Comments on: Why the modems screamed http://boingboing.net/2012/06/04/why-the-modems-screamed.html Brain candy for Happy Mutants Wed, 19 Jun 2013 13:10:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.1 By: Ryan Lenethen http://boingboing.net/2012/06/04/why-the-modems-screamed.html#comment-1445646 Ryan Lenethen Fri, 08 Jun 2012 15:28:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=164533#comment-1445646 There is a scene in the movie "Men in Black 3" (Yeah I watched it last Monday, twasn't very good), where the young version of "K" is trying to use an early version of the mobile neurolyser mind wiping device. As he is trying to use it it makes the modem connection noise, which did made me smile. I immediately thought, "why is this thing trying to connecting to something", but then later thought it was a bit of a clever reference to older obsolete technology and the movement from analog to digital. Kids would be unlikely to get it, but most older folks should, if only to identify it with old technology no longer used. Anyway I thought it was a bit clever and funny (unlike most of the movie, though it had its moments). Considering the name stood for MOdulation/DEModulation it should be one of the more obvious vestiges of the analog age. There is a scene in the movie “Men in Black 3″ (Yeah I watched it last Monday, twasn’t very good), where the young version of “K” is trying to use an early version of the mobile neurolyser mind wiping device. As he is trying to use it it makes the modem connection noise, which did made me smile. I immediately thought, “why is this thing trying to connecting to something”, but then later thought it was a bit of a clever reference to older obsolete technology and the movement from analog to digital. Kids would be unlikely to get it, but most older folks should, if only to identify it with old technology no longer used. Anyway I thought it was a bit clever and funny (unlike most of the movie, though it had its moments).

Considering the name stood for MOdulation/DEModulation it should be one of the more obvious vestiges of the analog age.

]]> By: Steve http://boingboing.net/2012/06/04/why-the-modems-screamed.html#comment-1442618 Steve Tue, 05 Jun 2012 23:28:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=164533#comment-1442618  NE PA represent!  Except int he modem's heydey, that woulda been 717.  NE PA represent!  Except int he modem’s heydey, that woulda been 717.

]]> By: Rob T http://boingboing.net/2012/06/04/why-the-modems-screamed.html#comment-1442374 Rob T Tue, 05 Jun 2012 19:28:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=164533#comment-1442374 Spent many many years dialing up at 2400 baud.. if it could have connected then played the James Bond theme it would have been just like using Telemate again to dialup local boards. Like the crazy guy who ran a C64 BBS on a 300 baud modem just for kicks while everyone else was venturing into dedicated lines and multiple nodes. Spent many many years dialing up at 2400 baud.. if it could have connected then played the James Bond theme it would have been just like using Telemate again to dialup local boards. Like the crazy guy who ran a C64 BBS on a 300 baud modem just for kicks while everyone else was venturing into dedicated lines and multiple nodes.

]]> By: Ito Kagehisa http://boingboing.net/2012/06/04/why-the-modems-screamed.html#comment-1442143 Ito Kagehisa Tue, 05 Jun 2012 16:21:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=164533#comment-1442143 Over 300 baud you can't whistle the connection sequence into the acoustic coupler any more. Over 300 baud you can’t whistle the connection sequence into the acoustic coupler any more.

]]> By: Ito Kagehisa http://boingboing.net/2012/06/04/why-the-modems-screamed.html#comment-1442140 Ito Kagehisa Tue, 05 Jun 2012 16:19:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=164533#comment-1442140  Problem there is <em>lack</em> of a free market.  US telecommunications may well be the purest example of a badly regulated marketplace ever.  Good regulations create and maintain free markets (despite pseudo-libertarian and neo-conservative laissez-faire nonsense) just as bad regulations create and perpetuate corrupt marketplaces.  Problem there is lack of a free market.  US telecommunications may well be the purest example of a badly regulated marketplace ever.  Good regulations create and maintain free markets (despite pseudo-libertarian and neo-conservative laissez-faire nonsense) just as bad regulations create and perpetuate corrupt marketplaces.

]]> By: Pierre Denis http://boingboing.net/2012/06/04/why-the-modems-screamed.html#comment-1441990 Pierre Denis Tue, 05 Jun 2012 13:12:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=164533#comment-1441990 Then you might like this demo with a modem from 1964  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X9dpXHnJXaE Then you might like this demo with a modem from 1964 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X9dpXHnJXaE

]]> By: BillStewart2012 http://boingboing.net/2012/06/04/why-the-modems-screamed.html#comment-1441765 BillStewart2012 Tue, 05 Jun 2012 01:27:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=164533#comment-1441765 But you could dial it with just the switch hook if you wanted to! But you could dial it with just the switch hook if you wanted to!

