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there's nothing about mangos or purity. It's just a name..
The Conscience of a Hacker
better known as "The Hacker's Manifesto".
A prolific and influential piece of writing, January 8, 1986
Another one got caught today, it's all over the papers. "Teenager Arrested in Computer Crime Scandal", "Hacker Arrested after Bank Tampering"...
Damn kids.
They're all alike.
But did you, in your three-piece psychology and 1950's technobrain, ever take a look behind the eyes of the hacker? Did you ever wonder what made him tick, what forces shaped him, what may have molded him? I am a hacker, enter my world... Mine is a world that begins with school... I'm smarter than most of the other kids, this crap they teach us bores me...
Damn underachiever.
They're all alike.
I'm in junior high or high school. I've listened to teachers explain for the fifteenth time how to reduce a fraction. I understand it. "No, Ms. Smith, I didn't show my work. I did it in my head..."
Damn kid. Probably copied it.
They're all alike.
I made a discovery today. I found a computer. Wait a second, this is cool. It does what I want it to. If it makes a mistake, it's because I screwed it up. Not because it doesn't like me... Or feels threatened by me... Or thinks I'm a smart ass... Or doesn't like teaching and shouldn't be here...
Damn kid. All he does is play games.
They're all alike.
And then it happened... a door opened to a world... rushing through the phone line like heroin through an addict's veins, an electronic pulse is sent out, a refuge from the day-to-day incompetencies is sought... a board is found. "This is it... this is where I belong..." I know everyone here... even if I've never met them, never talked to them, may never hear from them again... I know you all...
Damn kid. Tying up the phone line again.
They're all alike...
You bet your ass we're all alike... we've been spoon-fed baby food at school when we hungered for steak... the bits of meat that you did let slip through were pre-chewed and tasteless. We've been dominated by sadists, or ignored by the apathetic. The few that had something to teach found us willing pupils, but those few are like drops of water in the desert. This is our world now... the world of the electron and the switch, the beauty of the baud. We make use of a service already existing without paying for what could be dirt-cheap if it wasn't run by profiteering gluttons, and you call us criminals. We explore... and you call us criminals. We seek after knowledge... and you call us criminals. We exist without skin color, without nationality, without religious bias... and you call us criminals. You build atomic bombs, you wage wars, you murder, cheat, and lie to us and try to make us believe it's for our own good, yet we're the criminals. Yes, I am a criminal. My crime is that of curiosity. My crime is that of judging people by what they say and think, not what they look like. My crime is that of outsmarting you, something that you will never forgive me for. I am a hacker, and this is my manifesto. You may stop this individual, but you can't stop us all...
After all, we're all alike.
+++The Mentor+++
User Comments:Who:
When: May 27th, 2005
Says: all i can really say is DAMN STRAIGHT!!
Who:
When: June 24th, 2005
Says: I love it, that is exactly how I feel about things at times. People always treat the hackers like the criminals, when the real criminals go unknown in some sense or another.
Who:
When: June 30th, 2005
Says: Now, here is my say on this from a non-hacker and non-teacher/non-authoritarian figure.
Let me start with the second paragraph. Mentor mentions that teachers do not see what the students sees or what they need in general. This is not true. First of all, teachers first priority is to teach the basics and secondary information (high school education). And so what if education is boring, that should not stop you from learning. Most of basic education involves studying, rewriting, reviewing, and a lot of math (at least up to algebra). This is a repetitive process that is mostly BORING. If Mentor can find a better way to teach the basics then he should let his teachers know. Im sure at least one teacher will listen. Most teachers do listen and show empathy for most students. But the common problem is that most teachers have their hands tied behind their backs because of fear of litigation or loss of their jobs just for doing their jobs. And to make matters worse, there are bully students who physically harm/kill students and sometimes teachers. How can Mentor make teaching and learning fun with all that happening? You go to school to learn and not to fight or be harmed. Yes, there are bad teachers and bad schools but that should never be a reason for not learning and not improving yourselves.
