HISTORY/CULTURE
Exploring the digital underground: documentaries, stories, and articles about electronic information systems and their impact on human interaction
Documentaries
BBS: The Documentary (2005)
Director: Jason Scott
An epic 8-part documentary chronicling the rise and fall of Bulletin Board Systems. Essential viewing for understanding the pre-Internet digital underground.
Watch on Archive.orgThe KGB, the Computer and Me (1990)
Director: Cliff Stoll
Documentary about astronomer Cliff Stoll's discovery of a computer intrusion by East German hackers working for the KGB.
Watch on Archive.orgHackers: Wizards of the Electronic Age (1985)
Director: Fabrice Florin
Early documentary exploring the hacker culture and computer revolution of the 1980s.
Watch on Archive.orgWar Games (1983)
Director: John Badham
Hollywood film that introduced mainstream audiences to computer hacking and phone phreaking culture, inspiring a generation of hackers.
Watch on DailymotionCyberpunk (1990)
Documentary HD
Explores the cyberpunk movement and early hacker culture, examining the intersection of technology, counterculture, and digital rebellion.
Watch on YouTubeEssential Reading
The Hacker Crackdown
Author: Bruce Sterling
Definitive account of the law enforcement crackdown on hackers in the early 1990s. Available as a free ebook.
Read OnlineExploding the Phone
Author: Phil Lapsley
The untold story of the teenagers and outlaws who hacked Ma Bell and changed telecommunications forever.
Official WebsiteWhere Wizards Stay Up Late
Authors: Katie Hafner & Matthew Lyon
The origins of the Internet and the people who created it.
Read on Archive.orgThe Cuckoo's Egg
Author: Cliff Stoll
A true story of international computer espionage from the astronomer who tracked down a hacker.
Historical Articles & Resources
Textfiles.com
Jason Scott's massive archive of BBS-era text files, covering everything from phone phreaking to early computing culture.
Atari Archives
Collection of books and magazines from the early home computer era.
Phrack Magazine
One of the longest-running hacker magazines, publishing since 1985.
2600: The Hacker Quarterly
Quarterly publication covering technical and social aspects of hacker culture.
BBS Corner
Archive of BBS lists and information about bulletin board systems.
FidoNet
The worldwide computer network that served as email and message system for BBSes.
Impact on Human Interaction
Digital Communities
BBSes created the first true online communities, establishing patterns of digital interaction that persist today. Users developed handles, signature files, and elaborate ASCII art cultures.
Information Sharing
These systems democratized information sharing, allowing anyone to distribute software, documents, and ideas without traditional gatekeepers.
Technical Innovation
Phone phreaking and early hacking cultures drove technical innovation and understanding of telecommunications systems.
Privacy & Security
Early electronic communication systems raised questions about privacy, surveillance, and digital rights that remain relevant today.