]]> By: BillStewart2012 http://boingboing.net/2012/06/04/why-the-modems-screamed.html#comment-1441763 BillStewart2012 Tue, 05 Jun 2012 01:26:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=164533#comment-1441763  Similarly, back when stores used modem dialup to do credit card authorizations, they used 300 baud because it was faster to sync up the modem at 300 (which took about 2 seconds) and send the 100 characters or so of data in 3 seconds than to spend 45 seconds syncing at 9600 baud to send the data in 1/10 second. There was a band called "Information Society" who had a piece called "300bps 8N1" - you could play the tape into your modem and it'd give you the lyrics as text.  Similarly, back when stores used modem dialup to do credit card authorizations, they used 300 baud because it was faster to sync up the modem at 300 (which took about 2 seconds) and send the 100 characters or so of data in 3 seconds than to spend 45 seconds syncing at 9600 baud to send the data in 1/10 second.

There was a band called “Information Society” who had a piece called “300bps 8N1″ – you could play the tape into your modem and it’d give you the lyrics as text.

]]> By: siloxane http://boingboing.net/2012/06/04/why-the-modems-screamed.html#comment-1441646 siloxane Mon, 04 Jun 2012 22:31:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=164533#comment-1441646  According to the annotation made by mxfh at 0.04, the number is 15702340003.  According to the annotation made by mxfh at 0.04, the number is 15702340003.

]]> By: digi_owl http://boingboing.net/2012/06/04/why-the-modems-screamed.html#comment-1441587 digi_owl Mon, 04 Jun 2012 21:26:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=164533#comment-1441587 Even single line ISDN would be preferable over analog dialup. Even single line ISDN would be preferable over analog dialup.

]]> By: Antinous / Moderator http://boingboing.net/2012/06/04/why-the-modems-screamed.html#comment-1441575 Antinous / Moderator Mon, 04 Jun 2012 21:21:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=164533#comment-1441575 If only somebody had thought to make the images load from the bottom up. If only somebody had thought to make the images load from the bottom up.

]]> By: Shashwath T.R. http://boingboing.net/2012/06/04/why-the-modems-screamed.html#comment-1441471 Shashwath T.R. Mon, 04 Jun 2012 20:17:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=164533#comment-1441471 I had to do this not more than a few weeks ago! Signing up for an Apple developer program from India, it appears, involves sending a fax to a particular number, and then calling up to pester them to follow up. Let me repeat that again: I actually communicated to <i>Apple Computer</i> in <i>2012</i> over <i>fax</i>. No, I have no idea why they couldn't just take my payment online... They allow that for App Store purchases... I always knew that the initial handshaking tones indicated the speed; 9600 sounded different from 14.4k, 33.6k or 56.6k... I used to disconnect immediately when I knew that it was only at 9600k or less, and try again a few seconds later, before the system billed my net account! Old times! How I don't miss thee! I had to do this not more than a few weeks ago!

Signing up for an Apple developer program from India, it appears, involves sending a fax to a particular number, and then calling up to pester them to follow up. Let me repeat that again: I actually communicated to Apple Computer in 2012 over fax. No, I have no idea why they couldn’t just take my payment online… They allow that for App Store purchases…
I always knew that the initial handshaking tones indicated the speed; 9600 sounded different from 14.4k, 33.6k or 56.6k… I used to disconnect immediately when I knew that it was only at 9600k or less, and try again a few seconds later, before the system billed my net account! Old times! How I don’t miss thee!

]]> By: Cowicide http://boingboing.net/2012/06/04/why-the-modems-screamed.html#comment-1441439 Cowicide Mon, 04 Jun 2012 20:01:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=164533#comment-1441439 I wish I was young enough to NOT remember goddam dial-up.  Slow... slow... slow... hell. I wish I was young enough to NOT remember goddam dial-up.  Slow… slow… slow… hell.

]]> By: onereader http://boingboing.net/2012/06/04/why-the-modems-screamed.html#comment-1441417 onereader Mon, 04 Jun 2012 19:47:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=164533#comment-1441417 You don't use rotary phones anymore? Are you serious? (Sorry for the crappy picture, can't find the camera.) You don’t use rotary phones anymore? Are you serious?

(Sorry for the crappy picture, can’t find the camera.)

