Bluejackers!Some Introductory ArticlesI'm assuming that some of the folks who drop in here may not have an idea of what bluetooth is, what it's capable of or why anyone should bother. And that's before we get to the subject of bluejacking - or any other telecommunications pranks.
Examining the history of telecommunications pranks"Is Mr Wall there?" the caller asked. "No, I'm sorry," said the hotel receptionist. "Well, can I speak to Mrs Wall?" "There is no-one here by that name either?" se replied patiently, wondering what was the matter. "What about little Tony Wall, then?" "I'm sorry, I can't help you." THe receptionist is starting to get a little bit tetchy now. "Are there any Walls in your house?" the caller asks, in near hysterics. "No!" "What keeps the roof up then? Silence, followed by a click It's an old one. But it gets the point across. Ever since Aesop first told his fable about the little boy who cried "Wolf!" one time too many, the issue of hoaxes and pranks has fascinated us all. For some it is an art form. The Sawi tribe prized it so much, that when missionaries first arrived to tell them about Jesus Christ, they thought that the real hero of the Passion story was Judas Iscariot! The UK radio series Dead Ringers set people up thinking they were talking to politicians, celebrities or the Doctor (Doctor Who - as played by Tom Baker). Oddly enough, it was reported that the only people taken in by the practical jokes who had refused to allow their telephone conversations to be aired were the BBC themselves! Of course, a joke can go too far. You may not end up being eaten by wolves, but you could find yourself being savaged by lawyers. A practical joke by a Radio Buxton DJ backfired to the tune of £8,000 ($14,000) and the loss of the DJ's job when a phone in competition's prize of a new car turned out to be a toy one instead. |