What is Hacking? Are You a Hacker?

WHAT IS HACKING?

Hacking, sometimes known as "computer crime" has only recently been taken very seriously. The activities undertaken by the real hackers have been criminalized and they are now being legally persecuted on a scale disproportional to the actual threat they pose.

For those who don't know better, a hacker, by wrong-definition, can be anything from a computer-user to someone who destroys everything they can get their evil terminals into.

Real hackers want their motivations and ethics to be viewed as legitimate, or at least understood, instead of being simply written off as malicious, vandalising, thieving, terrorist out to take over the computers of the world for personal gain, or devious teenagers who have nothing better to do than crash every available computer.

It is thanks to the mass media and people who have absolutely no understanding of computers, who use terms like "information superhighways", "IT", and "computer crime" to try and make themselves sound important that it is assumed all "hackers" (the good and the bad) fit the above descriptions. There are people who do stuff like the above but they ARE NOT real hackers, They buy the magazine "2600" and they ask questions. They do not want knowledge. They do not want to learn how things work, they do not want to explore. All They want to know is the answer to their damn questions, they are not real hackers.

They are the real criminals and are the threat to every appliance connected to the Internet, they destroy, steal and mess up the flow of information then let the real hackers take the blame!

Hacking IS NOT about the mindless idiotic destruction of files and/or crashing systems intentionally.

Real hackers have an ethical code of practice, which includes things such as:

☞ Leave a system in the state it was found.
☞ Do not intentionally destroy or modify anyone else's data.
☞ Do not cause any legitimate user problems with computer resources.
☞ Do not access emergency services computers.

Real hackers are enraged when so called "hackers" cause damage to or compromise resources. Hacking is about looking for answers and knowledge, it is about learning. That's why hackers hack, to search around inside a place they have never been, to explore all the little nooks and crannies of a world so unlike the boring cess-pool they live in.

Their aim is to rise above the rest, and then to pull everyone else up to the same new level. Real hackers justify accessing computer systems by claiming that it is not unfair to break into otherwise idle computer resources and to download files with the intent to learn.

The already terrible reputation carried by the real hackers is cased by the ignorant and stupid people who like the label of "hacker" that screw things up, mainly though the destruction of stored information and or all passable activities of computer related fraud.

For those who don't know better it is thanks to the mass Media who have blown it way out of proportion. A hacker, by wrong-definition, can be anything from a computer-user to someone who destroys everything they can get their evil terminals into.

And the people who have absolutely no understanding of computers, who use terms like "information superhighways", IT, and computer crime to try and make themselves sound important that it is assumed all hackers are malicious, vandalising, thieving, terrorist out to take over the computers of the world for personal gain. There are people who do stuff like the above but they ARE NOT real hackers, They buy the magazine "2600" and they ask questions.

They do not want knowledge. They do not want to learn how things work, they do not want to explore. All They want to know is the answer to their damn questions, they are not real hackers.

They are the real criminals and are the threat to every appliance connected to the Internet, they destroy, steal and mess up the flow of information and let the real hackers take the blame!

Hacking IS NOT about the mindless idiotic destruction of files and / or crashing systems intentionally.

Hacking is about looking, searching for answers and knowledge, it is about learning, satisfying their curiosity. That's why they get into the system, to search around inside a place they've never been, to explore all the little nooks and crannies of a world so unlike the boring cess-pool they live in. They seek to rise above the rest, and then to pull everyone else up to the same new level.

Why destroy that which they love? To take away someone else's chance to succeed in getting in as he did? To fuel an already terrible reputation and increase their chances of getting caught and thus have their lives and careers effectively ruined? IT IS ILLOGICAL!

The real problems are caused by the ignorant and stupid people who like the label of "hacker" that screw thing up by destroying everything they can get their evil terminals into.

It is thanks to the mass Media and people who have absolutely no understanding of computers, who use terms like "information superhighways", IT, and computer crime to try and make themselves sound important that it is assumed all hackers are malicious, vandalising, thieving, terrorist out to take over the computers of the world for personal gain.

ARE YOU A HACKER?

Too identify users who like the label of "hacker". Even as I type this they are dammaging the already terrible reputation carried by the real hackers. This file is meant to help these people who are not helping the movement by pointing out the errors of their ways! What is that you say, "but I am a "badass" hacker". Just ask your self whether any of the following descriptions sound like you, if so then you are part of the problem!.

You have been surfing the net, and you laugh at those media reports of the information superhighways. You have a red box. You do not have to pay for phone calls. You have crackerjack, and you have run it on the password file at a Unix on which you have an account. Your computer knowledge has impressed everyone at your school, you are the one the teachers ask for help. Am I getting warmer?

Or may be you are one of the free loaders. There are thousands of you out there. You buy 2600 and you ask questions. You read phrack and you ask questions. You join #hack and you ask questions. What is that you say, "what is wrong with that? After all, to be a hacker is to question things, is it not?" Nevertheless, you do not want knowledge. You want answers. You do not want to learn how things work. You only want answers. You do not want to explore. All you want to know is the answer to your damn questions. Dose this sound like you?

