Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!husc6!purdue!bu-cs!ptownson
From: ptownson@bu-cs.BU.EDU (Patrick Townson)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.apple
Subject: Re: demon-dialers (2nd Request)
Message-ID: <26917@bu-cs.BU.EDU>
Date: 25 Dec 88 16:45:11 GMT
References: <8812250929.aa21811@SMOKE.BRL.MIL>
Reply-To: ptownson@bu-cs.bu.edu (Patrick Townson)
Followup-To: comp.sys.apple
Organization: The Cheerful Iconoclast
Lines: 23

In article <8812250929.aa21811@SMOKE.BRL.MIL> C70301DB@WUVMD.BITNET writes:
>I've posted this question before, but if it didn't make it, here it is again.
>
>Are demon dialers (like in "War Games") legal?  If so, does anyone have a
>program listing they are willing to share or where I can acquire one?  I
>would use it to find the BBS's in my area.  Please post replies to the list
>or e-mail them directly to me.  Thanks!
>
The act of dialing telephone numbers for no other reason than to detirmine
how they are are answered (modem, voice, etc) is harrassment, and in very
poor taste. In the process of dialing all those numbers, you invade the 
privacy of many people, and disturb them sleeping, etc. The nature of the
act is such it is hard to catch the person doing it, but I suspect if the
person was caught, a signed complaint by someone whose telephone had been
rung in the process would stick.

The Demon Dialer as a hardware device used to store a large directory of
numbers and redial repeatedly as required to establish a *legitimate*
connection is a legal, and quite useful device. If you are looking for 
software to do the former -- just dial over and over, seeking carrier, then
I believe your intentions are less than honorable.

Patrick Townson