==hUsh.xx profHile XX==
Written and Created by hUsh.xx
03/02/25
This profHile was created to bring info to you, the users, about old
or highly important/controversial people. Today, I bring to you::
The W(hack)o Cracko Brothers (TWCB)
~~~~~~~~~~
TWCB was the sysop of Whackoland BBS, took over running TAP magazine,
also known to have started the group Phreaks Against Geeks as a joke.
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Personal
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Handle: The W(hack)o Cracko Brothers (TWCB inc.)
Names: Peter and Tim Roberts (Twins)
Past handles: Unknown
Handle origin: Unknown
Date of Birth: 1970 actual date unknown
Computers: Commodore(64) (assuming since they were cracking
software for this device),
IBM or HP (confirmed some type of UNIX system),
Hayes Modem
Sysop/Co-Sysop of: Whackoland
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TWCB grew up in Kirkwood, Missouri a small suburb of St. Louis. They
got their start as teenagers writing software and exchanging messages on
bulletin boards in the early 1980's.
Some examples of there work are cracked Commodore(64) games:
Aztec Challenge (https://csdb.dk/release/?id=144385)
The Pit (https://csdb.dk/release/?id=108705)
Caesar the Cat https://csdb.dk/release/?id=144328)
They became quite active in the phreaking/hacking scene as one article
noted:
"If you were a hacker or phreaker in St. Louis in the mid '80s (where Tim and
Peter Roberts both lived), you probably knew of them. Even nationally, TWCB
were well known."
The following is a timeline of TWCB's activity as noted from phrack.org.
Approx. Dec. 1984 (~14 Years old):
Peter writes a code hacker for the Hayes modem and tells Tim NOT to
use it on Sprint because they trace. However, Tim received a call from Scan
Man, sysop of P-80, saying he needs some Sprint codes so Tim did it for him on
the 314-342-8900 Sprint extender. But, Tim left it on all night and the next
day at 9:00 AM agents from the FBI, and other agencies arrived at TWCB's
house.
They each received probation and 100 hours of county service.
(edited from ==Phrack Inc.== Volume One, Issue Three, Phile 10 of 10)
-Interesting Side Note:
There was some suspicion surrounding Scan Man around this time. He
later asked another phreaker to get some codes and that person was also
investigated!
Dec. 1985 (~15 Years old):
The W(hack)o Cracko Brothers Inc. form the group Phreaks Against Geeks
on a conference in December of 1985 as a joke about some nonsense that started
on the Dartmouth (College) System and is mainly a local feud of phreaks in the
Boston area. A follow up group was founded called Phreaks Against Phreaks
Against Geeks.
(Noted this to point out the scope of this community but also it's pettiness)
(edited from ==Phrack Inc.== Volume One, Issue Three, Phile 10 of 10)
Sometime between 1985 and 1986:
Whackoland BBS is up and running 300/1200 Baud, and 40 Megs.
It has unique features as well as Elite Sections.
Call today... 314-256-8220.
Note: Only 100 users will be kept so if you are just a beginner please don't
bother to call.
Whackoland was made specifically to look like MS (Metal Shop, a very
popular BBS and home of the Phrack Newsletter). TWCB was also going to have a
magazine originally called "Whackoland Gazette" but TWCB started hearing about
the revival of TAP and how the meetings were not going very well. They called
Chesire Catalyst and started working out preliminary details.
(edited from ==Phrack Inc.== Volume One, Issue Four, Phile #10 of 11
Approx. Mar. 1986 (~16 Years old):
TWCB was (allegedly) granted the TAP (Technological Assistance Program)
magazine from Chesire Catalyst its last editor after sinking interest. Although
comments from the time raise questions about this. Tim stated at one point
after a failed meeting that "Cheshire sorta fucked TAP over. I think he was
just in it for the money."
It also seemed others weren't excited by TWCB reviving the magazine
either, at one point they received a threatening call from TUC (employed at a
competing mag), who informed them he "would have security people watching TWCB
all the time and when they slipped up...*BOOM*".
(edited from ==Phrack Inc.== Volume One, Issue Four, Phile #10 of 11)
-Interesting Side Notes:
Scan Man was supposed to be a contributor but dropped himself from the TAP
Staff.
The magazines supporting TAP included:
Mad Mad Magazine/High Times/Bootlegger Magazine/Hacker Magazine
TUC was a good friend of Taran King the founder and sysop of Metal Shop
also editor of phrack. He is also the creator of the first Pro-Phile that King
based the rest of them on. (including this one lol.)
April 8, 1986:
TWCB Inc. did not fulfill their promise of having TAP Magazine out by
April 7, 1986. When asked, they estimated that they could have it done in
another four days. This secondary deadline was also not achieved.
"Regardless of the TAP situation, Phrack will remain in publication. TWCB is
not very happy about this but, we really don't care." -Knight Lightning
Current Day (adulthood):
Both brothers did become highly successful entrepreneurs. Tim founded a
venture capital firm, Broadband Investment Group LLP where he eventually came
up with a new title for himself: chief visionary officer. Peter graduated from
Southwest Missouri State University and started a locally based (St. Louis)
business called Phoenix Networks. Of which his brother's firm invested $600,000.
Most Memorable Experiences
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Peter: 8 Class A Felony charges
1 Class A Misdemeanor charge
1 Class B Misdemeanor charge
Tim: 6 Class A Felony charges
2 Class B Misdemeanor charges
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*I'm not sure this has anything to do with TWCB but someone online is selling
Wacko Cracko stickers and this is what it looks like in ascii 80 character form
LOL.
https://www.redbubble.com/i/sticker/Wacko-Cracko-by-bashley051003/44557937.JCQM3
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Inside Jokes
~~~~~~~~~~~~
-Some sources say that we are seeing "Whacko Cracko" syndrome, where the story
gets more and more bizarre as versions get modified.
-Captain Crunch of 512 has stated that an auto-dial program that he wrote and
uploaded was copied by TWCB Inc., who then claimed it as their own and signed
their name in it.
-...well it takes 45 minutes to get to the Days Inn and I didn't want to go to
the big meeting because of serious LEGAL troubles.
-While funky titles like guru, assassin and wizard began crowding the middle
echelons of org charts in the early '90s, it's primarily in the last couple of
years that the top dogs have been infected with titular logorrhea.
(Newsweek article Oct 01, 2000 about Tim and his CVO title)
-https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QNv8m2Gl3Ec
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