Bert Hubert

It was a fun story. So we lived in this university town and we were quite late to get the cable modem. And it may be interesting to know that in Europe, in many places, if you had dial-up internet, it was actually charged by the hour. So we had no local free calls as in other places. So it was a very big deal to get a cable modem.

It was a fun story. So we lived in this university town and we were quite late to get the cable modem. And it may be interesting to know that in Europe, in many places, if you had dial-up internet, it was actually charged by the hour. So we had no local free calls as in other places. So it was a very big deal to get a cable modem.

And when I got it, it was very much delayed and the cable company had issues with it. And when they had it going, I started scanning their infrastructure. And I found out that while they had finished setting up their internet, they had not finished setting up their security. So I could sort of waltz right into their servers and stuff.

And when I got it, it was very much delayed and the cable company had issues with it. And when they had it going, I started scanning their infrastructure. And I found out that while they had finished setting up their internet, they had not finished setting up their security. So I could sort of waltz right into their servers and stuff.

And so I sent a message to the system administrators using the famous wall command. I said, hello, I'm here. And they said, well, if you're so good with security, then come over. And so I got on my bicycle, this being the Netherlands. So I drove to the cable company. And on my way there, I was like, yeah, this could end up like really well. Or I could end up being arrested.

And so I sent a message to the system administrators using the famous wall command. I said, hello, I'm here. And they said, well, if you're so good with security, then come over. And so I got on my bicycle, this being the Netherlands. So I drove to the cable company. And on my way there, I was like, yeah, this could end up like really well. Or I could end up being arrested.

So I just waltzed into their systems and it ended up really well. A little bit too well because that was the dot-com boom times when there was such a shortage of staff that I came in, they gave me a chair and they said, sit down. And that actually ruined my studies of physics because then I had this job over there. But it was quite cool.

So I just waltzed into their systems and it ended up really well. A little bit too well because that was the dot-com boom times when there was such a shortage of staff that I came in, they gave me a chair and they said, sit down. And that actually ruined my studies of physics because then I had this job over there. But it was quite cool.

It was very nice to scale an internet service provider from like 50 users to 50,000 users. I mean, everyone should maybe one day scale a company by three orders of magnitude. It's very educational. So I had a great time there. And it was a wonderful way of sort of learning how to run an internet service provider. Yeah, from scratch, which is very educational.

It was very nice to scale an internet service provider from like 50 users to 50,000 users. I mean, everyone should maybe one day scale a company by three orders of magnitude. It's very educational. So I had a great time there. And it was a wonderful way of sort of learning how to run an internet service provider. Yeah, from scratch, which is very educational.

Because if you mess it up at that stage, it's not so bad. But if you mess it up by this time, like Comcast scale, it is pretty bad.

Because if you mess it up at that stage, it's not so bad. But if you mess it up by this time, like Comcast scale, it is pretty bad.

Yeah, I actually wondered if anyone had written a book about it. But I don't think we've had that rate of scaling that we had in 2001, like where you would like double every month or something like that. Right. One of the main things I learned there is that it was quite amateur stuff. So you need to professionalize and figure it out.

Yeah, I actually wondered if anyone had written a book about it. But I don't think we've had that rate of scaling that we had in 2001, like where you would like double every month or something like that. Right. One of the main things I learned there is that it was quite amateur stuff. So you need to professionalize and figure it out.

And on my bicycle back home again, I got already, I was barely out of the building before they called me and said, what did you do? And so I had to rush back in. And that was, I think I learned a lot there in the sense that you really need to, it's nice to hack yourself around these bugs and then feel really good.

And on my bicycle back home again, I got already, I was barely out of the building before they called me and said, what did you do? And so I had to rush back in. And that was, I think I learned a lot there in the sense that you really need to, it's nice to hack yourself around these bugs and then feel really good.

But it's also maybe really good that once you fix the thing, then to also sit down and really tighten things up again and not just shut down your laptop and shut down the whole internet service provider.

But it's also maybe really good that once you fix the thing, then to also sit down and really tighten things up again and not just shut down your laptop and shut down the whole internet service provider.

One really interesting thing that I learned there, and I've been passing on this message since forever, and I'm also going to pass it on to your listeners. So we had a redundant email setup. And we thought it was good, it was redundant. So there was this guy in charge there, and he said, well, are you sure this is redundant? I said, yeah, it's all redundant.

One really interesting thing that I learned there, and I've been passing on this message since forever, and I'm also going to pass it on to your listeners. So we had a redundant email setup. And we thought it was good, it was redundant. So there was this guy in charge there, and he said, well, are you sure this is redundant? I said, yeah, it's all redundant.