Computer Hackers :: Personal Narrative Profile Essays

Personal Narrative- Computer Hackers My perception of hackers was crafted long ago, by my chum salmon, ahacker himself. He was confused with all manner of clandestine activites and tied up our phone zephyr for hours. I, of course, never understoodwhat he was involved with, but remember being provoke when he broke intoan army base, as the military was my passion at the time. I also neverunderstood the constant calls from strange men our family would receive,nor did my parents. Now, my brother claims it was the FBI investigatinghim. Whether this is true or not, I do not know, but what I have alwaysbelieved of hackers is that a certain mystique and romance is importantto their work. He was excited by the fact that the FBI would beinterested in him. Hackers use something as easily accessible as a PCto create large waves in the larger world. Although their tasks areoften effective, they are not the most practical breed. Simply the fancy nomenclature they use and their tenden cy to formhacking groups shows that a full culture has developed. I have alwaysbeen under the impression that most hackers did not find their callingfor functional reasons, but to join a popular youth subculture. That iswhy I am not affect that the vast majority were and are young, atleast when the culture arose in the eighties. The individualism with aformally named group further shows this need to belong. The wit of their stunts and insistence on a personal touch also showsthat hacking is an artistic outlet. I was surprised that even in apolitical movement as developed as the Zapatistas, this facet of hackingre master(prenominal)s. The Electronic Disturbance Theater, as their name suggests,view themselves as performance artists. I was also surprised at how the hacking community has evolved sinceTRS-80s from Radio Shack were the standard. The community haslegitimized itself in many ways. I always believed that wreaking havocwas the main priority of hacking groups, and that their romantic fervorfor it could not be quelled. Bloodaxes final letter in Phrackexemplifies how mistaken I was. Not only is he disgusted by thecommunity, but he admits that he and his contemporaries may have grownup. Perhaps, he is implying that many of their stunts were puerile. I also did not expect that hackers would cross the line to aid thecorporate and government machines that they once opposed.