This book is a compilation of Web Pages I've put together over the past few years. It also includes some articles I've written, and even a few e-mails. Some stories will be written in the "First Person", and others written in "Third Person" (as if it is being written about me).
Part of the problem of publishing it as an ordinary, linear book, is what order to place things in. Some things may seem a little dis-jointed. Other things I may go over again, and again, but keep in mind that I had no clue which web page a reader was going to visit, and had to explain some concepts each time they came up. Part of my philosophy in creating web pages is that every web page must "stand alone" as if 1) this is the web page a Search Engine has dropped the user into, and 2) this is the only web page on my web site the user will read. This means that each page needs a link back to the home page of the site, or other references, and that each page must explain all it's concepts on that page. See <philosophy.html>.
| 0 is your Local Operator 00 is your Long Distance Operator |
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If you have a new Area Code, tell people! Especially if you have elderly relatives |
| In fact, simply tell people you have a new telephone number. |
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Check out my Web Page for updates. <http://www.CheshireCatalyst.Com/> |
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This is Version 8.0 2017 February 19 |
So just who is this guy? Well, let's start with a file I've got on my web site.
At one point in the late 70's TAP recieved a letter from a Women's Lib group complaining about our use of the term "Ma Bell" when referring to "The Phone Company". "After all," they said, "Not only are women a down-trodden majority of employees within 'The Bell System', but a 'Ma Bell' wouldn't have the physiological equipment to do what it does to their employees, and their customers". Ever since, the newsletter always referred to The Phone Company as "Pa Bell".
TAP was founded by Abbie Hoffman of "Chicago 7" fame and founder of the YIPPIEs (The Youth International Party), and "Al Bell", a phone phreak from Long Island as YIPL, the Youth International Party Line. Legend has it that YIPL was founded on May Day of 1971. I've been told the date was about right, but May 1st was decided upon because it made for an interesting legend.
After a year or two, Al Bell was wondering what all this "political crap" was doing in his technical newsletter. He picked up his marbles, carried them up Broadway, and changed the name to TAP. A few years later, "Tom Edison" of New Jersey took over the publication.
Tom ran the publication for many years, and did a fine job if it. The office in the Broadway loft was closed in the late 70's, and publication continued out of Tom's apartment. After Tom's apartment was firebombed in 1983, (the cops said it was a very professional break-in, but the fire marshal said it was a very amateur arson), Cheshire was told "Get this stuff out of my basement by Friday, or it all goes in the dumpster!" Cheshire, not a very good businessman (even to this day), did his best to keep the rag going, but it died the following year.
You can view Early YIPL Issues at Dave's Web Site.
-- end of tap.html
As you may have noticed by now, Various hyperlinks in this book will take you to web sites throughout the Internet. Please learn how to use the "Back" button of your browser so you can return here. Sometimes, you need to close that page to return to where you came from, especially if you came from the TOC (Table Of Contents) page which told you you'd be going onto the Web.
At the bottom of each individual section of this "book", will be "Buttons" to move you from section to section.
They represent:
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