record *every* number you dial (obviously including BBSes and other electronic "things.") Maybe someone who reads this could give us some more info on ESS, what types there are, different companies who make similar systems, etc. In any case, we wanted to fine out what type of ESS we were on, model #, whatever... This also provided an opportunity to see how many operators actual knew any of the acronyms you see in text files. This was done to about 15 or 20 operators. (Hell, they're probably not doing anything else! ) After one couldn't answer the question or sat there for a while (stumped!) we hung up and called another one. Most operators had absolutely no clue what the hell we were talking about. We were looking for something like "you're prefix is under 5-ESS" or "you are under a DMS-10 switch..." One of them *did* know the acronym, though. Another one offered to transfer us to maintainance or something. Sample conversation with one of the more knowledgeable operators: Us: "Hi.. what number ESS are we under?" Her: "Well, I _want_ to say Electronic Switching System, but I'm not sure!" One of them said we aren't under ESS anymore, and that "they're all being changed in different places." Then she said, "maybe you are under it." I got the distinct impression that these people were totally, absolutely, utterly clueless. Many of them fell silent, unable to understand the query. This was just pathetic. You'd think they'd have some clue. One of them blatantly stated "ESS? This is something I never heard of before!" Another one replied "Uh.. I have noooo idea what you're talking about!" After dialing about 15 or 20 times, we got one of the same Operators again. She said "Okay! This is something we've *all* never heard of before! Hold the line to speak to my supervisor..." They must've been chatting among themselves or something. Well, Squinky didn't feel like holding the line... so he hung up. How rude... I wanted to hear the Supervisor! The next day he called up the operator again. This time a male operator answered. As usual he asked "what number ESS are we under?" This time the answer was "Sorry, I can not give that information out." Yes, _sure_ you can't, like it's highly secretive or something. Well, that's that. This just points out that operators aren't very useful, as far as "technical" info as concerned (not that we'd think they WOULD be, anyways.) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 4: The CLAN Library Network --------------------------- **************************************************** * The RICUS Editor takes no responsibility for the * * content of the following article. * **************************************************** How to Hack the CLAN network By:The CLANman 1 February 1993 I noticed the little ditty at the end of the last RICUS letter, and since I know alot about the CLAN, I typed this up. I. Disclaimer: I provide this information as an educational tool only. I would like to remind anyone that engaging in offensive actions on the network is a Federal Crime. This system has potential for abuse, as does any. I know many of the "other" features, but I am only showing how to do an online search when the libraries are closed. Passwords, phone numbers and programs for the circulation modules have been purposely not included. II. Getting to buisness: The CLAN system is run out of the Providence Public Library, on CLSI and WYSE hardware running Dynix library cataloging software in a UNIX environment. It's principal phone number, as of this writing was (401)455-8087 N81 1200 bps max. Once you call with your modem, press enter a few times, and you'll get a logon screen. It is straitforward, as it says DYNIX v1.3.2 and then asks for a login and a password. For the login, they are easy. Just put your library's RILN identifier, followed by Pub. (For example Warwick Public Library's login is WARPUB, Cranston is CRAPUB, North Providence is NPRPUB. IT MUST BE IN LOWER CASE! ALL CLAN COMMANDS ARE IN LOWER CASE. If you try this and you can't get in, I'll explain later how to get your library's passcode.) Library logins: Pawtucket pawpub (*note: password protected for no reason) Providence propub (" ") Cranston crapub Warwick warpub Greenville gvlpub Newport nptpub North Prov. nprpub West Warwick wwrpub Barrington barpub East Providence eplpub (Any other RILN identifier can be found by ordering a book from the library that you want the idenfifier from, through interlibrary loan. It'll be written on the blue sheet that is stuck in the cover.) In the event that they password protect the logins, do the following: go to your library, and sit at a computer. Look