On the third paragraph, Mentor mentions that he is smart or understands the schoolwork. The only problem is that Mentor does not show his schoolwork in any tangible way to the teachers. Teachers cannot read the mind of Mentor. The only way to prove Mentors knowledge is by presenting completed schoolwork (homework, tests, school tasks, etc.), performed by Mentor, to the teachers. If Mentor is really smart then he would know this and not bring this point up.
On the fourth paragraph, Mentor discovered a new tool. Thats right a computer! A computer is and it will always be a tool. It can be used as an aid for education, a library system, or for playing games. Mentor just does not want to be told what to do he wants to control every single aspect of his life so everything can be convenient for him. This is why he likes computers he can control the computers and it does not talk back or criticize him. Well, that is just too damn bad! In everyday life, we have to live and work with people who will from time to time criticize us. Sometimes it is good and sometimes it is bad. To be fair, no one likes to be told what to do but this is also life.
On the fifth paragraph, Mentor needs to get a LIFE! Young people, like Mentor, should get out and talk to people face to face. Socialization is also important in helping young people mature. Electronic or paper (regular mail) correspondence is not and never will be a substitute for socialization. It is at best a complement to it.
On the sixth paragraph, Mentor has a point. But as mentioned before, there are bad teachers and bad schools but that should never be a reason for not learning and not improving yourselves. Unfortunately, rich schools will always have the upper hand.
On the seventh paragraph, Mentor does not understand the modern world. Information systems (telecommunication combined with computer technology) are specifically designed to transfer and retrieve information as the user sees fit. It is not used to hack someones account or to break into a national defense computer. If Mentor can do it so can a terrorist/criminal or an enemy of this country can do it. Everyone on this planet has a nationality, has some kind of religious bias, and has a skin color. Just because Mentor does not revel it over the Internet does not mean it does not exist. It DOES! And believe it or not, it does play a major role in our lives whether we like it or not. And as for war, Mentor does not know history. If Mentor is a U.S Citizen, then he should be aware that the U.S. has been engaged in very few wars (civil and foreign) since World War II. He should look at the rest of the world. Dont always put the blame on the U.S. for world-wide economic and social disorders that causes wars.
In conclusion, no one is stopping Mentor from being curious or being an individual. But Mentor does not have the right to hack into any computer without the users permission. He does not have the right to criticize things he does not understand yet. Mentor has the power of the computer or access to the library but does not take the time to research history and social/economic causes for war. Mentor stays in his room and plays computer games instead of getting outside to interact with his peers face to face. Mentor wants control in everything but the modern world just will not allow it. At best, he can have control in key areas of his life like determining his destiny. If Mentor is going to criticize bad schools and teachers then he should be specific on what are the bad subjects/policies and teachers. He should not be general. You have to be specific so at least you can attack the problem at its source. If Mentor was 15 in 1986 then he should be 33 today. It looks like Mentor was seeing the world from a very narrow point of view when he was young. I hope he is more broad-minded today.
Who: Ellusionist
When: July 28th, 2005
Says: Wasn't this essay used in that movie "Hackers"?
---
from u24:
yep, twice, though they do actually say thanks to the mentor in the credits (right at the end)
Who: Darkangel
When: August 12th, 2005
Says: yup yup yup you really hit the nail on the head it's like your in my brain. Yeah they did give a shout out to the mentor at the end of the movie.
Who: Donn
When: September 29th, 2005
Says: Who is the mentor?
---
from u24:
phrack.org/archives/23/P23-02
Who: defden
When: October 14th, 2005
Says: yeah, ive been wondering who the hell the mentor is for a LONG time too, but i havent found anything on him(or her???) . And, to the person who says people like the mentor need to get a life...stop critisising other peoples choices, sure you may like to live in mainstream society, but some of us dont...i beleive the mentor has made many valid points.
