Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!seismo!mcnc!rutgers!ucla-cs!zen!ucbvax!hplabs!hp-pcd!uoregon!markv From: markv@uoregon.UUCP (Mark VandeWettering) Newsgroups: comp.os.vms Subject: Re: hackers Message-ID: <304@uoregon.UUCP> Date: Sun, 26-Jul-87 16:14:04 EDT Article-I.D.: uoregon.304 Posted: Sun Jul 26 16:14:04 1987 Date-Received: Wed, 29-Jul-87 06:56:55 EDT References: <8707241636.AA21123@ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU> Reply-To: markv@drizzle.UUCP (Mark VandeWettering) Distribution: world Organization: University of Oregon, Computer Science, Eugene OR Lines: 37 [This is in response to the arguments that "hackers" compromise important data files and cause lost work...] First of all, I must confess that I see "hacker" in a purely Levy-ian sense of the word. Hackers are enamoured with the flexibility and astounding power that computers have. Manipulating complexity, in essense, making the computer sit up and dance is very rewarding. Occasionlly, I have come against the wrath of the department here, for doing activities which on the surface seemed dangerous to the integrity of the system. (Installing new kernels is generally a no-no, as well as testing kernel bugs by crashing the system) But after discussing things with various members of the department, things have smoothed out and they will probably offer me a position. Hackers are not a destructive influence. We may hog incredible amounts of disk space, but what else are people going to use it for. An underground movement at our university by us "hacker" types have people using more advanced debugging tools, more advanced programming languages, mainlinly because we had the initiative to go get the stuff. Sure, some snotty nosed adolescents will call themselves hackers and get thrills out of remving files. If they didn't have a computer, they would be saying things like "poo-poo" and giggling for hours. In the mean time, my goals are to spread information whenever possible and LEGAL. My software that I have written bears an agreement that it may be freely used and distributed for non-profit or educational use. I encourage others to do the same. | Mark VandeWettering | | member of UO-EXODOS - distributed operating system research group | | University of Oregon Computer and Information Sciences Department | | markv@uoregon.edu OR markv@uoregon.uucp |