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| IBM 5100 (Picture I) |
Kimmo Huosionmaa
I just wrote a story of "John Titor", and I thought that this person wanted to use IBM 5100 computer as the timed message machine. The modification of that system is not very difficult, and the basic programming skills and electrician equipment are enough for that purpose. The maker of this machine must just connect the computer to the electric cables, and then make the timer in that connection. That computer might send also computer viruses to the Internet, and this makes me think, that were those messages some kind of training for some data-crime operation, where computer viruses would send simultaneous to many different systems, by using the timed computer. And was behind this action some official or private actor is still without the answer. And this data-operation is pure speculation. And maybe "Titor" was the only joker or ordinary hacker, who wanted to make him or herself famous by cheating other people to believe that person is some kind of time traveler from the future.
The clock, what is able to connect the electricity in the particular day would be enough, and if the maker of that machine wants to be sure, that nobody shuts the electricity from the electric switch of the box of the computer, must this circuit breaker lock in some way. After this, the maker of this messenger machine must only write the BAT, what would activate the small program, when computer's electricity would turn on. There is needed actually two programs: one what is dialing the telephone numbers, and another one, what would send the messages to the Internet.
If the messages wanted to send daily, must the electric connection of the computer connect only normal clock, what would connect the electricity to the system daily. The BAT-file would drive simultaneous every time when the computer boots or turned on. And then the program must only send the certain text to the Internet, and by using "Delete" command this program could send texts in only once. This means that the texts seem to be different, then this machine maker must connect the modem to the system, by using soldering iron, because the IBM 5100 might not the internal modem.
If IBM 5100 uses cassette stations, and that makes the modification of this machine much easier than I thought. Only thing, what is needed is to make dialing to the chat, and moving tape would erase that this computer could send the same message in many times. So this person, who uses cassette stations would survive only in one computer program, what dials the telephone numbers and calls to the chat-boards or Internet access-numbers. Those numbers were used in the early time of Internet with telephone modems. And they were very slow if they are comparing with modern ADSL-connections. The capacity of telephone modems were 120 kilobytes per second. And the data transmission with them took very long time. But hiding the system's location was very easy if the person used telephone modems.
The same computer program, what sends the message can call by the program, what dials to the phone numbers. When we are looking at the "Titor's case" would the reason for sending those messages to many different chat-boards cause that the dialing program had many numbers in the log. The reason why this person cheesed the IBM 5100 might be that it was very cheap, but the DOS (Disk Operating System) would work on that machine. The electric connection of that machine is quite easy to hide, and the small piece of paper, where reads "do not remove" tells that the machine contains some code, what would deny the deleting that thing.
A place, where that machine was, might be some garbage warehouse. where electric equipment is waiting for finally removing to the recycling center. But if there is some registration information, the system must mark as removed, or somebody might get the bill for that. And one thing where this machine might be installed, when "Titor" used it, could be in the basement of some school. This is one way to use the old electric equipment. And the story of "Titor" is very interesting. The equipment, what this person used are not very complicated, and this is the reason, why that person might be almost anybody. I believe, that I will return to case sometimes later.
Sources:
Picture I
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/2d/IBM_5100_-_MfK_Bern.jpg/1200px-IBM_5100_-_MfK_Bern.jpg
http://crisisofdemocracticstates.blogspot.fi/p/how-to-change-ibm-5100-as-timed-message.html
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