Syd... this is the saddest topic I have ever read.

You use AOL.

SMTP over WiFi will be limited by the ISP that is offering the WWW access.

If you are on a Comcast powered WiFi network, you use Comcast.
If you are on a Verizon powered WiFi network, you use Verizon.

However, if you are using the 3G support, you would use the 3G one.
Start searching for information about cwmx.com

SoldierHawk wrote:

Optimist With Doubts wrote: Great job guys, why not just call him a fag and say to get over it? Um, odd suggestion, but kay. Syd, you're a fag and need to get over it. I hope that helped...

Which definition of "fag" is being used? I can totally picture Syd riding around on a Harley going "vroom vroom vroom!"

P.S. this made for a fun Wiki article update: http://history.sydlexia.com/index.php?title=America_Online

joshwoodzy wrote:

"GPFontaine was kicked off of AOL, his first ISP, for sending someone a batch file that deleted their entire Windows 3.1 installation and some key DOS files." Why did you do this?! Tell us the story right meow.

BACKGROUND:
Back when AOL was between version 2.5 and 3.0 there was virtually no real "Web" that was useful. People and companies made websites, but they all looked like Geocities piles of crap. The real reason to go online was to participate in the individual ISP communities and interfaces.

My family chose AOL and it was AOL's content and community that I used as my first online experience.

As I dove into the community I realized that there was this magical thing called warez. It was distributed most frequently in chat rooms that were embedded in the AOL interface.

So I spent quite a bit of time trading games and programs. Mind you, these weren't anything like full version copies of retail games, mostly they were shitty self made programs that were boring as fuck. Still it was what I did.

Sometimes a person in the chat room who wanted to be a hacker/troll would use a program that could automate and hack the AOL interface. They could spam email, freeze chat sessions, and punt people out of AOL completely. Advanced hackers could even pull billing info and ban accounts. Most of those programs were written in Visual Basic and the people who wrote them were just doing it because they could.

SITUATION
I was in the middle of discussing a trade in a warez room and some guy mass mailed me and then punted me in the chat. The 'email bomb' he sent distributed over 100 spam messages... and he disconnected my session from AOL. I lose the trade which made me frustrated, but the fact that the phone line was immediately used by sister after I got disconnected drove me nuts.

I wrote a batch file that targeted DOS system files along with Windows 3.1 libraries. I went back online later in the day and private messaged the guy who kicked me off. I said something like this, "You are clearly a better hacker than I could ever be. I was trying so hard to get more tools so that I could get better, but I can't figure out how they work. Maybe you will have more luck than I do, and if you can figure it out, maybe you can show me. Here ya go." I sent the batch file to him and that was that.

A few days went by and then at one point I had a bunch of friends over and was going to show them some things online. I couldn't connect due to a password error. I contacted AOL via phone support and was verbally told that the account was permanently disabled due to a violation of the TOS.

I asked for details and they explained that I had distributed a virus. I argued that it wasn't a virus because it can't replicate and in fact it was more like a bomb. They didn't seem to care that there was any difference. They told me that I was lucky that they weren't seeking legal charges against me because I had destroyed the other person's computer. Due to his illegal activity that precipitated mine, they were going to just ban us both.

I was told that I was never allowed to use AOL again and that because it was my parents account they were banned for life too.

Wow were my parents mad.

AFTERMATH
I lost internet at my house for about 4 months and then convinced my parents to get a new ISP. It turned out to be the best thing I ever did. I learned about real TCIP/IP the WWW and DNS. I also learned to temper my responses and not to attack out of frustration. Pretty much a crappy thing I did that taught me life lessons and somewhat guided me into a career.

Syd Lexia wrote:

BUMP, because I hadn't read GPF's story. Fun Fact: Few companies will ever refuse your money. My brother got us "banned" from AOL by spamming macros with AOHell or some shit like that. But guess what? My dad was able to start a new account the next month with the same credit card and billing address.

At this point I am sure whatever blacklist existed has been removed due to shifts in technology and company buy outs. However, for at least two months my parents did try calling back up to try other credit cards. They denied anything that had payment with my address as the billing address.

I must have been about 15ish. Late 1995 or early 1996.