at the screen and you will see the options menu. Type the letter q, then this screen comes up: THE COOPERATING LIBRARIES AUTOMATED NETWORK WELCOMES YOU TO [Yourtown's Public] LIBRARY ONLINE PUBLIC ACCESS CATALOG TO USE THE CATALOG PRESS THE KEY LABELED "". FOR THE HELP SCREEN PRESS "?" THEN THE KEY LABELED "". PLEASE ASK A LIBRARIAN FOR FURTHER ASSISTANCE. Type the word LATER and press enter a few times. Isn't that simple? The terminal will logoff to a command line. (This is exactly what you see if you call on a modem.) Press enter many times to get the screen to scroll, as to hide the fact that you logged off the terminal. Now act like a stupid patron and walk up to the information desk and say that the computer you were using went down. Your helpful librarian will go to your terminal and log you back on. Watch her and you got the password. If you work at a library, and you don't know the password look on the sides of the computer screens. Providence Public Library has the passcodes taped to the monitors, and I've seen this done at many other libraries. Once you've got a password, call and log on and now you can look for books after the local library is closed! Congrat's you have your own private CLAN node. (How special.) II. Other goodies on the network: The rest of this article is on things you can do at the library, besides look up books. Logoff the computer, using the proceedure outlined beforehand. (LATER, etc.) Now you can log it on again as a different town's library! One fun option is Control-Right Arrow. This makes the info bar on the top of screen dissappear. But the best option is Control-Caps Lock. (Press control first, and then without lifting up on Ctrl, press caps lock.) This will get you into WYSE Works. This option has several accessories, namely a calculator, calendar, alarm clock, and ascii table. For the most fun, go to the alarm clock. Set about five of the computers to go off during the lunch period, when the library is understaffed! It's very fun. (Most of them haven't a clue that WYSE works exists, nevermind how to shut off the clock.) The last command is Ctrl-Break, this "Pauses" the computer until pressed again. This is great for reserving the computer if you are going to walk away for a few minutes. III. Glossary: CLAN: Cooperating Libraries Automated Network. The common network of almost all Rhode Island Public Libraries. CLSI: Computer Library Systems Incorporated. The primary supplier of libary hardware. Dynix: The best selling library cataloging software system. [Editor's Note: DYNIX is actually the name of the flavor of AT&T System V Release 3.2 UNIX the system uses.] Module: A computer node for a dedicated purpose. PAM: Public Access Module. What you use when you use the computer at library to find a book. RILN: Rhode Island Library Network WYSE: WYSE systems Inc. A computer firm IV. Appendix A: If you are interesting in seeing detailed information on the operating mechanics of CLAN, the following instructional videos are in the Newport Public Library: Video: Call Number: Dynix new user overview VR/I/02899/REF File Maintanance Circ. Desk VR/I/02898/REF Searching on Dynix Circ. Desk VR/I/02900/REF Cataloging Circ. Desk VR/I/02901/REF Also, a quick search through a periodicals catalogue under CLSI or Dynix will get you a list of magazine articles in Library Trade Journals on the system. V. Appendix B: This is the text capture from a CLAN logon: DYNIX/ptx(R) V1.3.2 System name: clan login: warpub UNIX SYSTEM V RELEASE 3.2.0 I386 CLAN COPYRIGHT (C) 1984 AT&T ALL RIGHTS RESERVED DYNIX/PTX(R) V1.3.2 #7 (): THU AUG 6 12:10:17 EDT 1992 COPYRIGHT 1988 SEQUENT COMPUTER SYSTEMS, INC. UNIVERSE COMMAND LANGUAGE 5.4 (C) COPYRIGHT 1989 VMARK SOFTWARE INC. - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED ACC.PUB28 LOGGED ON: [CENSORED] 22:04:32 1992 PLEASE INDICATE WHICH TERMINAL YOU ARE USING. 1. VT100 EMULATION 2. WYSE 30 TERMINAL 3. WYSEL, ADDS VP ENHANCED 4. ADDS VP 60 EMULATION 5. QUIT (LOGOFF) ENTER SELECTION> 3 PLEASE TYPE IN THIS TERMINAL'S STATION NUMBER: 24 THE FOLLOWING IS A TEST OF THE VIDEO CHARACTERISTICS OF YOUR TERMINAL *********************************************************** * * * TEST DISPLAY * * * **************************************** WAIT WAS THE TEST SCREEN READABLE? (Y/N) Y %=%=%=%=%=%=%=%=%=%=%=%=%=%=%=%=%=%=%=%=%=%= DYNIX, INCORPORATED 151 EAST 1700 SOUTH PROVO, UTAH 84606 *** RELEASE 130 *** COPYRIGHT (C) 1990 %=%=%=%=%=%=%=%=%=%=%=%=%=%=%=%=%=%=%=%=%=%=% PROCESSING SECURITY CLEARANCE######################### CLEARED THE COOPERATING LIBRARIES AUTOMATED NETWORK WELCOMES YOU TO THE WARWICK PUBLIC LIBRARY ONLINE PUBLIC ACCESS