Is Your Son a Computer Hacker?
Author:
T Reginald Gibbons
Posted:
Dec 02, 2001
As an enlightened, modern parent, I try to be as involved as possible in
the lives of my six children. I encourage them to join team sports. I
attend their teen parties with them to ensure no drinking or alcohol is on
the premises. I keep a fatherly eye on the CDs they listen to and the
shows they watch, the company they keep and the books they read. You could
say I'm a model parent. My children have never failed to make me proud,
and I can say without the slightest embellishment that I have the finest
family in the USA.
Two years ago, my wife Carol and I decided that our children's education
would not be complete without some grounding in modern computers. To this
end, we bought our children a brand new Compaq to learn with. The kids had
a lot of fun using the handful of application programs we'd bought, such
as Adobe's Photoshop and Microsoft's Word, and my wife and I were pleased
that our gift was received so well. Our son Peter was most entranced by
the device, and became quite a pro at surfing the net. When Peter began to
spend whole days on the machine, I became concerned, but Carol advised me
to calm down, and that it was only a passing phase. I was content to bow
to her experience as a mother, until our youngest daughter, Cindy, charged
into the living room one night to blurt out: "Peter is a computer hacker!"
More stories about Internet Idiocy
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The Online Social World: Internet Dating
Wil Wheaton Moves Beyond Wesley To Internet Stardom
Internet Licenses: An Idea Whose Time Has Come?
Writing Satire For A Technical Audience
Death Threats on Groups.Google.Com
Adequacy.Org Presents the Commonsense Crossword
Google Needs a Winston Smith
On criminal language and the word `hacker'
Avatars and the Telecommunications Revolution
Keeping the terrorists off the net
The Internet, Pornography, and Masturbation are destroying college students
More stories by
T Reginald Gibbons
My Children Will Not Be Attending College
America's Death Machines
As you can imagine, I was amazed. A computer hacker in my own house! I
began to monitor my son's habits, to make certain that Cindy wasn't just
telling stories, as she is prone to doing at times.
After a few days of investigation, and some research into computer
hacking, I confronted Peter with the evidence. I'm afraid to say, this was
the only time I have ever been truly disappointed in one of my children.
We raised them to be honest and to have integrity, and Peter betrayed the
principles we tried to encourage in him, when he refused point blank to
admit to his activities. His denials continued for hours, and in the end,
I was left with no choice but to ban him from using the computer until he
is old enough to be responsible for his actions.
After going through this ordeal with my own family, I was left pondering
how I could best help others in similar situations. I'd gained a lot of
knowledge over those few days regarding hackers. It's only right that I
provide that information to other parents, in the hope that they will be
able to tell if their children are being drawn into the world of hacking.
Perhaps other parents will be able to steer their sons back onto the
straight and narrow before extreme measures need to be employed.
To this end, I have decided to publish the top ten signs that your son is
a hacker. I advise any parents to read this list carefully and if their
son matches the profile, they should take action. A smart parent will
first try to reason with their son, before resorting to groundings, or
even spanking. I pride myself that I have never had to spank a child, and
I hope this guide will help other parents to put a halt to their son's
misbehaviour before a spanking becomes necessary.
1. Has your son asked you to change ISPs?
Most American families use trusted and responsible Internet Service
Providers, such as AOL. These providers have a strict "No Hacking" policy,
and take careful measures to ensure that your internet experience is
enjoyable, educational and above all legal. If your child is becoming a
hacker, one of his first steps will be to request a change to a more
hacker friendly provider.
I would advise all parents to refuse this request. One of the reasons your
son is interested in switching providers is to get away from AOL's child
safety filter. This filter is vital to any parent who wants his son to
enjoy the internet without the endangering him through exposure to "adult"
content. It is best to stick with the protection AOL provides, rather than
using a home-based solution. If your son is becoming a hacker, he will be
able to circumvent any home-based measures with surprising ease, using
information gleaned from various hacker sites.
2. Are you finding programs on your computer that you don't remember
installing?
Your son will probably try to install some hacker software. He may attempt
to conceal the presence of the software in some way, but you can usually
find any new programs by reading through the programs listed under
"Install/Remove Programs" in your control panel. Popular hacker software
includes "Comet Cursor", "Bonzi Buddy" and "Flash".
The best option is to confront your son with the evidence, and force him
to remove the offending programs. He will probably try to install the
software again, but you will be able to tell that this is happening, if
your machine offers to "download" one of the hacker applications. If this
happens, it is time to give your son a stern talking to, and possibly
consider punishing him with a grounding.
3. Has your child asked for new hardware?
Computer hackers are often limited by conventional computer hardware. They
may request "faster" video cards, and larger hard drives, or even more
memory. If your son starts requesting these devices, it is possible that
he has a legitimate need. You can best ensure that you are buying legal,
trustworthy hardware by only buying replacement parts from your computer's
manufacturer.
If your son has requested a new "processor" from a company called "AMD",
this is genuine cause for alarm. AMD is a third-world based company who
make inferior, "knock-off" copies of American processor chips. They use
child labor extensively in their third world sweatshops, and they
deliberately disable the security features that American processor makers,
such as Intel, use to prevent hacking. AMD chips are never sold in stores,
and you will most likely be told that you have to order them from internet
sites. Do not buy this chip! This is one request that you must refuse your
son, if you are to have any hope of raising him well.
