GOTO Jail: FBI Investigated Bizarre BASIC Program Sent To Johnny Cash (muckrock.com)

v3rgEz writes: Who has time to write out all the vaguely threatening conspiracies that need to be sent to celebrities these days? Turns out, that can be automated too: In 1979, the FBI investigated a bizarre, threatening Christmas message sent to Johnny Cash on the eve of his 62nd album's release. The threat included the source and output of a BASIC program, which the FBI dutifully dusted for clues. Newly released documents show what would become the FBI's CyberCrime division.

Comments

"be on the radio, not work with radios"

[k6mfw]

Going off on a tangent because I never RTFA. Johnny Cash was a really good radio tech in USAF, picked up morse code quickly and can distinguish between different operators in USSR and the Warsaw Pact countries by how they use the keys. An officer asked Johnny to re-enlist but he said I want to be on the radio, not work with radios.

Re:Well, that was surprisingly boring.

[TheCarp]

Agreed, I read the whole thing and I am still looking for the threat. all this is is proof that the FBI pays its agents by the hour.

This sounds strangely familiar...

[Sir_Eptishous]

Like the time Conway Twitty received Cobol source code printout in a manila envelope with a Valentines card from his cousins ex-wife. Being curious, he input and compiled the code on his PC DOS workstation, and then ran it, discovering a surprisingly nimble calendaring/appointment/contacts program.