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- /-----------------------------\
- | Xine - issue #1 - Phile 015 |
- \-----------------------------/
-
-
- How to fuck around with CompuServe (Basics)
- By Phoenix of IKX
- With special thanks to Ammon.
-
- Making Fake Accounts on CIS
- ---------------------------
-
- Well, just about any idiot can do this, but getting caught is something
- else. Compuserve is an old system. It was around before AOL and everyone
- hit the scene, and it probally the reason for its powerfulness compared
- to other online systems. Compuserve allows anyone to telnet as access,
- instead of having the required software for your OS. This means it is
- easier to avoid a trace, in a sense.
-
- By dialing into CIS with the provided software, the system logs your node
- ID (where you are calling from) and other useful information. A little
- cooperation with the phone companies and you are as good as gone. So, if
- you are going to make/use a fake account on CIS, you need to use telnet
- to log on, in case anyone gets suspicious (the address is compuserve.com).
- Usually, they do not, unless you do something to attract their attention.
-
- When you make an account on CIS, they give you about 5 days, give or take,
- before they varify anything (i.e. instant access). At this time, they send
- you your new password via snail mail if you check out. That's a nice, 5 day
- window of fun. Note, however, that you cannot do real things until they
- verify you (such as ordering products, or using the CB Simulator). You can,
- however, use forums.
-
- How a Forum Works
- -----------------
-
- CIS is split up into a bunch of forums for people. Each forum is located on
- it's own server, where the messages, conferences, etc., are stored. When you
- join a forum, your name and address is logged, along with time signed onto
- the forum, for the Wizop or whoever to look at. The Sysops and Wizop of the
- forum have complete control over it. They may lock you out if they want,
- keep you from accessing a library section, or just about anything else. They
- can also do whatever they want with messages (almost). If you post 100
- deflamatory posts about the forum or something else, chances are, they will
- be deleted once a Wizop or Sysop sees it. So, post late at night, when most
- sysops, being american, are asleep.
-
- The messages you post onto the forum are kept on the server for several days
- or even serveral weeks, depending on the ammount of message flow. If there
- is a ton of people posting on the forum, your message is going to "scroll"
- faster, and vice versa. This means private message too affect the ammount of
- scrolling in the message sections. If you were to post, say 2000 private
- messages to yourself in the forum, it would scroll all the *real* messages
- there, and the staff would have to reset the server and install everything
- off of backup...
-
- All Sysop commands have to be issued from the ASCII prompt, meaning there
- has to be not only sysops handling conferences or whatever, but another in
- ASCII mode to allow him/her to watch out for conference distruptors, etc.
- There is a new server chip and software that allows sysops to run the
- commands from their software (WinCIM, MacCim, etc.), instead of having to go
- to ASCII all the time.
-
- This is just the basics so that you will be familiar with the terms used in
- my next article which will go deeper and show you some exploits and holes to
- play with. For example, there is making yourself invisible to HMI users
- along with other fun things to do. Until next time...
-