A look into the status of the computer hacking and phone phreaking underground circa 1992. It’s very interesting; by parts investigative journalism and travelogue. It’s interesting to see the formation of the EFF and more about GURPS Cyberpunk and why it was hit. Bruce Sterling does a good job of talking to the various people involved. While his leanings towards the law and order people are obvious, they match my predispositions.
In the last chapters, it’s interesting to see the futures that people anticipate– Lotus 1-2-3’s Mitchell Kapor eagerly anticipated the coming popularization of the Internet and the move from local BBSes. Spam sounds like a modern outgrowth of the grifters, scammers, and “social engineers” that were popular over a decade ago.