Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!bonnie!akgua!sdcsvax!dcdwest!ittvax!wxlvax!olsen From: olsen@wxlvax.UUCP (Neil Olsen) Newsgroups: net.general Subject: hackers Message-ID: <361@wxlvax.UUCP> Date: Fri, 7-Dec-84 10:28:15 EST Article-I.D.: wxlvax.361 Posted: Fri Dec 7 10:28:15 1984 Date-Received: Sun, 9-Dec-84 03:43:25 EST Lines: 23 The country's media hacker fever seems on the rise again. I would like to contribute to the clarity of the debate by telling you about a "real" hacker I know. My neighbour's son is a 15 years old hi-school kid. He is in the football and baseball teams, and he is your typical "all-american-good-boy" who makes a few bucks delivering the Sunday papers, cutting the neighbours'grass or shoveling their snow. Last Xmas, he got two gifts: a PC and an automobile tool kit. He started then programming his PC, connecting himself to various electronic boards and nets,...and became a hacker. At the same time he also started messing around his mom's car, and learned quiet a bit about engines, transmissions, and so on. I trust his mechanical skills enough now, to hire him to change my oil and tune up my engine, saving myself quiet a few dollars. There is no reason why I should not trust his "computerese" to hire him to work on some of my tedious computer problems, avoiding a few over-time evening hours at work, and actually, saving my company a lot of dollars. Were I to label him a "computer vandal", I might as well label him a car vandal. Nobody is complaining about car vandals, not even New-York insurance companies. Why should the media start or rekindle a witch hunt on hackers? I am sure they could do much better service to the public.