When it comes to the internet I like to think I have more skills than most. I can do basic HTML and CSS coding through notepad, I have several blogs and billions of social media accounts, I even claim to understand 1337 5P34K.
However, when it comes to hacking, phreaking and elite type speaking I am a total n00b.
Ted scared me with his lecture on counter networks and how viruses, worms, Trojans, root hits etc could all be lurking on my laptop eating away at my computer's nervous system as I write this. I have lost too many laptops and computers full of photos, music, documents and memories in the hands of viruses, and to be honest, I hated hackers more than anyone...
HateD <-- note the past tense.
The typical image that pops up into most people's mind when the word "hacker" is mentioned is a nerdy looking boy who is allergic to the outdoors, locks himself in his room and hurts other people's computers for fun. Well, this is how I imagine a hacker.
But then I was introduced to the idea of hacktivism and given examples of how hacking could be used to benefit society.
In James Crabtree's article Civic Hacking: a new agenda for e-democracy, he explains how the internet may be the answer to e-democracy's problems IF it focuses on self-help (ie using the internet as a way to help the causes that a person personally cares about eg. community needs etc).
The article basically outlines fundamental aspects of online culture such as reciprocity and the power of networks and explains how these aspects can be applied to e-democracy to make it more accessible to citizens and therefore more popular.
Even though civic hacking is just the term used by Crabtree to define his ideas and isn't typical hacking, there are other ways that hacking benefits society. For example, Wikileaks has exposed many many government cover ups for the benefit of society. People all over the world owe Julian Assange and his team for the priceless information he has provided us with, most of which he has acquired via hacking. So when I think about the positives and the negatives of hacking, what is my conclusion?
In the words of Julian Assange
Don't damage computer systems you break into; don't change the information in those systems (except for altering logs to cover your tracks); and share information.These should be the rules of hacking. This way, we get the information, but cause no damage.
I'd also like to think that I know computers but since looking at this topic ive began to understand how little I actually know. I even managed to get on to websites containing malicious software whilst researching the topic! But seriously the amount of underlying viruses on hard drives are crazy I recently had my old computer checked and my virus protection showed I had none but I ended up having 40 odd viruses deep in my hard drive!
ReplyDeleteHowever I actually admire the knowledge that hackers (yes that I also stereotype just the same as you: nerdy and allergic to the outdoors) would have to know how to get around computer systems cause if I think of it I imagine a blue screen with something like ".-1000..101.0.-" that.
I think hacking is clever if it is used in the right manner eg: Wikileaks (however identity theft not so good)
You are definitely one above me. I have minimal skills in both areas, computing and internet, this being my first DIGC class I am finding it very interesting and completely mind blowing about the enormity of technology and information there is out there. Before this class I used Norton as my anti-viral software but after this week’s class I got rid of it as Ted said it was the most expensive and protects from the least amount of viruses. God knows how many viruses I have eating away at my hard drive too. Something I don’t have the time or money to worry about. In the mean time, I’ll just keep backing up my computer.
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