Pretty much the question. I heard about Usenet a while back but never managed to wrap my head around it.

  • some_guy@lemmy.sdf.org
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    11
    ·
    10 months ago

    Wow, this caught me off guard. I read an article about kids being given old tech and they knew people waved Polaroids (even though it doesn’t enhance development) from pop culture. Are young people really unaware that we used to dial with a modem to connect to the net?

    • bartolomeo@suppo.fi
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      5
      ·
      10 months ago

      No I meant do analog modems use tones to transmit information, or how does it work?

      Like what is the process of “dial with a modem to connect to the net”.

      • cynar@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        11
        ·
        10 months ago

        Modem is short for modulator/demodulator. It took a data stream and encoded it onto tones, multiple (audible) frequencies were used to increase data rates. You had to dial in to either a server, another computer, or an ISP. If you picked up the phone you would hear what sounded like white noise.

        I lost many a download, or ‘online’ game to my mother picking up the phone to make a phone call.

        • bartolomeo@suppo.fi
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          4
          ·
          10 months ago

          That’s very clear, thanks. I remember reading about the original phreakers, one guy had perfect pitch so he could just sing the tone to open a long distance line and then dial away. I think he got sued by one of the American phone companies for stealing.

          • cynar@lemmy.world
            link
            fedilink
            English
            arrow-up
            5
            ·
            10 months ago

            There are some amazing stories about the cat and mouse games regarding phone phreaking. The “captain crunch whistle” is great. All their attempts at security, beaten by a bit of audible brute force, via a cereal box toy.