TK0JUT1@niu.bitnet (jt) (12/27/90)
TAP is alive and well. In addition to a newsletter, they also have a BBS for
exchange of information and news. TAP is available for the price of a postage
stamp for each issue by writing:
TAP
PO Box 20264
Louisville, KY 40250
Following is an editorial statement (from CuD 1.26) by the TAP editors
explaining its resurrection:
Jim Thomas
*********
To: CuD Editors
From: Aristotle, TAP Editor.
It had some to my attention that you may be confused about what TAP
Magazine is all about. In this mail, I will aid you by explaining how
TAP came into our hands and why it is printed. If you should have any
further questions, feel free to e-mail the address that this is sent
from.
HOW WE CAME INTO PRINTING TAP. Since the first time I came into the
techno-underground scene, I had always heard of a 'cool' magazine
called TAP in New York. After searching for a set of issues, my
friend and I came into purchasing a complete set. At that time I had
been reading 2600 for about three years and my friend and I agreed
that what the techno-underground needed was a publication (in hardcopy
form), that would print article concerning all corners of the
techno-underground. We liked 2600 and the other magazines (when they
came out), but we just felt that info on telephones and computers was
not enough. There are a multitude of ways someone can hack. To us,
hacking computers, phones, cable systems, satellite systems, and LIFE,
were all equally interesting. Well since there was no current
magazine that we knew of which dealt with all the above things, we
decided TAP had been the perfect magazine for the situation. After
pondering on what we could do with it, we tried to contact the last
editors. We admit that we did not get a hold of the past editor until
we had complete an issue, Number 92. We did though, get in touch with
both Cheshire Catalyst and Tuc after our first issue was done.
Cheshire Catalyst was sent a copy for his 'approval' and he proceeded
to give us permission to resume TAP where he had left off. Tuc
expressed his approval after seeing 92 and speaking with us at
Summercon 89, in St. Louis. Cheshire, at first, decided he would let
us print but he would not openly admit that we had his permission
until we were established as a reputable publication. Well, after we
showed Tuc and Cheshire the magazine, Cheshire gave his full
cooperation with our production of TAP and even offered some helpful
words of wisdom on running TAP. I am not going to get into the debate
of whether we are the original TAP, but I would like to say that you
could not get any closer to the original than we are. TAP never had
one consistent editor. Many people edited TAP and published it. The
way we see it is that we are just following in the footsteps of the
original editor. I suppose you could call it a tradition, TAP WAS
HANDED DOWN TO ME PERSONALLY BY THE LAST EDITOR.
WHAT TAP IS ALL ABOUT. TAP is printed for the sole purpose of
promoting the free distribution of useful information concerning the
techno-underground. Every so often we will print articles concerning
politics or human rights but that is part of the flavor of TAP. If we
decide that some info fits the format of the magazine, we print it.
The staff of TAP has always believed in opposing any and all
censorship.
SUBSCRIPTION RATES. One of the major reasons for our deciding to print
TAP was that there was a gaping hole in the market. The only popular
hack/phreak publication that we could find was 2600. With 2600 asking
$18 for four issues, we felt something had to be done for the people
that could not afford something that expensive. Therefore, we decided
to give TAP away. Everyone should have the ability to access TAP.
Since TAP is free, we also decided against copyrighting our magazine.
Anyone if free to copy any part of TAP at their own free will. The
only thing we ask is that we get credit in their reproduction for what
we produced.
To get a copy of TAP, all a subscriber has to do is send us a 25 cent
stamp to cover postage. We will pay all other costs. The price might
go up to 50 cents soon as we are using larger envelopes which cost
more to mail. If someone wants to get a subscription, he/she only
needs to send the correct amount of postage for the amount of issues
he/she wants to receive. We like to get subscriptions in lots of ten
or less issues. Anything over ten issues is considered a donation.
Back issues of all one-hundred issues are also being offered now.
These will cost actual money.