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The Hacker’s Manifesto (1986)

phrack.org

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Re: The Hacker’s Manifesto (1986)

#51

Post by whack »

The first part of the manifesto made me feel for the author. Its unfortunate that they never got to attend a school where they were sufficiently challenged and around peers of similar ability/interest. There are many cities/countries around the world that place advanced students in advanced classes with like-minded peers, and it is unfortunate that the public school system in this country seems backward in that regard.

The second part of the manifesto sounds like the deranged ramblings of someone with delusions of grandeur. We can have a nuanced discussion around the current laws, but blatant violations of copyright and patent protections are not acceptable. "Exploring" the world doesn't justify breaking into private systems - if I decided to start "exploring" my neighbors bedrooms at night, I would hardly complain about being thrown in jail or being branded a criminal. Complaining about society's systemic racism is hardly a moral defense for snooping. Just because you're smart and good with computers, doesn't give you free reign to do whatever you want.

Re: The Hacker’s Manifesto (1986)

#52

Post by csixty4 »

Jldevictoria wrote: post #39
dpeck wrote: post #35

so much angst, but for folks around here of a certain age this brings back a lot of fond memories of a time when the internet still felt wild and limitless.

This was my impression too. Most of it sounds like the kind of stuff that kids who who think too much of their intelligence spout off in grade school. It's kinda cringey to everyone else.

To add onto what dpeck said, another thing to keep in mind is how difficult it was to find information on how the world around you worked back then. So these curious kids whose smarts were, yeah, probably only eclipsed by their egos, were legitimately stifled.

There was no Google, no Wikipedia, no YouTube. Today, the world largely runs on top of TCP/IP, and anyone can read some docs or any number of books and understand how it works. Back then, the world ran over the phone network, and there wasn't any way to really understand it except through phreaking groups and getting yourself into places you weren't supposed to be.

Before Linux, you'd hear about this wonderful, powerful OS called Unix. But you'd be tinkering around at home in MS-DOS unless you went to college or had a really progressive high school. The only way to experience Unix would be to hack or social engineer your way into getting access.

That doesn't justify the entitlement, no, or the ego. And it certainly didn't justify computer crimes. But this manifesto is from a very different age, where those smart kids were understandably frustrated because the world was yet to produce the tools and information we take for granted today.

Re: The Hacker’s Manifesto (1986)

#53

Post by _wldu »

The part about hackers all being alike really resonates with me. I've felt this way for years, but have not heard others talk much about it. I've had the opportunity to work with young people from all over the world (many nationalities and cultures) who have very different backgrounds than I do and it's so neat to watch them write code and listen to them talk through issues. They think about problems just as I do. I sort of think there is a hacking gene and you are either born with it or not. It's really great to be part of this band of brothers and sisters.

Re: The Hacker’s Manifesto (1986)

#54

Post by dang »

A thread from 2016: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=12319688

2013: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=5007508

also 2013: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=5053949

2010: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1520964

2009: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=432214

2008: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=178686

Re: The Hacker’s Manifesto (1986)

#55

Post by cosmodisk »

reaperducer wrote: post #24
thanatropism wrote: post #8

There was a time when "hacker" meant "a wizard's wizard"; and a time where it meant a digital vandal over POTS lines; and a time where reclaiming the word "hacker" became fashionable; and important computer hackers began quietly wearing the word; and then there was the time where marketers became growth hackers and musicians became harmony hackers. But the digital vandals never fully wrested away the word from AI lab…

and a time where it meant a digital vandal over POTS lines; Well, those were "phreakers." In the 70's, "hacker" was a person who "hacked" out the credits from public domain software and put their own name in it for resale. And you bought it anyway because software was so hard to come by.

This is correct.

Re: The Hacker’s Manifesto (1986)

#56

Post by jmts »

walrus01 wrote: post #40
oldandcold wrote: post #10

Hackers...the movie. "their only crime was curiosity". I suspect that line was lifted from this. As for the Manifesto itself, for the most part, looking back, this rings true. I was there... in the 80's...with colourful boxes, acoustic couplers, and pages and pages of phone numbers. I never had the sense of community this document describes...it seemed like a much more solitary pursuit, but you picked up things if yo…

Man, I feel old now, the manifesto and similar documents to it pre-date the cheesy-as-hell movie by many years.

You're not old. You're elite!

Re: The Hacker’s Manifesto (1986)

#57

Post by rbanffy »

mikeflynn wrote: post #11
oldandcold wrote: post #10

Hackers...the movie. "their only crime was curiosity". I suspect that line was lifted from this. As for the Manifesto itself, for the most part, looking back, this rings true. I was there... in the 80's...with colourful boxes, acoustic couplers, and pages and pages of phone numbers. I never had the sense of community this document describes...it seemed like a much more solitary pursuit, but you picked up things if yo…

It’s entirely lifted/sourced in the movie. They read the last part verbatim in the movie in the scene with the FBI agents in the car.

The movie is underrated.

RISC technology is going to change everything. ;-)

Re: The Hacker’s Manifesto (1986)

#60

Post by mistrial9 »

whack wrote: post #51

The first part of the manifesto made me feel for the author. Its unfortunate that they never got to attend a school where they were sufficiently challenged and around peers of similar ability/interest. There are many cities/countries around the world that place advanced students in advanced classes with like-minded peers, and it is unfortunate that the public school system in this country seems backward in that regar…

> blatant violations of copyright and patent protections are not acceptable

tell that to the most populous nation in the world, you can post the response here

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