Winn Schwartau: My First Hack Was in 1958
A DEF CON 30 talk about the early history of hacking — long before the internet and personal computers. The speaker shares stories of how, as a child, he began experimenting with technology: hacking telephone systems, repairing tube TVs, and learning how complex systems really work.
The talk includes stories about phone phreaking, Hollerith punch cards, and repurposing old AT&T equipment, as well as lessons learned while working as a sound engineer in the rock industry, where constant technical failures were part of daily life. A personal perspective on the evolution of hacking and the lessons gained over more than 60 years of working with technology.
The talk includes stories about phone phreaking, Hollerith punch cards, and repurposing old AT&T equipment, as well as lessons learned while working as a sound engineer in the rock industry, where constant technical failures were part of daily life. A personal perspective on the evolution of hacking and the lessons gained over more than 60 years of working with technology.