CATALOG TO USE THE CATALOG PRESS THE KEY LABELED "". FOR THE HELP SCREEN PRESS "?" THEN THE KEY LABELED "". PLEASE ASK A LIBRARIAN FOR FURTHER ASSISTANCE. VI. In Closing: This is not the final doc from the CLANman! As I compile more info and data, it will appear in furture RICUS letters. If you find anything out, just upload it seperately to the "proper channels" for RICUS newletter. I can not be reached on any local BBSes. One last note, I provide this information for informational purposes only. I really don't give a crap if you play in the CLAN system, but do not abuse it. A brief reminder that true hackers don't trash systems, or do other nasty things. If someone crashes CLAN, its security will be raised incredibly, so that none of us can get in it. Secondly, on that same note, don't be a piss-off to the librarians. They are not the computer people and most of them know how to operate the basics, but know diddly when it comes to technical stuff. In short, don't harrass the librarians about the computers, if you don't they'll be much more helpful than if you are brash. In case you haven't realized it, the stereotype of the freaky fat old fart librarian isn't completely true. Well have fun, and don't get into trouble. tHE ____ I I I___ l a n M a n Any Questions?: Call CLAN director Peter Bennett at the Providence Public Library, or Assistant director Paul Halliday at the Cranston Public Library. (Riiiiight). NEXT ARTICLE: HOW TO CRACK THE CLAN BARCODE! [Editor's Note: Thanks a lot, ClanMan! That was pretty cool... It's also good to know some people actually read those RICUSes. Naturally there's gonna be a lot of bitching over this article, but I look at it this way: Your tax money (or your parents') go to pay for the CLAN system, since it is public access. Why shouldn't you be able to call in and look up a book from home? I also heard from someone that a new computer system is going to be installed in the RI libraries, so this info may be invalid very soon. While in one of the libraries for a legitimate purpose (doing term paper research) I heard one of the librarians talking about _Internet_ I couldn't hear many details, but they recieved some information packet from somewhere about Internet and it wouldn't surprise me if the local libs became netted to it eventually. It's like this in some other states already... Also, if anyone can figure out how to get to a UNIX Shell from a CLAN terminal, you'll be able to apply the UNIX info in RICUS 2.01. Remember, never delete anything that isn't yours. If they get troubled, they'll just password everything, and you'll have real problems looking up books from home. ] **************************************************************************** ** Disclaimer: As usual, the RICUS Editor is not responsible for your use ** ** and/or abuse of the above information. ** **************************************************************************** ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 5: The Edge Resigns from Telecom -------------------------------- [Editor's Note: The Edge/Deprived Child (a user on some local boards) asked me to put his "resignation" from BBSing into the next RICUS. It seems he wants to be normal or something equally illogical. Some RICUS dudes were allegedly present at that computer fair on March 6th at CCRI, where we are able to observe The Edge. I personally couldn't see why he would _want_ to be normal, but at any rate... Here's his resignation: ] Well...I give up...I had a full BBS'ing life...I enjoyed 99% of it...I have decided to resign from BBS'ing..I have got to go off and out to the real world...This is a formal resignation...I probably won't come back... I would like to thank a few people.. Wonko The Sane: He taught me what a modem was and how to use and abuse it.. For this I will be forever greatful. Darwin: He helped me go on through BBS'ing he helped me along without him I would be a regular Lord Soth Daver: Taught me some technical knowledge and let me on his board. Runaway Train: Well...For Never losing patience with me Prince Machiavelli: Helped me through a difficult time with a bad SysOp People Who helped me through RI Telecomm Albertus Magnus Boy Elroy The Black Knight Flash Thanks For a wonderful 8 months of Telecomm...All of You..For Taking me on one of the most Wild Rides of my life So far.. Well..That's it... [Sniff.. -ed] --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 6: Lamah Wars ------------- LaMah WarS "General Soth! The Kewl BBSers are attacking! What will we do?" whined one of the newly acquired underlings of Soth, ruler of all LaMahs. "h0 h0! They dare attack me, ruler