Debate Topic: Hacking/Computer Virus Authors

[KingIsaacLinksr]

O_o...........

*runs away*

King

[QuadShot]

YEAH! And we can get Bill Curtis from American Justice to narrate our exploits. I'm reminded of the scene from Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back wehere they go knocking on these pimply faced anonymous internet turds and give 'em what for.

:) OH YEAH!!!!

[ChrisMC]

O_o...........

*runs away*

King

Nah,  you're a good guy. You've never made a virus...HAVE YOU???????

[QuadShot]

O_o...........

*runs away*

King

Nah,  you're a good guy. You've never made a virus...HAVE YOU???????

But...we DO have our eyes on you.... :wacko

[KingIsaacLinksr]

O_o...........

*runs away*

King

Nah,  you're a good guy. You've never made a virus...HAVE YOU???????

Who, innocent little me?  Make a virus?  Idk what your talking about.  *whistles innocently* 

;)

King

[X]

Who hasn't made a virus? I mean that's one of the first things you learn in programming. Nothing harmful, but simple self replicating code.

[Rico]

I'm not a lawyer, but I think one thing they look at is damages done in any crime.  The Dreamhost "hack" was pretty minor and caught easily enough to avoid any real damage.

On another note, my younger son is a computer science major and has had courses on computer security.  It's important to learn about things like a computer worm or virus in order to be able to detect and stop them.  Know your enemy.  :)

[QuadShot]

Who hasn't made a virus? I mean that's one of the first things you learn in programming. Nothing harmful, but simple self replicating code.

Me. I haven't made a virus. Well, unless you count that super flu I cooked up in my lab late one night! :)

[X]

Who hasn't made a virus? I mean that's one of the first things you learn in programming. Nothing harmful, but simple self replicating code.

Me. I haven't made a virus. Well, unless you count that super flu I cooked up in my lab late one night! :)

Do you or have you done much programming?

[ricdude]

Interesting, no mention of perhaps the best known military/defense computer virus attack: Stuxnet. Here's a virus that specifically targetted the embedded computers used for iran's nuclear program, with the goal of sabotaging one a of the automated processes. And that's one we know about... Imagine the stuff out there we don't know about yet? 

[QuadShot]

Who hasn't made a virus? I mean that's one of the first things you learn in programming. Nothing harmful, but simple self replicating code.

Me. I haven't made a virus. Well, unless you count that super flu I cooked up in my lab late one night! :)

Do you or have you done much programming?

X, no. I'm one of those wannabe computer people. I love computers and technology, but not smart enough to know how they really work or how to create.

[ChrisMC]

Who hasn't made a virus? I mean that's one of the first things you learn in programming. Nothing harmful, but simple self replicating code.

Me. I haven't made a virus. Well, unless you count that super flu I cooked up in my lab late one night! :)

Do you or have you done much programming?

X, no. I'm one of those wannabe computer people. I love computers and technology, but not smart enough to know how they really work or how to create.

Me too. Which is probably why we are getting these viruses so much, eh Quad?

[Dangelus]

I do wish wish the term "hacker" wasn't mis-associated with people who break into computer systems like it is so much these days. Unfortunately the word "hacker" has changed its meaning as much as the word "evangelist" has in modern media.

It isn't the original meaning of the word. A true hacker is somebody who wants to know how technology works, adapt and improve it.

Some well known "hackers" include: Steve Jobs, Richard Stallman, Linus Torvalds, James Dyson...

Pretty much all the Open Source community is made up of true hackers.

These criminals are best described as "crackers" or "black hats", not hackers in the true sense.

[X]

This is a hacker: http://pathbridge.net/chikofsky/

This was one of my comp science teachers. The man is brilliant.

[QuadShot]

I do wish wish the term "hacker" wasn't mis-associated with people who break into computer systems like it is so much these days. Unfortunately the word "hacker" has changed its meaning as much as the word "evangelist" has in modern media.

It isn't the original meaning of the word. A true hacker is somebody who wants to know how technology works, adapt and improve it.

Some well known "hackers" include: Steve Jobs, Richard Stallman, Linus Torvalds, James Dyson...

Pretty much all the Open Source community is made up of true hackers.

These criminals are best described as "crackers" or "black hats", not hackers in the true sense.

Dan, I stand corrected. And I apologize for lumping these criminals in under the term hacker. You are correct, hacking was never (I believe) intended to define what these ass-jacks are doing. But...I must say, at least in the U.S., the term "cracker" is a bit unfortunate! :) It means something completely different! :)