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19-Year-Old Squatted At AOL For 2 Months
New submitter mrnick writes "Eric Simons, 19 years old, was working at incubator Imagine K2 in Silicon Valley, which was hosted at AOL's Palo Alto campus. His grant money eventually ran out, but his access badge kept working, so he moved into AOL's office. He slept on a couch, took showers and washed clothes in the office gym, and ate for free in the cafeteria, all the while working on his new start-up. He was able to get away with this for two months before being discovered by security guard."
Maybe AOL can stay relevant by being a start-up hotel?
Isn't that the ultimate goal of the incubators: to get young kids to spend their whole life working on their startup...
i guess his 1,460.9688 free hours of aol finally ran out!
Perhaps he just wasn't smoking what you bunch were smoking.
Steven Spielberg claimed to have done something similar. He claimed to have occupied an unused office on the Universal Studios lot by simply dressing in a suit, carrying a brief case, and bluffing his way past the security guards. But his story kept growing and growing. A clear sign of fabrication. So it was finally debunked by snopes. But even his tallest tale didn't claim to have lived on the lot full time. And now this kid has gone one better than the tall tale, actually living inside the corporate complex of a major tech company.
"Welcome.... You've got mail!"
Up, Up, Down, Down, Left, Right, Left, Right, B, A, START
Especially when you consider this:
http://www.techspot.com/news/42121-60-of-aols-profits-come-from-misinformed-customers.html
We are talking about people who are so helplessly uninformed that they are paying for dialup service despite already paying for broadband. Working for AOL is basically working for a scam that is tricking older, less technically literate people out of their money.
Palm trees and 8
AOL is still around, and there are still people paying for dialup service with them -- oftentimes people who are also paying for broadband service. AOL's brand is so strong among the technically illiterate that some people actually thing that AOL is the "Internet," is "Email," is "instant messenger," etc.
Palm trees and 8
AOL has moved on to purchase many popular websites in order to stay profitable. The Huffington Post, Engadget, Joystiq and many other major news blogs / websites are owned by AOL. They really are more than a dial-up ISP.
I did not know that EA had a programming office in Inglewood, CA. and you got to sleep near rattlesnakes? Were you a lead on a project? The rest of us had to sleep WITH the rattlesnakes.
Do not look at laser with remaining good eye.
Two lions escape from the zoo. One kills and eats a human on the street, and is subsequently hounded down and killed.
The other hides in the headquarters of a high tech company, and lives a long and peaceful life.
It eats middle level managers, and nobody even notices or cares.
Schroedinger's Brexit: The UK is both in and out of the EU at the same time!
Security audit? what is that? Is that like those mythical Pay raises I hear that used to happen?
I have not worked at Comcast for 5 years. I handed a friend my keyfob access card that still works there because he lost his and wanted a replacement. He was going to have security reprogram the system to use it for his access.
Mine Still WORKED! Which is scary as it had All access clearance at multiple locations, 5 Freaking years and they never removed me nor did a security audit to remove users.
Do not look at laser with remaining good eye.
Depends on where you work. Where i work, we take security seriously. You cant even walk in the door with another person. Your photo is verified against your face as you enter. We also have metal detectors on the doors, and the guards have real guns to stop you with, not just a radio to call for help.
Every month a complete audit of badges takes place. Similar things happen for network accounts every 30 days.
---- Booth was a patriot ----
... in my mom's basement
I don't read your sig. Why are you reading mine?
Hey! This is the slashdot comment section. We don't need anything factual around here!
This is probably the conversation the manager had once he got caught squatting at AOL...
Security: "Sir, we've caught a guy who has overstayed his work visa and has been illegally squatting in our corporate campus for three months."
Manager: "Damn! What damage has he caused?"
Security: "None sir, he's been working on some start up project to link teacher's educational materials together."
Manager: "Really? How much are we paying him?"
Security: "Ummm... nothing. He's doing it a part of our K12 Imagine incubator that we are running. However he's been eating our cereal, drinking our soda, and sleeping on our couches."
Manager: "What has he been doing all day? Surfing the internet?"
Security: "As far as we can tell he's been programming 12 to 16 hours a day."
Manager: "..."
Security: "Should we call the police sir?"
Manager: "Hell No! Ask if needs pillows. One more thing, get me ten more of these 'squatters'"
Now contrast this with the United States Border Patrol...
Border Security: "Sir, we've caught a guy who has overstayed his work visa and has been illegally squatting in the United States work force for three years."
INS: "Damn! What damage has he caused?"
Border Security: "None sir, he's been working in an orchid picking oranges for a farmer that can't get anyone else to do it. In fact the person is extremely peaceful as they want to ensure that no one calls the police about them and causes them to be noticed."
INS: "Really? How much is he being paid?"
Border Security: "Ummm... minimum wage, and he's paying taxes. He's doing it a part of our American Dream incubator that we are running. However he's been shopping at our stores, going to our movies, and using our services."
INS: "What has he been doing all day? Watching television?"
Border Security: "As far as we can tell he's been working two jobs to support his family and save money."
INS: "..."
Border Security: "Should we deport him sir?"
INS: "Hell Yes! Make sure you deport him hundred of miles away to make it harder for him. One more thing, build me a bigger, better fence."