Social Engineering - How Crowdmasters, Phreaks, Hackers, and Trolls Created a New Form of Manipulative Communication

Sep 13, 2026

Social Engineering examines how crowdmasters, phreaks, hackers, and trolls developed a new form of manipulative communication, tracing its evolution from early mass social engineering to interpersonal and masspersonal modes. The book structures the inquiry around “engineering the social,” the core social engineering process, and techniques such as trashing, pretexting, bullshitting, and penetrating media and minds. It also contextualizes the phenomenon through historical emergence, case-driven analysis, and a concluding focus on ameliorating masspersonal social engineering.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryGeneral

FormatPDF

Pages341

Reading Time1 h 59 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction: The Emergence of Masspersonal Social Engineering

Engineering the Social

1 Crowdmasters: The Rise and Fall of Mass Social Engineering, 1920–1976

2 Phreaks and Hackers: The Rise of Interpersonal Social Engineering, 1976–Present

The Social Engineering Process

3 Trashing: From Dumpster Diving to Data Dumps

4 Pretexting: Recognizing the Mitnick Mythology

5 Bullshitting: Deception, Friendliness, and Accuracy

6 Penetrating: The Desire to Control Media and Minds

Masspersonal Social Engineering

7 Contemporary Masspersonal Social Engineering

8 Conclusion: Ameliorating Masspersonal Social Engineering

Social Engineering Social Engineering How Crowdmasters, Phreaks, Hackers, and Trolls Created a New Form of Manipulative Communication Robert W. Gehl and Sean T. Lawson The MIT Press Cambridge, Massachusetts | London, England © 2022 Robert W. Gehl and Sean T. Lawson All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form by any electronic or mechanical means (including photocopying, recording, or information storage and retrieval) without permission in writing from the publisher. The MIT Press would like to thank the anonymous peer reviewers who provided comments on drafts of this book. The generous work of academic experts is essential for establishing the authority and quality of our publications. We acknowledge with gratitude the contributions of these otherwise uncredited readers. This book was set in ITC Stone Serif Std and ITC Stone Sans Std by New Best-set Typesetters Ltd. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Names: Gehl, Robert W., author. | Lawson, Sean T., 1977–author. Title: Social engineering : how crowdmasters, phreaks, hackers, and trolls created anew form of manipulative communication / Robert W. Gehl and Sean T. Lawson. Description: Cambridge : The MIT Press, 2022. | Includes bibliographical references and index. Identifiers: LCCN 2021016750 | ISBN 9780262543453 (paperback) Subjects: LCSH: Social media—Security measures. | Computer networks—Security measures. | Internet fraud. | Social engineering. Classification: LCC HM742 .G45 2022 | DDC 364.16/3—dc23 LC record available at [https://lccn.loc.gov/2021016750](https://lccn.loc.gov/2021016750)[ ](https://lccn.loc.gov/2021016750)10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 This book is dedicated to Teddy and Everett. Contents Acknowledgments ix Introduction: The Emergence of Masspersonal Social Engineering 1 I Engineering the Social 25 1 Crowdmasters: The Rise and Fall of Mass Social Engineering, 1920–1976 27 2 Phreaks and Hackers: The Rise of Interpersonal Social Engineering, 1976–Present 49 II The Social Engineering Process 67 3 Trashing: From Dumpster Diving to Data Dumps 69 4 Pretexting: Recognizing the Mitnick Mythology 89 5 Bullshitting: Deception, Friendliness, and Accuracy 115 6 Penetrating: The Desire to Control Media and Minds 139 III Masspersonal Social Engineering 163 7 Contemporary Masspersonal Social Engineering 165 viii Contents 8 Conclusion: Ameliorating Masspersonal Social Engineering 199 Notes 227 Bibliography 279 Index 319 Acknowledgments The authors of any book are always deeply indebted to all of those folks along the way who provided advice, encouragement, support, and feedback. We are no exception. This project would not have been possible without the generosity of colleagues, friends, and family. We would especially like to thank Margot Opdycke Lamme, Professor Emerita at the University of Alabama, for providing a copy of Doris Fleischman’s 1935 speech. Biella Coleman of McGill University offered feedback and encouragement early in the process, as did Walter Scheier at Notre Dame. Hector Postigo provided feedback that was critical in helping us decide just what to call the phenomenon we discuss in the pages that follow: masspersonal social engineering. Guobin Yang helped to shape our thinking by generously sharing with us his chapter,“Communication as Translation.” Finally, both Emma Briant and Cory Wimberly shared their excellent books on propaganda with us. We are also thankful to the audience and organizers of several events at which we were honored to present early drafts of this work. These included the 2020 Hackers on Planet Earth (HOPE) conference, the Department of Defense Strategic Multilayer Assessment, and the Critical Genealogies Workshop. At the latter, we

FAQs

What does the book mean by “masspersonal social engineering”?

It frames masspersonal social engineering as a form of social manipulation that connects large-scale influence with interpersonal tactics. The introduction and later chapters develop how this phenomenon emerged and operates.

Which social engineering techniques are covered in the process chapters?

The process chapters focus on trashing, pretexting, bullshitting, and penetrating. Each technique is presented as a distinct method used to achieve control over media and minds.

How does the book trace the evolution of social engineering?

It moves through historical phases, starting with the rise and fall of mass social engineering (1920–1976), then transitioning to the rise of interpersonal social engineering (1976–present). The later sections bring these themes together in contemporary masspersonal forms.

Sep 13, 2026

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