"On the seventh paragraph, Mentor does not understand the modern world. Information systems (telecommunication combined with computer technology) are specifically designed to transfer and retrieve information as the user sees fit. It is not used to hack someones account or to break into a national defense computer."
I think you dont really understand the correct definition of "hacker" a hacker is someone who persues knowledge and skill in his craft, not someone who breaks into computers!...thats a cracker, and i dont really think you have any say on how the internet is used, if it wasnt for the hackers of the 60's,70's and 80's your computer wouldnt be sitting on your desk today!
"If Mentor can do it so can a terrorist/criminal or an enemy of this country can do it."
And is this justification to attempt to shun adanced technological knowledge!!??, grow a fucking spine.
Everyone on this planet has a nationality, has some kind of religious bias, and has a skin color. Just because Mentor does not revel it over the Internet does not mean it does not exist. It DOES!
Yes, or course everyone is different, but the mentors point is that communication over the internet allows you to totally ignore the persons physical appearance and see the person that is underneath. and as for nationality, i beleive it is totally irrelivant, we are all human, and that is all that matters....and judging by your tone,i'd say you display the questionable trait of patrioticness
"And believe it or not, it does play a major role in our lives whether we like it or not. "
It plays a role only if you let it...and if you do let it, i'd say you were a very sad person.
"And as for war, Mentor does not know history. If Mentor is a U.S Citizen, then he should be aware that the U.S. has been engaged in very few wars (civil and foreign) since World War II. He should look at the rest of the world. Dont always put the blame on the U.S. for world-wide economic and social disorders that causes wars. "
I dont think hes just refering to the u.s government in particular, he's just giving a blanket description of all the governments of the world, they like power and want to keep it, and information is power, so naturally hackers like the mentor are theyre enemys, the fear what hackers can do, free information. And the mentor is right, the governments of the world are all far more criminal that the average hacker. I understand there are exceptions ,but the mentor gives an excelent basic descrption of the hacker mindset
---
from u24:
"the mentors point is that communication over the internet allows you to totally ignore the persons physical appearance and see the person that is underneath"
you got it.
I definately agree with your points against pvillan, well said.
PS: just FWIW, the mentor is retired now, I believe he makes rather nice wooden furniture for a living these days :-)
Who:
When: December 8th, 2005
Says: to all those who criticize the Mentor i would like to say this...FUC* YOU!!!!
you guys throw out of proportion what a hacker is. a hacker is someone who is brilliant. this person could be a little kid and have the mind of a genius. but no since hackers and crackers get mixed up hackers have to pay for the broken plates.
with this said i would like to add, to all those who say that hackers are criminals and should be locked up and all this other bullshit get a fuc*ing life and leave the rest of the world in peace. you guys suck d!ck and to know what you are talking about you should first know who is who and what is what.
---
from u24:
hackers have to pay for broken plates?
Who:
When: December 9th, 2005
Says: Before criticizing the Mentor, you should first understand where he is coming from. To people in the world of hacking, I think Mentor connects well. Hacking is the search for truth, and to stop it is the real crime here!
Who: defden
When: December 16th, 2005
Says: exactly my point man, that is probably the best description of hacking ive ever heard. The search for truth, and those who try to stop it are ignorant fools.
Who: Merchant
When: January 14th, 2006
Says: Well, i agree, the term hacker has been abused and made a derogitory title. the thing i most agree with him is that we are just searching for knowledge, and truth.
Merchant
P.S. does anyone even know his real name??
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from u24:
it's on the wikipedia page about him.
Who:
When: March 20th, 2006
Says: you want to see an interview with the Mentor conducted recently?
visit www.bbsdocumentary.com
---
from u24:
thanks, much appreciated.
Who: Frank
When: April 17th, 2006
Says: There have been alot of views thrown about here, and they all have good points. But there is no point in arguing because it will get you nowhere. Judging othier peoples views pointless as everyone is different. That is all i have to say for now.
