Survey Results
We've tallied up all of the Blue Cards that were returned and the latest results are below. Also are selected subscriber comments with occasional retorts by us.
As of 12/10/84 at 23:47:53 the Blue Card survey responses were:
- 58% of the cards were returned.
- Of these, 94.8% said they would renew.
- 77.6% of the respondents use our loose-leaf holes.
- 81% said they were satisfied with 2600.
Reasons for reading:
- 58.6% - Personal
- 55.2% - Hobby
- 19% - Business
- 1.5% - Security Agency
- 1.7% - Industry
- 20.7% - Other
15.5% said we were too technical and 22.4% said we were not technical enough. 55% said we were just right.
Finally, 62.1% promised to contribute articles in the future.
Austin, Texas - The info is generally more useful (and less anti-social) than TAP... it's entertaining. What format should I use on articles?
Articles can be of any format. Just try to make it legible. They end up getting retyped no matter what. You can also call in stories using the phone number on the front page.
Alaska - One of the best sources for detailed information on telecommunications. Also a good source for phreak information. I wish you would put the back page of each issue to better use though! For me, it borders on too technical, but I don't mind because I'll learn more that way.
Marina Del Rey, California - I like 2600 because of the stories on hackers etc. getting caught. Also because of the tips!
Tucson, Arizona. - Have trouble understanding the jargon. Facts sometimes printed without explanations. Still don't know what "2600" means.
2600 Hertz is simply the frequency used by phone phreaks to seize control of a phone line. Oh yes, the phone company uses it too; you may hear a couple of 2600 Hz tones (tweeps) at the end of a phone call.
Virginia - Too much was already printed in BIOC Agent 003's tutorials or is too general.
Anchorage, Alaska - It's awesum, could do with sum box plans. Send information on Alaska's telefone system.
O.K., first person to send us working Blue Box plans gets 10 free issues.
Albany, New York - Poor choice of filler for last page this month [October].
Los Angeles, California - You need more business watching - somebody has to keep an eye on the Harvard Business School, IBM, AT&T crowd. Information has become big business, guys! Hackers are the new Judas goats. We dreamed that micros would make freedom of information real. Meanwhile. American Business bought 90% of the world's commercial databases. Hackers and free bulletin boards are anathema to those who think of information as a commodity to be brokered and controlled. And for "technical" reasons, the phone companies wish you to register your modem. Sound paranoid? Investigate the relationship between Big Blue and South Africa.
San Jose, California - Good stuff - where else would I get if! Keep it up!
Ft. Lauderdale, Florida - I am very satisfied with the content. In fact, if you could put more in that would be great. I can't get enough of 2600.
New York, NY - You do no get enough original material. August's issue was plagerized from Basic Telcom V.
Look up the definition of plagiarize. The article you're referring to was given to us by the author himself.
New York, NY - Sometimes too technical...
Bryan, Texas - It's really good. Need more information how-to's on neat things with phones.
New Jersey - It is a well rounded publication. More telecommunication's hobbyist articles. For your Hot 100 BBSes add the Armour at 201-267-1207. 10 Meg online and a friendly sysop. No charge for validation and over 280 general interest files.
Boston, Mass. - The back page usually sucks (repro from telephone book or something).
Jamaica, NY - "Hacker's View," a great article!
West Virginia - Like the articles. Info is good but I have no idea what a lot of abbreviations stand for or what makes switch equipment work...
San Francisco, California - It seems to fill a gap left by TAP. I also find your "Newsflash" section especially useful in bringing several sources of info together.
Westchester, NY - 2600 is the one newsletter where "you get your money's worth." 2600 provides information for those who wish to learn. A friend and myself love to tamper physically with phones and have come up with some nice plans for "additions" which are legal and practical.
Tell us what and tell us how!
Wisconsin - I find it very informative, although I wish it would go deeper into the technical aspects of the network.
Salt Lake City, Utah - Could use less of the stuff like on page 1-60 and have more info useful to hackers, infomaniacs, etc. Keep publishing!
Suffern, New York - Informative... could be a little more technical.
No Postmark (!) - Good stuff. Try connecting your magazine with other sources: boards, AE lines, TAP, etc.
We're open to specific suggestions.
Trenton, NJ - I think it should be more like TAP with underground information.
Louisville, Kentucky - More news. More about bulletin boards. Fewer ads from old phone books... I sent $10 to TAP at the same time I subscribed to 2600. But TAP neither honored the subscription nor cashed the check. Can you help?
Look at it this way... If Newsweek ripped you off, would we be able to do anything? Same thing here.
Denver, Colorado - Some of it blows me away but some of it is just right. This reader response was a good idea. Keep it up.
Middlesex, Mass. - I think oftentimes your last page sucks. Aside from that I think you are cool. More stuff is needed about individual systems though.
Salinas, California - Please have more technical explanations of phone and/or computer systems, or refer to more sources of info.
Trenton, NJ - Too technical -looking for the old zap of TAP.
Speaking of which, where the hell is that old zap?!?
Denver, Colorado - Needs more codes.
It's always been our policy not to provide codes so much as pure knowledge.
Philadelphia, PA - The phone articles are great. However, I get lost in the computer stuff. I enjoy reading stories (fact or fiction) with an adventurous flair.
Miami, Florida - I think a little longer with more topics, would improve it. Also, start each article in layman's terms.
Worcester, Mass. - The articles are good, but useful info would be better than articles.
Such as?
Toronto, Canada - I'd like more commentary and criticism on the general policies of telco's and more tutorial material on the technology. Too technical, but don't drop the technicalities just explain them.
Brooklyn, NY - Excellent and outrageous.
Pittsburgh, PA - I have quit the hobby of phreaking, although I am still interested in it. The time involved, money saved, and mainly the excitement of it is not worth the risk, stress, and ruining my life (who knows?). I am a junior engineering student and want to stay that way and keep my friends. I regret that I can not continue phreaking, hacking. I will miss it!
It's doubtful that renewing your subscription will ruin your life. If you're still interested, as you say, then why not read about it and talk about it? They haven't outlawed that yet. It's clear that you've been intimidated, as we all have to a degree. Good luck either way.
Thanks for returning the cards folks.
We'll try to follow your suggestions and do something about the back page.
Thanks also to those of you who made financial contributions, which we can always use. Hopefully, next year such contributions will be tax-deductible.
Did you know you can get two free months of 2600 if you get a friend or loved one to subscribe? You probably didn't know this, since this is the first time we ever mentioned it. But it's true. Just have the new subscriber mention your name and we'll add two months to your subscription.
In addition to the index which we're enclosing with this issue, there is also a 2600 1984 Table of Contents, a page-by-page guide to all issues. It costs $1 and should be placed at the very beginning of your collection.
