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Processors Under Pillows

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Re: Processors Under Pillows

#11

Post by teekert »

NhanH wrote: post #9

When I was 10, I painted all the light on my computer case black with watercolor so I can keep it running to download Mandrake linux without my mom noticing —- it would take more than a day to download with a 56kbps connection. Somehow she did find out in just a few hours, may be I should ask her how :-) I also had the windows key memorized just like the author does. But it was windows 98, and I can’t recall it now.…

Haha, when she picked up the phone she noticed! And it breaks your connection... the stress levels...

Re: Processors Under Pillows

#12

Post by xyanb »

teekert wrote: post #10

Ah, nice short story, similar to mine. I did a lot of XP reinstalling myself. Before that I was a full time autoexe.bat hacker. The computers we got were always expensive though, I don't know what our 386 cost, but our pentium mmx 150 MHz was the equivalent of 1500 euro's. I wasn't allowed to open it. Imagine how thrilled I am with current day Raspberry Pi's! I tell my kids they can do whatever they want with them! I…

> Maybe the magic, the newness, the expensiveness was part of the appeal for me, maybe the kids are just swamped in compute power and touchscreens from birth, it's too normal.

I think so too. In my case, it was all new stuff and everybody was trying to figure it out, myself included. Technology is way more common now than it was then!

> I remember a blog being posted here on HN where a fellow hacker did all of the tech for his family, and he created a bunch of digital illiterates as a results. I'm trying to not fall for that trap at the very least.

About 12 years too late on that one for me!

Re: Processors Under Pillows

#13

Post by Cthulhu_ »

55873445216111 wrote: post #2

* One such trick was the restart DoS attack. It’s simple really. shutdown /r /m \\IPAddress /t 0 * Today in schools, this would sadly get you expelled for "computer network hacking".

Never knew you could do a remote shutdown like this, but we did find out about a "net send" command to put popups onto other kids' computers.

Later we found a neat exploit / remote access kit, friend of mine could merge the backdoor onto a random .exe file (we used a desktop sheep because ha ha look at the funny sheep). We got that onto a number of school PC's and told people off for using MSN at school for example. I also used it on my parents' computer and found out how much they had on their savings account.

Re: Processors Under Pillows

#14

Post by yarcob »

I've tried to get my kids into tinkering with computers by showing them how to write Python code (with Thonny) and installing lots of programs for drawing etc.

They are curious, and they do tinker with stuff when I'm there, but about 10 minutes after I leave the room they'll find a way to watch cartoons.

Somehow the internet has become this huge distraction and mostly just a replacement for a TV. I kinda miss what it was like in the 1990ies and early 2000s.

Re: Processors Under Pillows

#15

Post by tomcam »

yarcob wrote: post #14

I've tried to get my kids into tinkering with computers by showing them how to write Python code (with Thonny) and installing lots of programs for drawing etc. They are curious, and they do tinker with stuff when I'm there, but about 10 minutes after I leave the room they'll find a way to watch cartoons. Somehow the internet has become this huge distraction and mostly just a replacement for a TV. I kinda miss what it…

You should forbid them to program.

Re: Processors Under Pillows

#16

Post by fouc »

yarcob wrote: post #14

I've tried to get my kids into tinkering with computers by showing them how to write Python code (with Thonny) and installing lots of programs for drawing etc. They are curious, and they do tinker with stuff when I'm there, but about 10 minutes after I leave the room they'll find a way to watch cartoons. Somehow the internet has become this huge distraction and mostly just a replacement for a TV. I kinda miss what it…

Turn off internet then. A computer with a bunch of tools to play with and documentation, and no internet.

Re: Processors Under Pillows

#17

Post by jojo2000 »

yarcob wrote: post #14

I've tried to get my kids into tinkering with computers by showing them how to write Python code (with Thonny) and installing lots of programs for drawing etc. They are curious, and they do tinker with stuff when I'm there, but about 10 minutes after I leave the room they'll find a way to watch cartoons. Somehow the internet has become this huge distraction and mostly just a replacement for a TV. I kinda miss what it…

Creation vs. consumption. If everyone consumes, who creates ? And why is everyone pushed towards consumption of content. Easy vs. hard. The hard way is the right way.

Re: Processors Under Pillows

#18

Post by mnd999 »

teekert wrote: post #11
NhanH wrote: post #9

When I was 10, I painted all the light on my computer case black with watercolor so I can keep it running to download Mandrake linux without my mom noticing —- it would take more than a day to download with a 56kbps connection. Somehow she did find out in just a few hours, may be I should ask her how :-) I also had the windows key memorized just like the author does. But it was windows 98, and I can’t recall it now.…

Haha, when she picked up the phone she noticed! And it breaks your connection... the stress levels...

Using GetRight to resume the download hopefully.

Re: Processors Under Pillows

#19

Post by girvo »

55873445216111 wrote: post #2

* One such trick was the restart DoS attack. It’s simple really. shutdown /r /m \\IPAddress /t 0 * Today in schools, this would sadly get you expelled for "computer network hacking".

They only took my account away in high school.

Silly: I had a dozen other accounts ;)

Re: Processors Under Pillows

#20

Post by user-the-name »

fouc wrote: post #16
yarcob wrote: post #14

I've tried to get my kids into tinkering with computers by showing them how to write Python code (with Thonny) and installing lots of programs for drawing etc. They are curious, and they do tinker with stuff when I'm there, but about 10 minutes after I leave the room they'll find a way to watch cartoons. Somehow the internet has become this huge distraction and mostly just a replacement for a TV. I kinda miss what it…

Turn off internet then. A computer with a bunch of tools to play with and documentation, and no internet.

Cutting your children off from their friends because you want them to copy your own hobbies is not, in any way, a healthy or sane thing to do.
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