Who:
When: June 4th, 2006
Says: Tolle Seite! Hat mir sehr gefallen. Weiter so!
---
bis u24:
wunderbar! ich bin sehr gefallen das du bist gefallen. und endschuldigung fur meine schiesse deutsch :(
Who:
When: October 4th, 2006
Says: Heres my personal view of Mentor.
Ive read Mentors comments and the comments of his followers and detractors.
Its all interesting.
The fact is, Mentor is the reason we have schools and the reason they are as they are.
Mentor has a high IQ but thats all. Hes simply too immature to use it.
Regardless of Mentors actual age, I believe an adult can see that his comments are the comments of a child and as a child he desperately needs an education.
He appears too immature to understand the world around him, too immature to understand, if we all spent all day sitting around computers hacking, the world would cease to function sort of like his world where someone else had to buy the computer for him, pay for the electricity, pay for his housing, his clothes and food ..someone whos been through the system.
But if theres no real people that all just stops.
Maybe his ideals are not those of a hacker, just a parasite?
He appears to just sit there, oblivious, and keeps hacking, thinking this is great, this is where I should be while the rest of the real world works, in the real world, so he can enjoy his fantasy world.
Hes not some guru without political, religious or racial affiliations or prejudices he is someone hiding in an unreal and anonymous world with no experience or understanding of the world outside of cyberspace.
He appears to have no political, religious or racial affiliations because hes too immature and inexperienced to have developed any.
Put up your hand if you are still a child.
And he appears to be so immature he thinks hiding in cyberspace is going to, in some way, save the world so that everyone will live in harmony? ..Hey maybe we should try that one!!! What were we thinking!!!
Consider this. Does Mentor spend his time chatting with 5-10 year old boys and girls, old folk with no idea about computing, mums and dads, the smart and not so smart, the religious and non religious, the clearly black, brown, yellow and white or people with different political views or does he just stick to his own breed and remain totally xenophobic (look it up) to anyone whos not a hacker in cyberspace?
To put it simply. My guess is hes almost totally prejudice towards his own tiny group. And, as that group is so small, more prejudice than any other race, religion or politically inclined person.
And to you defden, who gave us a lesson on where computing would be without the hackers of the 60s, 70s and 80s.
Did you actually get Mentors message that he doesnt believe in the education system?
Do you think for one minute, the computer was invented and evolved to what it is today by a group of high IQ kids who had no interest in education?
Do you think NASA advertised for clever uneducated people to help develop space travel (the primary reason for computer advancement)?
Do you think Mentor learned how to hack by guesswork without the use of documentation produced by highly educated people?
A simple fact of life.. No education ..No PC.. Get used to it.
To Mentors Blog supporters Look guys stop supporting him
For those out there who view a hacker as a brilliant software developer and not a criminal you have done Mentor an enormous disservice. (Youre immature too?)
For the record guys, you dont try to convince adults that hackers arent criminals by implying they are illegally breaking into another persons data to find out the truth, thats a criminal act and places hacking as a criminal activity out of your own mouths.
(And its fairly obvious to me youre all too immature and clueless to comprehend what to do with the truth if you ever got it and to that extent you are far more dangerous than any person with a religious, political or racial view [I think we all already know thats a fact.].)
Which leads me to the conclusion ..
The primary purposes of an education system is to teach right from wrong, how to interact with your fellow man and how to think logically.
To me, Mentor and his supporters, have demonstrated an obvious total failure in all three areas
My advice ..get an education before you screw up your lives totally, youre in desperate need..
Karl
Who:
When: October 9th, 2006
Says: fuck yeah.
sometimes i wonder where this world is going, but i guess you are right. THIS IS our world.
Who:
When: November 19th, 2006
Says: Karl, no.
Mentor says nothing about everyone should sit there and hack.
You do not see his perspective at all.
He does not directly disapprove of the school system, only says it is overly repetative and monotonous.