of ALL laMahz? I'll transform into my 'Laser' form and then prepare to defend my Domain!" said the pathetic loser. "Sir," cried Major Protogen, they have assembled a decent army!" "But they are no match for us! You forget, my lame friend, that there are thousands of lamahs in Rhode Island alone, while eLEEt d00dz come few and far between! They shall be crushed at the hands of my vast army of geekz." Soth assured the major. "Dammit, Soth, I'm telling you that these people are very formidable! They are lead by the all-powerful Runaway Train!" Protogen yelled. "Hmmm. RT IS a tough one. Well, get BERN on the phone, call in the Springboard branch of laMahs." Soth ordered As the eLEEt d00dz drew nearer, little Marshall began to worry, "What if my army ISN'T enough? How strong are they? Where are the Springboarders? What is the mass of a pregnant anteater with herpes?" Soth sighed with relief at the sight of that wAcKy screamer, BERN, and band of babbling idiots from Springboard,"Sigh! Ahh, BERN, good to see thou, let us get them, shalt we?" "STOP TALKIN' LIKE AN OLD ENGLISH GEEK, MARSHALL!" screamed BERN. "h0 h0! Let's g0!" yelled Soth, "Ash Maljere, you and Blondie send in your group o' laMahs first!" "Yes, sir! Let's go Darkness, Blondie, Gravewalker, and the rest of you!" Ash Maljere's team flew off, typing lame conversations in on their in-ship computers and firing them out in the form of photon torpedoes. Below the castle of Soth, on fonKi little land speeders (like the ones in Star Wars), flew the eLEEt, kewl, and generally non-lame d00dz. In the front, leading the pArtY was RT, flanked by High Priest and Prince Machiavelli (in the form of the mighty beat-downer, Officer Mac). Behind them were the newly trained RiCUS teenagers. Wonko the Sane, Darwin, Morlock, Daver, and Squinky led this group, which consisted of the cool people from Morlock's Tower and TMoK. "oH nO! It's aSh maLjErE! said RT in a frighteningly sarcastic tone. "You may have lots of soldiers, LaMer, but we have pEEps and Clear Tab, and we all know Kung-Fu!" Well, this threat didn't scare Ash and his band of bumbling idiotz! No, they kept on firing Lame phrases and sickeningly sappy love tidings. And RT and his army kept deftly dodging the torpedoes, but once in a while a torpedo would hit a potentially cool modemer, turning him instantly into a permanent laMah. RT then typed in a command on his commodore, and all of the small land speeders instantly transformed into X-Wing fighters. "What do you think about this LaMah? I just don't know..." RT exclaimed. "Come in Soth! What do we do? They're beating us with their superior knowledge of computers!" Ash cried on the intercom. "I'll send my team of new user lamers for backup. Also, if you see any other people in the battlefield who just got new computers and don't know what's what in modem land, catch them with the LaMah tractor beam." Soth advised. "Eat Tolkein, f00l! The three eLEEt leaders fired leather bound editions of The Lord of the Rings at the Lamahz. Ka-Boom! The losermobiles exploded and spiralled helplessly to the ground. RT, High Priest, and Prince Mac then considered firing their mighty pEEps and clear Tab at the enemies, but quickly discarded the idea because they decided they'd rather have the g00dies for themselves. The Kewl ones were running out of weapons so RT punched in a command, and Squinky shot out from his ship and locked on to the opposing ships, destroying them one by one. "This psycho missile will surely eliminate the forces of lameness!" cried RT, happily. But he was wrong. Dead wrong. From the distant castle the eLEEt army soon found that their champion Kamikazi missile was heading back at them. Squinky was fleeing? "How can this be?" everyone wondered. (Yep. In unison. Weird, huh?) Squinky, on the way back, hit the passing by Necromancer's ship, formatting his harddrive. Soon they saw the reason why Squinky was scared away. It was big. It was bad. It was back for more. It was LABBE! "AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH! NOOOOOOOO! It's Flabbe Labbe!" the group wailed, "We have to get out of here!" "Hello little boys!" Labbe smiled, menacingly, "Would you like to play with me?" RT kept his cool and calmed down the party. "No. We will not leave. We have to put an end to this terror once and for all. Follow my lead." So they all fired out all of the Labbe jokes ever made since his little scandal. He laughed and shrugged them off. Then they combined skills and hacked his board, destroying "tHe fRieNdliEst BbS iN tHe couNtRy". He grunted, but recovered, yelling, "Ph00lz! My board does not give me the kind of thrill I get