Computer Hackers :: Personal Narrative Profile Essays

Personal Narrative- Computer Hackers My perception of hackers was crafted long ago, by my brother, a hacker himself. He was involved with all manner of clandestine activites and tied up our phone line for hours. I, of course, never understood what he was involved with, but remember being excited when he broke into an army base, as the military was my passion at the time. I also never understood the constant calls from strange men our family would receive, nor did my parents. Now, my brother claims it was the FBI investigating him. Whether this is true or not, I do not know, but what I have always believed of hackers is that a certain mystique and romance is important to their work. He was excited by the fact that the FBI would be interested in him. Hackers use something as easily accessible as a PC to create great waves in the larger world. Although their tasks are often effective, they are not the most practical breed. Simply the fancy nomenclature they use and their tendency to form hacking groups shows that a full culture has developed. I have always been under the impression that most hackers did not find their calling for functional reasons, but to join a popular youth subculture. That is why I am not surprised that the vast majority were and are young, at least when the culture arose in the eighties. The identity with a formally named group further shows this need to belong. The wit of their stunts and insistence on a personal touch also shows that hacking is an artistic outlet. I was surprised that even in a political movement as developed as the Zapatistas, this facet of hacking remains. The Electronic Disturbance Theater, as their name suggests, view themselves as performance artists. I was also surprised at how the hacking community has evolved since TRS-80s from Radio Shack were the standard. The community has legitimized itself in many ways. I always believed that wreaking havoc was the main priority of hacking groups, and that their romantic fervor for it could not be quelled. Bloodaxe's final letter in Phrack exemplifies how mistaken I was. Not only is he disgusted by the community, but he admits that he and his contemporaries may have grown up. Perhaps, he is implying that many of their stunts were puerile. I also did not expect that hackers would cross the line to aid the corporate and government machines that they once opposed.