We all know the world wont turn without 'real people' who do their jobs for money and everything else. After all, he is only in junior high, high school. What possible job in the world would he do to make the world work at that age? -- Perhaps for you, working at McDonalds is the greatest thing to do when you're in high school.
He isn't "hiding in cyberspace", it is his hobby and interest; to detest the computer world.
"Consider this. Does Mentor spend his time chatting with 5-10 year old boys and girls, old folk with no idea about computing, mums and dads, the smart and not so smart, the religious and non religious, the clearly black, brown, yellow and white or people with different political views or does he just stick to his own breed and remain totally xenophobic (look it up) to anyone whos not a hacker in cyberspace?"
Mentor says nothing about who he commutes with or spends time with. Nor would he care, it is only an ambition to seek knowledge and to test yourself.
Obviously you don't get the part where he says "After all, we're all alike"
Maybe Mentor has "no experience or understanding of the world outside of cyberspace." But the truth is, you don't have any experience or understanding of the world inside of it.
You keep talking as if you're the adult giving us a lecture not to support Loyd, and saying you've been through 'the system' and you have 'experience' of everything.
But doesn't that make you like him? He makes it obvious that he hacks a lot, however how do you know he isn't; a star in a basketball, or baseball, or track, or anything. Maybe he was young. But really, I doubt you are over 20 myself.
"After all, we're all the same"
Who:
When: March 14th, 2007
Says: I think discussing this is a little off. We all know that hacking is a criminal act and there is nothing to neglect that. What do we have laws for ???. Nevertheless. I am well not so much of a hacker but somethign pretty close so i think i can get a view about BOTH sides. When you talk about him turning away from our educative system, i think what you rather mean is that he turns away from our general system, which I personally think is nothing to be proud of. Learning something that you allready know and controll is stupid at best point. This neither makes it legilimate nor do i support his actions. I just try to comprehend whats behind these ( very well written and interesting) lines. If you are so proud of our school or educative system then tell me why 1 out of 10 students think about suicide ? School is a place full of predjudice intrique and subverse and active violence. Maybe You havent been to school lately or just have been at the active side of the executive violence but let ME tell you it is like hell (for some). Of course this is not what Mentor was about. Its far more at the other catch of modern school. Students get smarter than their teachers who do nothing but get more fat over the day and correct out of a "ready answer" book. Parents teahcers and politicians think that the acedemic struggles of hackers and gamers (yes there is a connection) lies within their passion for the computer. That is a fatal assumption and mostly used to cover up incompetence. The students see their teachers not as the respective persons they once presented and really were (yes there are competent teachers out there !!!!), but as imcompetent frustrated fat stupid bags of dung that does not tell them anything they could not have guessed (or learned by themselves). I dont need a teacher to tell me stealing is wrong i can read thank you ! I dotn even want to get started on the marking of smart students, but let me tell you folks there are some brilliant heads going down because of some ignorant teachers who have problems describing them what exactly they did wrong cause they dont know it either and just want to see one there.
So much for the backroudn and our brilliant educative system. But here i want to say that i dont judge every teacher on earth, by god no. I do have respect for quite a lot of them and they know that. But beeing a teacher does not make you a respective person you have to earn respect not study it. Hackers crakcers or gamers (yes there is a connection)how ever you you want to call us/them dont go on the computer because we dont get or rebell against the stuff in school, but we seek a challange and yes i even would even go that far and make a connection between a destructive drive and hackers and gamers. Gamers (often [I am sorry guys but i have to stay in generall here otherwise it will take me a lifetime to write this post]) like shooter games to relief certain tension or agression that has developed in their social lifes. "Grown ups" call that development of violence, but hey think about where it comes from !. Maybe frustration and simply no aknowledgement by their parents teachers. Here it comes that tehy often fall into the trap that they dont see the virtual world as their distraction of life but life as a distraction of the virtual world. But this is another topic. Hackers or crackers satisfy this by hacking into other machines. Now the seek for truth is not the only reason.
