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                                        | Xine - issue #1 - Phile 015 |
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How to fuck around with CompuServe (Basics)
By Phoenix of IKX
With special thanks to Ammon.

Making Fake Accounts on CIS
---------------------------

Well, just about any idiot can do this, but getting caught is something
else. Compuserve is an old system. It was around before AOL and everyone
hit the scene, and it probally the reason for its powerfulness compared
to other online systems. Compuserve allows anyone to telnet as access,
instead of having the required software for your OS. This means it is
easier to avoid a trace, in a sense. 

By dialing into CIS with the provided software, the system logs your node
ID (where you are calling from) and other useful information. A little
cooperation with the phone companies and you are as good as gone. So, if
you are going to make/use a fake account on CIS, you need to use telnet
to log on, in case anyone gets suspicious (the address is compuserve.com).
Usually, they do not, unless you do something to attract their attention.

When you make an account on CIS, they give you about 5 days, give or take,
before they varify anything (i.e. instant access). At this time, they send
you your new password via snail mail if you check out. That's a nice, 5 day
window of fun. Note, however, that you cannot do real things until they
verify you (such as ordering products, or using the CB Simulator). You can,
however, use forums.

How a Forum Works
-----------------

CIS is split up into a bunch of forums for people. Each forum is located on
it's own server, where the messages, conferences, etc., are stored. When you
join a forum, your name and address is logged, along with time signed onto
the forum, for the Wizop or whoever to look at. The Sysops and Wizop of the
forum have complete control over it. They may lock you out if they want,
keep you from accessing a library section, or just about anything else. They
can also do whatever they want with messages (almost). If you post 100
deflamatory posts about the forum or something else, chances are, they will
be deleted once a Wizop or Sysop sees it. So, post late at night, when most
sysops, being american, are asleep.

The messages you post onto the forum are kept on the server for several days
or even serveral weeks, depending on the ammount of message flow. If there
is a ton of people posting on the forum, your message is going to "scroll"
faster, and vice versa. This means private message too affect the ammount of
scrolling in the message sections. If you were to post, say 2000 private
messages to yourself in the forum, it would scroll all the *real* messages
there, and the staff would have to reset the server and install everything
off of backup...

All Sysop commands have to be issued from the ASCII prompt, meaning there
has to be not only sysops handling conferences or whatever, but another in
ASCII mode to allow him/her to watch out for conference distruptors, etc.
There is a new server chip and software that allows sysops to run the
commands from their software (WinCIM, MacCim, etc.), instead of having to go
to ASCII all the time.

This is just the basics so that you will be familiar with the terms used in
my next article which will go deeper and show you some exploits and holes to
play with.  For example, there is making yourself invisible to HMI users
along with other fun things to do. Until next time...