]]> By: Damien Guard http://boingboing.net/2012/06/04/why-the-modems-screamed.html#comment-1441342 Damien Guard Mon, 04 Jun 2012 18:52:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=164533#comment-1441342 The bong sounds are I believe a waveform to help detect bad frequency ranges which can then be marked-bad and ignored and would be why you get a lower BPS rate than both modems were otherwise capable of. I'm also pretty sure that this annotation is incorrect. The blocks listed as connection accepted and throughput were most of the time not there and I'm quite sure they were a renegotiation of sorts caused again by connection issues. I don't have any scientific evidence of this though it's just my experience from being sat next to my 4 line BBS for several years (that always had the carriers on). [)amien The bong sounds are I believe a waveform to help detect bad frequency ranges which can then be marked-bad and ignored and would be why you get a lower BPS rate than both modems were otherwise capable of.

I’m also pretty sure that this annotation is incorrect. The blocks listed as connection accepted and throughput were most of the time not there and I’m quite sure they were a renegotiation of sorts caused again by connection issues. I don’t have any scientific evidence of this though it’s just my experience from being sat next to my 4 line BBS for several years (that always had the carriers on).

[)amien

]]> By: Jorpho http://boingboing.net/2012/06/04/why-the-modems-screamed.html#comment-1441322 Jorpho Mon, 04 Jun 2012 18:38:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=164533#comment-1441322 I recall for a while, sometime recently after switching from 14.4 to 56k, the screeching would usually be interrupted by two distinctive "BONG" sounds.  I never did figure out exactly why it did that; it doesn't seem to have been a universal part of the experience. I recall for a while, sometime recently after switching from 14.4 to 56k, the screeching would usually be interrupted by two distinctive “BONG” sounds.  I never did figure out exactly why it did that; it doesn’t seem to have been a universal part of the experience.

]]> By: Just_Ok http://boingboing.net/2012/06/04/why-the-modems-screamed.html#comment-1441278 Just_Ok Mon, 04 Jun 2012 18:10:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=164533#comment-1441278 just install some free toolbars. Slows everything down just install some free toolbars. Slows everything down

]]> By: Just_Ok http://boingboing.net/2012/06/04/why-the-modems-screamed.html#comment-1441275 Just_Ok Mon, 04 Jun 2012 18:09:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=164533#comment-1441275 I went deef from the handcrank noise.  I went deef from the handcrank noise. 

]]> By: EH http://boingboing.net/2012/06/04/why-the-modems-screamed.html#comment-1441269 EH Mon, 04 Jun 2012 18:06:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=164533#comment-1441269 Yeah, one of the memories this brought up was the progression in the handshake back from 300, to 1200, to 2400, to 9600, etc. I believe the shorter handshake is why ATMs use (IIRC) 1200bps modems to communicate with the mothership. Yeah, one of the memories this brought up was the progression in the handshake back from 300, to 1200, to 2400, to 9600, etc. I believe the shorter handshake is why ATMs use (IIRC) 1200bps modems to communicate with the mothership.

]]> By: Just_Ok http://boingboing.net/2012/06/04/why-the-modems-screamed.html#comment-1441264 Just_Ok Mon, 04 Jun 2012 18:03:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=164533#comment-1441264 Did anyone figure out the number that was dialed using the informatiion in that link? Could just play it while holding your phone to the speaker too. Did anyone figure out the number that was dialed using the informatiion in that link?

Could just play it while holding your phone to the speaker too.

]]> By: t3kna2007 http://boingboing.net/2012/06/04/why-the-modems-screamed.html#comment-1441257 t3kna2007 Mon, 04 Jun 2012 18:00:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=164533#comment-1441257 Loved that disk.  Loved it right up until about four months ago, when it got thrown out by mistake while traveling.  Moral of the story: don't let being in a hurry tempt you into wrapping valuable things in packaging that looks like trash. :( What kind of people <i>are we?</i> Loved that disk.  Loved it right up until about four months ago, when it got thrown out by mistake while traveling.  Moral of the story: don’t let being in a hurry tempt you into wrapping valuable things in packaging that looks like trash. :(

What kind of people are we?

]]> By: GTMoogle http://boingboing.net/2012/06/04/why-the-modems-screamed.html#comment-1441249 GTMoogle Mon, 04 Jun 2012 17:54:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=164533#comment-1441249 I was trying to play... heretic?  hexen? whichever came first, with a friend over modem, and something bugged out and set the baud rate to a negative number.  I got to hear the modem screech drawn out over about 5 minutes.  Was a pretty good illustration of how it worked. I was trying to play… heretic?  hexen? whichever came first, with a friend over modem, and something bugged out and set the baud rate to a negative number.  I got to hear the modem screech drawn out over about 5 minutes.  Was a pretty good illustration of how it worked.

