Although I'm not that old (14), After reading a few days worth of phreaking stories and a few other phreaking documents i would just like to say, phone companies have changed around their systems a lot, but the main reason that fewer holes have been discovered and exploited is not because the phone companies are just that good, its because all these beginning phreakers do not take their time to search for documents explaining how things work, they just skim through or search for boxes that have already been made, make them, and use them, without even trying to understand how these boxes and exploits work, or trying to find or build new exploits and boxes.
As for what it takes to be a phreaker, i believe it takes time, patience, and an exceeding desire to learn.
_________________________
Yes, I am a criminal. My crime is that of curiosity. My crime is that
of judging people by what they say and think, not what they look like.
My crime is that of outsmarting you, something that you will never
forgive me for.
I am a hacker, and this is my manifesto.
+++The Mentor+++