alt Hacker NewsI watch a lot of videos at 1.5x. Older Cliff Stoll videos don't work at 1.5x. Cliff at 1.0x is already like other people at 1.5x.
I am so stoked to see Cliff at 1.0x in 2026 is still like other people at 1.5x. I am so glad to see Cliff still out there talking. "The Cuckoo's Egg"[0] was formative for me when I was a kid getting into computers. I am so happy that Cliff is out there making formative experiences for new hackers today.
Great talk, Cliff. (The "adjusted for inflation" quip about the budget made my day, too.)
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(1990) The KGB, the Computer and Me https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4gHNVNRQTJg
The only paperback book I've ever sat down and read in one sitting. Started on a lazy Sunday morning and literally couldn't put it down. Highly recommended if you've not read it.
Thanks! Just ordered the book. Cliff Stoll is a treasure, I knew vaguely about this story, but not about the book. Looking forward to it.
The book is brilliant.
Also worth mentioning is the rather dramatic PBS Nova episode from 1990, The KGB, the Computer, and Me -- starring, of course, Cliff Stoll. It's an entertaining take of the same topic.
I couldn't find a way to pay for a copy of it[], but this one on YouTube is pretty clean compared to the state of many other old NTSC things on our modern interweb: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vW8YBrH4Q6o
[]: Of course, a person is free to toss PBS a few dollars and/or buy an Acme Klein Bottle. :)