Or if not the above you are what I refer to as a non event. You read 5% of 5 or 10 of the hacking FAQs and or tutorial files. You no not fully understand the essentials of hacking. Or the reasons for cacking. You have never heard of social engineering or if you have you think it is not important. You think the world of computers and security opens up to you through a keyboard and your redbox. In short you know nothing. You are brain dead, but you see your self as a master mind criminal. You brag about you hacking factices. You make it up as you go along. You lie over any and all the BBS you can.

Dose any of this sound like you? If so you are not a hacker. You are a little child. It is thanks to you morons that get bested whilst destroying everything you can get your evil terminals into that the established order (governments, companions, the mass Media etcetera) assume all hackers are like you, malicious, vandalising, thieving, terrorist out to take over the computers of the world for personal gain or are devious teenagers who have nothing better to do than crash every available computer. Nothing could be feather from the truth!

You enrage the real hackers when you cause damage or compromise resources. You do not understand the damage you inflect When you bring down a system you take away from everyone the chance to succeed in getting in, you take away that which all real hackers have come to love more that live itself!.

Hacking is about looking for knowledge. It is about learning. That's why hackers hack, to search around inside a place they have never been. To explore all the little nooks and crannies of a world so unlike the boring cess-pool they live in. To increase the flow of information and knowledge, so that Everyone can learn and benefit.

WHAT IS A HACKER?

More times that I can remember, someone has asked me the question "Just what exactly is a hacker?"

For those who don't know better. A hacker can be anything from someone who makes furniture with an axe; (by wrong-definition) A computer-user; An expert at a particular programme; An expert or enthusiast of any kind; but the most wide spread application of the term is to describe someone who destroys everything into which he/she can get their evil terminals. This is true to such an extent that if I were to say to just about anyone (that has not being leaving on the moon since 1982) "I am a hacker", it would immediately be assumed that I am a criminal, a malicious, vandalising, a thieving terrorist, a little shit out to take over the computers of the world for personal gain, or some thing along those lines. For this we have the wanabes and the mass Maida to blame!

What I consider a hacker to be is a person who is self motivated and besotted with exploring the details of programmable systems, a person who loves the intellectual challenge of creatively overcoming or circumventing limitations, and uses that knowledge to continue the fight for freedom of knowledge and information, a person who wants to know everything and most importantly a *real* hacker lives by the "hacker ethic" (the belief that information-sharing is a powerful positive and good thing), and whom follows an ethical code of practice (that typically includes things such as, Leave a system in the state it was found; Do not intentionally destroy or modify anyone else's data; Do not cause any legitimate user problems with computer resources; Do not access emergency services computers; etcetera)

Their motivations for hacking (the activities of a hacker) are generally to learn more about any think that can help them understand more about the way the would works, fore example how computer systems work by making them do things they were never intended to do and/or to challenge security measures.

This is my own definition of what the "normative" boundary markers of *real* hackers are. All real hackers tend to meat the majority of these criteria. However, this is by no means universal, like plants, there are many breads of hacker, most of which are out to achieve that same ends, the ones that do not meat any, or the ones the do all the above, but are intent on destruction are *NOT* hackers, most likely they are the wanabes. See my FAQ "ARE YOU A HACKER?" for more about them.

Now, who are the *real* hackers, whatever their motives they tend to share an, unbridled intimacy and total affinity for their life stilly, they are the ones who are so deeply consumed by learning computer science, cacking, programming, social engineering, boxing, scanning, etcetera, that it means more to them than the feeling that they experienced at the flash point of their first love, for some it is the ultimate buzz like heroin, for many to hack, to get access to a system and escape into the binary world, is to engage in sexual intercourse.

Again this is by no means universal, there are those that merely enjoy it, and the ones that find it a pain. The people that do not in *ANY* *WAY* reflect the above may be real hackers, but finding an elite hacker whom dose not is rare.

If you are a real hacker, like it or not, you are a revolutionary and know it or not every thing you do is in some way connected to your search for the truth, because although to be a hacker is to question things hacking its not about asking questions. It is simply about finding the truth because they must be able to choose for themselves, what ever the consequences, it is their right to have some say it their fate.

No one can be told what the truth is, as it is different for everyone, it is an idea, it is simply sufficient information and experience to allow a person to tell for min/her self. It is not an answer that hackers seek but rather the truth is learnt from the path that each hacker takes to gain experience, which is simply the search for knowledge.

I genuinely do not know what the purpose of this file is, maybe someone somewhere will read it, and know more about the truth concerning hackers. Not the lies of the ignorant!

I am the website administrator of the The Wandle Industrial Museum (http://www.wandle.org). Established in 1983 by local people determined to ensure that the history of the valley was no longer neglected but enhanced awareness its heritage for the use and benefits of the community.