Who We Are... and Were...
History
of Blacklisted! 411 Magazine
The question often arises on the subject of, "How
did it all start?" in reference to our magazine and it's
history. In response to this popular question, here is a
quick history lesson of Blacklisted! 411 magazine, including
names, dates and little known facts which have, thus far, been hidden away
for years...
Blacklisted
411 magazine dates back to October 1983 with a group of friends from a
Southern California high school that shared
a common interest. We were all into our Atari computers, Commodore
computers, electronics, sciences, arcade games, etc.
We built projects, hacked into this n’ that, came up with grand
ideas and tried to make them into some sort of reality. The group started
a monthly hackers “disk magazine” (an early form of what is now known
as an e-zine) called “Blacklisted 411, the
hackers monthly”. This may sound strange today but circulating
information on disk was the best way to get it out without all the cool
toys of today. We didn’t
have the internet to send it out, and no one had printers that could print
anything other than plain text (and didn’t even do that well). With a
disk based system we could send text files, primitive graphics/pictures, and utilities more
easily and it could be copied by anyone who had a compatible computer. At
our peak we distributed 150 disk copies <per month> of the disk
magazine, though there is no
way to know how many were copied by others.
Eventually modems caught on and we began to distribute the monthly via crude BBS systems. Using the power of a Commodore 64, we put up a Blacklisted! 411 info site, which anyone could log into without handle or password. It was a completely open message center. Using X-modem or Punter file transfer protocols, you could download the latest Blacklisted! 411 files or read/leave “messages” which later became known as a "message base" and has evolved into what are now commonly known as "newsgroup postings" or "forum postings". We had only one message center, no email capability & only 1 phone line. Primitive, indeed. Effective, however.
Around 1984 we purchased a 9 pin dot matrix printer that could <gasp> print basic graphics. We experimented with printing out copies of the Blacklisted 411 monthly and copying them at the media center at the high school. The media center staff graciously allowed us to make these copies free of charge which was very cool at the time. We’d pass these out at the local "copy meets" (an interesting phenomenon of past times - hordes of computer users would meet at a predetermined location and setup their computers with the sole purpose of copying software and exchanging this software with each other). We'd leave a pile of our magazine copies anywhere we were allowed to do so. One popular location was next to the Atari Gauntlet and Gauntlet II arcade games strategically located at 7-11's all over the place. We're only guessing here, but we think people photocopied our copies and then those were photocopied, etc. There's no telling just how many generations of early printouts of Blacklisted! 411 monthly made it out there.
Years went by and Blacklisted! 411 evolved. The short life-span of the printouts was both a great success and a miserable failure. No matter where we left them, they were taken - and taken quickly! The feedback was awesome in that people wanted more. The interest was very high, but our inability to meet this growing demand was completely overlooked. We had to officially pull the plug on the printout experiment and we stuck with electronic files. It was really the easiest way to go. The Blacklisted! 411 info site grew into a 2-line system. This was a big deal in 1985. By that time, information was almost exclusively passed around by modem (unofficially on paper) and we were still releasing disks at this time.
June of 1987 marked the end of Blacklisted! 411, the hackers monthly. Our last disk based magazine was distributed that month. Now that all of us were out of high school and onto college, work and the bigger/better things in life, nobody had the time or inclination to put any effort into the disk based magazine anymore. The once thriving Blacklisted! 411 group broke up and people went their separate ways. Naturally, we all assumed this was the end and Blacklisted! 411 would never come back in any form.
In the summer of 1993, one member (and the original editor-in-chief), Zack Blackstone, felt it was time to revive the Blacklisted! 411 concept, but this time do it as a print magazine. It was extremely difficult to get started because the group was no more. He was the only one of the original group members remaining that had an interest in bringing the hacker group and magazine alive again. With some money, will to make it happen, and with the help of some top of the line (at the time) computer gear and page layout software Blacklisted! 411 was reborn. Blacklisted! 411 Volume 1, Issue 1 was released in January 1994. Blacklisted! 411 was finally BACK. The issues were released monthly and distribution was small. After a year passed, it was decided to try a quarterly format in an effort to increase distribution. During that year Zack managed to get in contact with many of the old group members and they are now active staff members once again.
In 1999, we published what was to be our last issue of Blacklisted! 411 (Volume 5, Issue 4) for many years to come. We didn’t know it at the time, but many pitfalls would ultimately cause the demise of the magazine. After 4 years of regrouping and planning, Blacklisted! 411 magazine is back in print form again. We are one of the oldest group of hackers still remaining and releasing gathered and compiled information within the hacker community and the mainstream community as well. We still have the same hacker mentality and code of ethics from the 80’s. Hackers are not thieves - they’re curious people. We are not elitist hackers by no means and no question is a stupid question. We’re not going to knock you down, call you a “lamer” “lamah” or give you crap for being a newbie! Every hacker started somewhere. We remember this most fundamental fact and we will never forget it.
What's Next...
Community
Over
the next few months a lot will be happening. We are becoming more active
in the Hacker Community. As we are based in the Los Angeles area, we are
building relationships with the local Hacker groups such as LA2600,
SD2600, twentythreedotorg, Irvine Underground and more. We will be attending and
sponsoring Hacker Conventions and Conferences. The first being the Layer One
Convention, June 12-13, at
the LA Airport Westin. We will have a booth at this event where we will be
selling subscriptions, current and back issues of the magazine, and other
swag. We will also be having several "convention only"
promotions so look for us there.
Magazine
Development
A major effort is
being made to increase our exposure to the Hacking and Information
Security Community. Our distribution goals are for the magazine to break
100K copies distributed each quarter sometime next year. Based on the
demand, and orders from distributors we are on the right path. We are
seeking and hiring freelance writers, photographers, and editors to
increase the quality and scope of the magazine. Additionally, we have people who are
actively trying to promote the magazine both inside and outside of our close
community.
Merchandising /
SWAG
We wish to have a
whole series of Blacklisted! 411 themed swag and merchandise. This includes
stickers, apparel, posters, and whatever else our creative minds can come
up with. Input, help, and direct submissions for this will be accepted and
appreciated.
Charities
Blacklisted! 411 is run by real people who care about other things aside
from hacking. No, really. In the spirit of helping people and organizations
outside of our community, Blacklisted! 411 Magazine has
officially donated to the local chapter of the Ronald
McDonald House charity. After all, children are our
future. Blacklisted! 411 Magazine wholeheartedly supports the
Ronald McDonald House mission and their programs. Additionally,
we've donated heavily to the Westminster Parish Festival, specifically
with the intent to help support their youth programs and special classes
for the mentally and physically handicapped.
In
closing, we'd like to invite you to voice your opinions, comments and
suggestions directly to us through our CONTACT FORM.
Thanks
for your support, hackers! More to come....
Blacklisted! 411
Magazine
Post Office Box 2506
Cypress, CA 90630