textfiles/magazines/THO/tho006.txt

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     There is a growing sub culture in our society.  This

culture is a underground culture that few people truly

understand. Some of the "members" of this society do not even

fully understand it. I am speaking of the hacking

underground.


    This is a very elite culture. It is not elite in the

sense that you have to be rich or high born to join it. In

actuality it is probably the most fair and non-discrimating

culture in existence. To become a member of this mysterious

society, all you have to have a some skill in hacking or

programing. You will be judged on your skill alone. Race,

color, sex or nationality never hinder or aid any single

person.


   It is also a very educated society. You must know how to

communicate clearly, or you will be thought of as a "lammer".

A lammer is a person that brags about being a "hacker" and

has little or no skill. Lammers are the wannabe's of the

Hacking world.


  I should take a moment here to clear up what hacking is.

Most people just here about credit card fraud, and pirated

software. This is a very minor part of hacking. It can be

said that it is more of a side effect then a cause. Hackers

hack for two reasons, either for fun, or for freedom. most

hackers, myself included, fall in the first category. Hacking

is basically breaking through highly complex programs to get

want you want. When I speak of programs, I don't just speak

of just, copy protections or security systems, I am speaking

of all programs. Hacking can be as simple as fixing a bug in

a program you bought, or as complicated as removing

protections form secured systems or programs.


     For instance a program called "xxx" has a small bug in

it. This bug is not acknowledge by the company that made it,

because "Our software is bug free". So a talented program can

break into the code and fix the bug. This is a form of

hacking, especially if the programer starts handing out

miniprograms, called patches, that fix the bug on other

poeples computers.  Now lets' say that program "xxx" is copy

protected and ask you a question, that can only be answered

if you have the manual, ever time you load it. This can be

very annoying on programs that you use constantly. So the

programer again breaks into the code and removes the

question. now when he/she loads the program it does not

bother him with the question. That is what hacking for fun is

all about.


     The is a another school of hacking. This school believes

that all information should be free. These hackers

concentrate on breaking in to major computer systems and

distributing the information they find. They believe that

God gave man the intelengence to know the difference between

dangerous information and "safe" information. They believe

that all poeple will be better off if they know everyhting.


     The Hacking Society is very elite. If you try to enter

it with no skill, and claim to have it, you will be forced

out of it, sometimes violently. If you enter the society as a

novice, and say you have no skill, but want to learn, most of

the time, the veterans will train the new members.


     It is also elite in another respect. If anyone "messes"

with a member of the society, the whole group rallies to

his/her aid. For example, let speculate that Mr Smith is a

hacker, and Mr. Jones has been giving him a hard time. Mr.

Smith mentions this to the society, and several of the

members will "talk" to Mr. Jones. The end result is that Mr.

Jones no longer bothers Mr. Smith. There is also the infamous

"honor among thieves". All members of the society respect the

others and always work toghter, or at least not against each

other. Occasionally there are a few odd balls who think they

are God, and do what ever they want, to whoever they want.

These people are put in the place when the everyone else

allies against them.


     Basically the Hacking Society is a very elite, and

intelligent culture. They are an international group that has

no territorial boundaries. If there is a computer, there will

be a hacker. This culture is a very subtle, and quiet culture

for the most part. They don not want others bothering them,

and prefer to be left alone.