Re: Minitel "saved" by hackers?

[Martin Minow <minow@apple.com>]

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