It is pretty useless to continue this because i neither wanne make it look okay to hack nor do i want to deem them because i cant. No one can and this is what i call freedom of will and mind. The real matureness does not lie within the actions themselves because there is allways some nobel reason and a convicting reason. No i think acting mature means to always ask yourself if what you are doing fits into your ethic understanding of society and life. If it does, do not let yourself be restrained but alwasy be prepared to face the consequences how hard they ill ever be. Only this way you can truly be free.
Now I realize that my English is pretty bad but I hope you can still respect this post even it just comes from a 17 year old German Computer Kid.
Thank you for reading!
W@bster
---
from u24:
interesting analogy between the motivations of gamers and hackers. I think you need to broaden your definition of what a hacker is, though, it's not just about owning boxes. As I've said elsewhere, most of what I do is not this sort of hacking. Hackers are mechanics. Mechanics can either dangerously modify engines to go really fast, or they can just tinker with engines and learn about how work. Likewise with hackers; they can either spend their lives defacing homepages, or tinker with new technologies in a non-destructive way. I think the latter is more rewarding.
Thanks for your thoughts.
Who:
When: April 8th, 2007
Says: Were brought up from different places yet brought together through the same principles.
To get inside a hacker is as impossible as getting to the truth.
However it's important to remember "it's not what you know, it's who you know"
---
from u24:
actually, I'd say it is "what you know" in this case...
and as for getting inside a hacker, just ask haxxx: insecure.org/nmap/nmap_haxxxor.html
Who: lomlrac
When: September 25th, 2007
Says: why do people put shit on other people we are all in this together, people post on forums to connect to the outside world , information , boredom , etc.
if you going through forums and you see something you dont like just keep scrolling there is no point in posting if it is to ridicule the individual and/or group , people hear about hackers on the news doing bad things, there for all hackers are criminals.
look at pharmacists, for example take half the shit they sell out on to the street to sell, your a drug dealer, so what if there a certified pharmacists doesnt mean the drug dealer on the street doesnt know any less he doesnt have a piece of paper saying he knows what he is doing. hackers are some of the smartest most dedicated people you will ever meet but there criminals becuase the t.v. told you so
Who: piotte22
When: November 2nd, 2007
Says: I love this txt, and i will agree on 1 thing a hacker is not a criminal because a hacker can hack and find a criminal and turn him in, but in the end the hacker is the criminal and the criminal is a good guy, so who am i, never tryed to hack never will but i will learn more, how much can i learn and say im not a criminal, but nither a hacker, and still know whats right whats wrong....
Maybe the day everyone eles say I am a hacker??
---
from u24:
it's not what you know, it's what you do with that knowledge which is important.
Who: Kira
When: January 4th, 2008
Says: i am one of those 10 students...
and video games do NOT equal violence in the real world. Have you EVER seen a newscast saying, "and yet another gamer has lost it and shot everybody from playing too many shooters" or something to that effect? I'll bet my bottom doller you haven't. Drugs are what make people kill and be killed. Not video games, drugs. Still don't want your (Insert relation to person in question here) playing shooters? Buy them a punching bag, and boxing gloves. it helps.
And why does age matter so much? Age is irrelevent. I've known plenty of "grown-ups" and plenty of children. The children are 6 times out of ten, more mature, responsible, and reliable. Age is another prejudice that only on the internet can it dissapear. I myself am an adolescent; does it lower my iq of 132? does it lower my reading lexicon range of 1200-1450? No. No it does not. Age is irrelevant. There goes my monthly rant.
Who:
When: March 15th, 2008
Says: drugs themselves do not make people kill people. lots of 'things' make people kill people. and what do you mean by 'drugs'? illegal drugs? you know exactly what i mean! and as for being a 'criminal'? well... sometimes that's more a matter of opinion...
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