TAP (magazine)
American Technology publication
TAP (originally YIPL, Youth International Party Line) is an American underground newsletter focused on phone phreaking and related technical topics. It was published from 1971 to 1984.
It was co-founded in June 1971 by Abbie Hoffman and Alan Fierstein (writing as Al Bell), a Cornell engineering student. Early issues mixed Yippie political commentary with technical information about the Bell System.
In 1973 the publication was renamed TAP, initially standing for Technological American Party and later Technological Assistance Program. It continued as a technical newsletter covering telephone signaling, network architecture, and related electronics until it ceased in 1984.
References
Further reading
Phil Lapsley. Exploding the Phone: The Untold Story of the Teenagers and Outlaws Who Hacked Ma Bell. Grove Press, 2013.
Jacob A. Bruggeman.
The public source identifies “TAP (magazine)” as american Technology publication. This brief keeps that definition visible, then builds a research path around magazine, American and Technology.
Why this record matters
A short description can identify a subject without explaining its stakes. For “TAP (magazine)”, the useful work is to connect “american Technology publication” to the records capable of establishing context and consequence.
The date and method of observation matter as much as the stated conclusion, especially where classification or consensus has changed. The source revision retrieved here is dated Aug 10, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q2383604. None of the 1 selected statements returned an explicit reference. The first chronological checks are 1971, 1984, 1973 and 2013.
A general summary may omit uncertainty, sample limits or methodological disagreement that is explicit in the technical record. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Check terminology, classification and the date of the cited evidence. Scientific names and technical consensus can change while older records retain historical value.
- Current terminology
- Classification context
- Finding cited technical literature
Primary datasets, specimen catalogues, standards bodies and the most recent peer-reviewed literature.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “TAP (magazine)”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow TAP (magazine) primary sources, TAP (magazine) archive and magazine research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “TAP (magazine)”?
- Which observation, specimen, dataset or publication supports the account?
- Has classification or technical consensus changed since the cited source?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “TAP (magazine)” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.