The Great Prejudice against Hackers
The Great Prejudice against Hackers
There is a great prejudice against hackers nowadays, mainly perpetrated by the media. This prejudice comes mainly from the misconception of who hackers really are. The media calls anyone who commits a computer crime a hacker. This is simply not the case. Hackers are the people who not only built the internet to what it is today, but also keep it going. Hackers made the Unix OS what it is today. Hackers fight computer crime, they combat computer stalkers. They write and fix software, patch up security holes, but above all, they have a great yearning for knowledge. To know how something works and make it work better is the ultimate goal of the hacker. Hackers do not just hack computers, they hack anything and everything to make it better for all.
As Schmoe said,
[i:54912cf0b0]“Hacking doesn’t require a computer – it’s a way of life. If you’ve made something change, or if you’ve drilled down far enough to have a true understanding of it, you’ve hacked it.” 1 [/i:54912cf0b0]
The people whom the media dub “hackers” are in fact crackers. Crackers are people whose sole purpose is destroying, they will make viruses, break into places and delete information, deface websites, ECT. Crackers will pirate software, simply to do it. They are the people who are constantly arrested for “hacking” when in fact true hackers will have nothing to do with them.
True hackers live by a code of ethics; they believe that Information-sharing is good, that it is the duty of hackers to share their knowledge by writing open-source and giving access to information and computer resources wherever it is possible. They also believe that system-cracking for fun and exploration is ethnically OK as long as the hacker commits no theft, vandalism, or breach of confidentiality.
A hacker, after gaining access to a system, will send an anonymous e-mail to the system administrator telling him, that the system has been hacked, and how to fix it so it can’t happen again. Crackers on the other hand will gain access to a system, and destroy it, wiping out sensitive information and completely wrecking it. If a hacker gains entry to your system, you are left knowing that you aren’t as secure as you thought you were, you are able to fix the flaw and rest in the knowledge that now you are more secure. If a cracker...