]]> By: IronEdithKidd http://boingboing.net/2012/06/04/why-the-modems-screamed.html#comment-1441178 IronEdithKidd Mon, 04 Jun 2012 17:08:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=164533#comment-1441178 I don't need recordings to know what a VCR tape ejecting or a CD skipping sound like.  I also remember what rotary phones and a cassette tape in the process of being eaten by the deck sound like.  I must be super old.  :-( I don’t need recordings to know what a VCR tape ejecting or a CD skipping sound like.  I also remember what rotary phones and a cassette tape in the process of being eaten by the deck sound like. 

I must be super old.  :-(

]]> By: Christopher http://boingboing.net/2012/06/04/why-the-modems-screamed.html#comment-1441174 Christopher Mon, 04 Jun 2012 17:00:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=164533#comment-1441174 The article refers to a 56K modem, but I remember the first few seconds being what I also heard back when I got my first computer and would dial up strictly local BBSes (Citadels were my favorite). That modem maxed out at 1200 baud. It was slow, clunky, and text-only, but I met a lot of great people that way, and because I was limited to local calls it was easy to start talking to someone on a BBS and then meet them in person. In fact I met my wife that way.  The article refers to a 56K modem, but I remember the first few seconds being what I also heard back when I got my first computer and would dial up strictly local BBSes (Citadels were my favorite). That modem maxed out at 1200 baud.

It was slow, clunky, and text-only, but I met a lot of great people that way, and because I was limited to local calls it was easy to start talking to someone on a BBS and then meet them in person. In fact I met my wife that way. 

]]> By: 10brooks http://boingboing.net/2012/06/04/why-the-modems-screamed.html#comment-1441166 10brooks Mon, 04 Jun 2012 16:54:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=164533#comment-1441166  Please lets not forget, this screeching sound is still commonplace in many rural areas of the U.S. We were finally able put our trusty U.S. Robotics out to pasture only a few years ago. The free market hasn't yet seen fit to bless its widely-dispersed constituents with modern services.  Please lets not forget, this screeching sound is still commonplace in many rural areas of the U.S. We were finally able put our trusty U.S. Robotics out to pasture only a few years ago.

The free market hasn’t yet seen fit to bless its widely-dispersed constituents with modern services.

]]> By: Matthew Petty http://boingboing.net/2012/06/04/why-the-modems-screamed.html#comment-1441167 Matthew Petty Mon, 04 Jun 2012 16:54:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=164533#comment-1441167 Someone should create a simulation of what it used to be like. It's like using an emulator to play all the old ZX Spectrum games, and realising in about 30 seconds that most were crap. Someone should create a simulation of what it used to be like. It’s like using an emulator to play all the old ZX Spectrum games, and realising in about 30 seconds that most were crap.

]]> By: EH http://boingboing.net/2012/06/04/why-the-modems-screamed.html#comment-1441162 EH Mon, 04 Jun 2012 16:49:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=164533#comment-1441162 I remember figuring out the AT command that lengthened the allowable gap in signal so that this didn't kill the connection. I remember figuring out the AT command that lengthened the allowable gap in signal so that this didn’t kill the connection.

]]> By: Guysmiley http://boingboing.net/2012/06/04/why-the-modems-screamed.html#comment-1441154 Guysmiley Mon, 04 Jun 2012 16:45:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=164533#comment-1441154  Yep, easy. Just run it through a spectrum analyzer on a sound editing program like Audacity. Each key is a blend of two frequencies: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dual-tone_multi-frequency_signaling#Keypad  Yep, easy. Just run it through a spectrum analyzer on a sound editing program like Audacity. Each key is a blend of two frequencies: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dual-tone_multi-frequency_signaling#Keypad

]]> By: TK http://boingboing.net/2012/06/04/why-the-modems-screamed.html#comment-1441148 TK Mon, 04 Jun 2012 16:41:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=164533#comment-1441148  Did anyone remember getting mad when someone uses the phone while you're online?  Did anyone remember getting mad when someone uses the phone while you’re online?

]]> By: Just_Ok http://boingboing.net/2012/06/04/why-the-modems-screamed.html#comment-1441134 Just_Ok Mon, 04 Jun 2012 16:21:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=164533#comment-1441134 Anyone figure out the number that was dialed in the recording? Anyone figure out the number that was dialed in the recording?

]]>