John Draper

John Draper is a renowned American computer programmer and phreaker, known for his involvement in the development of the Apple I computer with Steve Wozniak and Steve Jobs at Apple Inc.. Draper's work has been influenced by his interactions with notable figures such as Captain Crunch, Kevin Mitnick, and Ron Rosenbaum. His experiences have been documented in various publications, including Esquire and Rolling Stone, and have been associated with events like the Summer of Love and the 1960s counterculture.

● Early Life and Education

John Draper was born in 1943 and grew up in a family that encouraged his interest in electronics and computer science. He attended University of California, Berkeley, where he was exposed to the works of Alan Turing, Claude Shannon, and John von Neumann. Draper's education was also influenced by his involvement with the MIT Artificial Intelligence Laboratory and the Stanford Research Institute. His early life was marked by interactions with prominent figures such as Douglas Engelbart, Ted Nelson, and Stewart Brand, who were associated with the Whole Earth Catalog and the Homebrew Computer Club.

● Career

Draper's career as a computer programmer began in the 1960s, when he worked on projects such as the SDS 940 computer system at Xerox PARC. He was also involved in the development of the ARPANET network, a precursor to the modern-day Internet, with Vint Cerf and Bob Kahn. Draper's work was influenced by his interactions with Ken Thompson, Dennis Ritchie, and Brian Kernighan, who were associated with the Unix operating system and the Bell Labs. His career was also marked by collaborations with Microsoft, IBM, and Intel Corporation, and events such as the Altair 8800 computer release and the Commodore 64 launch.

● Cap'n Crunch and Phreaking

Draper's involvement in phreaking began in the 1960s, when he met Captain Crunch, a prominent figure in the phreaking community. He developed a device called the "blue box," which could be used to hack into the AT&T telephone network, with the help of Steve Wozniak and Ron Rosenbaum. Draper's phreaking activities were influenced by his interactions with Kevin Mitnick, Robert Tappan Morris, and Phiber Optik, who were associated with the Masters of Deception and the Legion of Doom. His experiences as a phreaker were documented in publications such as Esquire and Rolling Stone, and were linked to events like the 1970s and 1980s hacker culture.

● Later Life and Legacy

In his later life, Draper continued to work as a computer programmer and consultant, and was involved in various projects, including the development of the Apple II computer with Steve Wozniak and Steve Jobs at Apple Inc.. He also worked with Microsoft, IBM, and Intel Corporation, and was associated with events such as the Comdex trade show and the CES conference. Draper's legacy has been recognized by his induction into the Computer History Museum and the Internet Hall of Fame, and his work has been influenced by his interactions with notable figures such as Tim Berners-Lee, Larry Wall, and Richard Stallman.

● Legal Issues

Draper has been involved in several legal issues throughout his career, including a conviction for wire fraud in the 1970s, which was related to his phreaking activities. He was also involved in a lawsuit with AT&T over the development of the "blue box," and was associated with the Electronic Frontier Foundation and the ACLU. Draper's legal issues have been documented in publications such as The New York Times and Wired, and have been linked to events like the Patriot Act and the DMCA. His experiences have been influenced by his interactions with notable figures such as Daniel J. Bernstein, Phil Zimmermann, and John Perry Barlow, who were associated with the Cypherpunk movement and the Electronic Frontier Foundation. Category:American computer programmers