from ramming little boys like you up the azz!" The people gasped. RT's eyes then stared straight at Labbe, bloodshot. Rubbing his palms together like a psychotic villain, he said quietly, "Well, I guess we'll have to fix that, now, won't we? Hah hah." He then typed in... C:\>cd\missile C:\missile>castrate /Labbe And so the missile locked on to Labbe's sack of fun, flung from RT's X-Wing, and hit its target. Labbe was not a happy boy. "Hah!" Yelled RT as his troops swarmed into the now defenseless castle of LaMeness and finished off the surviving loozahs. "Now Modem-Land is safer for all of us c00l m0deming d00dz!" And everyone flew back to the Kung-FU ThEaTre and ate pEEps and drank clear Tab and were happy. Until they realized that there were always going to be modemers looking for some fun, and sometime, somewhere, some new LaMah is going to get Telegard, set up a board, advertise it, attract more LaMahs, and build a new army. Would RT, High Priest and Prince Mac be able to lead their army to victory and preserve the forces of g00d throughout Modem-Land once again? To be continued.... -=ð[Taurus]ð=- [Editor's Note: Any similarity to actual BBS users and/or sysops, living or dead, is of course purely coincidental. The above story is completely fictional and any named entities, as far as we are concerned, do not exist either by their names or handles. >grin< ] ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 7: Hate - A Poem ---------------- Here's a poem I wrote when I was feelin' real mad. Real bad. Maybe I still feel that way.. I don't care. It's called _HATE_. If you enjoy this, you're sick.. But feel free to anyhow. ---- Society. I loathe you. I hate your bubbling sitcoms. I hate your cheerleaders and your jocks. I hate your leaders and your enemies. I hate you all. I hate you for your mindless happiness that can never be mine. I hate you with a with a rage that burns inside my mind, inside my being. I hate your social events, your rules, your authority and most of all I hate your lies. Your lie of a dream, your lie of a hope. Your lie of a better tomorrow. Your lie of reality. I hate you because I need you. I hate myself for needing you. I hate you because I love you. I hate you for being me and reflecting in me. I hate you for never letting me go, never giving me peace. I hate you for creating me. I hate you for confining me. I hate you for pleasing me, for making me glad. I hate you for blinding me. --- Thanks to the staff of Sam/Dave Tregar for making this possible: -Wonko The Sane -Suicide King -BUS2SPIRIT [Editor's Note: I enjoyed that, I must be sick! I like depression. You all knew that anyways, though.] -------------------------------------------------------------------------- 8: Sons of Liberty ------------------ RICUS has a "sister" textfile group, known as Sons 0f Liberty. RICUS has traditionally published in the e-zine format, with more than one article per file. In contrast, S0L publishes small textfiles, one article per file. S0L also publishes the more offensive material, and is under a seperate management/seperate editor. (Some may wonder if it can get any more offensive than some past RICUS articles.. believe me, it can! ) The concept of S0L has been around for months and months, it just took something to "inspire" the group to start moving. This inspiration came in the form of another textfile group in RI, SpEaKer fOr tHe PeOpLe, which circulates in IBM .COM file format, even though it's all text. [Note: recently they changed over to all .txt format... good going guys.] Look for the S0Lxxx.TXT series of files on a info/text board near you! -------------------------------------------------------------------------- 9: Closing ---------- This concludes RICUS Volume 2, Issue 2. There weren't as many articles submitted as I would've like to see. As usual, we welcome feedback through any of the RI local nets, including Fido-323 (General Chat), NENet (NECommon), WinCNet (preferably in the Teen echo.) Also, anyone can submit an article to RICUS. Even those big-board sysops that always seem to get bashed!! ;) The article needs to be submitted through the "proper channels." If you relatively intelligent, it shouldn't be to difficult to discover who your submission should be given to. If you aren't relatively intelligent, you shouldn't be reading this anyways! CyNom, RICUS Editor ____________________________________________________________________ | ___ __ __ | | | | |___) | | | | (_ | Rhode Island Computer | Volume 2, Issue 2 | | | \ | |__ |__| __) | Underground Society | March-April, 1993 | |______________________|_______________________|_____________________|