4. Does your child read hacking manuals?
If you pay close attention to your son's reading habits, as I do, you will
be able to determine a great deal about his opinions and hobbies. Children
are at their most impressionable in the teenage years. Any father who has
had a seventeen year old daughter attempt to sneak out on a date wearing
make up and perfume is well aware of the effect that improper influences
can have on inexperienced minds.
There are, unfortunately, many hacking manuals available in bookshops
today. A few titles to be on the lookout for are: "Snow Crash" and
"Cryptonomicon" by Neal Stephenson; "Neuromancer" by William Gibson;
"Programming with Perl" by Timothy O'Reilly; "Geeks" by Jon Katz; "The
Hacker Crackdown" by Bruce Sterling; "Microserfs" by Douglas Coupland;
"Hackers" by Steven Levy; and "The Cathedral and the Bazaar" by Eric S.
Raymond.
If you find any of these hacking manuals in your child's possession,
confiscate them immediately. You should also petition local booksellers to
remove these titles from their shelves. You may meet with some resistance
at first, but even booksellers have to bow to community pressure.
5. How much time does your child spend using the computer each day?
If your son spends more than thirty minutes each day on the computer, he
may be using it to DOS other peoples sites. DOSing involves gaining access
to the "command prompt" on other people's machines, and using it to tie up
vital internet services. This can take up to eight hours. If your son is
doing this, he is breaking the law, and you should stop him immediately.
The safest policy is to limit your children's access to the computer to a
maximum of forty-five minutes each day.
6. Does your son use Quake?
Quake is an online virtual reality used by hackers. It is a popular
meeting place and training ground, where they discuss hacking and train in
the use of various firearms. Many hackers develop anti-social tendencies
due to the use of this virtual world, and it may cause erratic behaviour
at home and at school.
If your son is using Quake, you should make hime understand that this is
not acceptable to you. You should ensure all the firearms in your house
are carefully locked away, and have trigger locks installed. You should
also bring your concerns to the attention of his school.
7. Is your son becoming argumentative and surly in his social behaviour?
As a child enters the electronic world of hacking, he may become
disaffected with the real world. He may lose the ability to control his
actions, or judge the rightness or wrongness of a course of behaviour.
This will manifest itself soonest in the way he treats others. Those whom
he disagrees with will be met with scorn, bitterness, and even foul
language. He may utter threats of violence of a real or electronic nature.
Even when confronted, your son will probably find it difficult to talk
about this problem to you. He will probably claim that there is no
problem, and that you are imagining things. He may tell you that it is you
who has the problem, and you should "back off" and "stop smothering him."
Do not allow yourself to be deceived. You are the only chance your son
has, even if he doesn't understand the situation he is in. Keep trying to
get through to him, no matter how much he retreats into himself.
8. Is your son obsessed with "Lunix"?
BSD, Lunix, Debian and Mandrake are all versions of an illegal hacker
operation system, invented by a Soviet computer hacker named Linyos
Torovoltos, before the Russians lost the Cold War. It is based on a
program called "xenix", which was written by Microsoft for the US
government. These programs are used by hackers to break into other
people's computer systems to steal credit card numbers. They may also be
used to break into people's stereos to steal their music, using the "mp3"
program. Torovoltos is a notorious hacker, responsible for writing many
hacker programs, such as "telnet", which is used by hackers to connect to
machines on the internet without using a telephone.
Your son may try to install "lunix" on your hard drive. If he is careful,
you may not notice its presence, however, lunix is a capricious beast, and
if handled incorrectly, your son may damage your computer, and even break
it completely by deleting Windows, at which point you will have to have
your computer repaired by a professional.
If you see the word "LILO" during your windows startup (just after you
turn the machine on), your son has installed lunix. In order to get rid of
it, you will have to send your computer back to the manufacturer, and have
them fit a new hard drive. Lunix is extremely dangerous software, and
cannot be removed without destroying part of your hard disk surface.
9. Has your son radically changed his appearance?
If your son has undergone a sudden change in his style of dress, you may
have a hacker on your hands. Hackers tend to dress in bright, day-glo
colors. They may wear baggy pants, bright colored shirts and spiky hair
dyed in bright colors to match their clothes. They may take to carrying
"glow-sticks" and some wear pacifiers around their necks. (I have no idea
why they do this) There are many such hackers in schools today, and your
son may have started to associate with them. If you notice that your son's
group of friends includes people dressed like this, it is time to think
about a severe curfew, to protect him from dangerous influences.
10. Is your son struggling academically?
If your son is failing courses in school, or performing poorly on sports
teams, he may be involved in a hacking group, such as the infamous "Otaku"
hacker association. Excessive time spent on the computer, communicating
with his fellow hackers may cause temporary damage to the eyes and brain,
from the electromagnetic radiation. This will cause his marks to slip
dramatically, particularly in difficult subjects such as Math, and
Chemistry. In extreme cases, over-exposure to computer radiation can cause
schizophrenia, meningitis and other psychological diseases. Also, the
reduction in exercise may cause him to lose muscle mass, and even to start
gaining weight. For the sake of your child's mental and physical health,
you must put a stop to his hacking, and limit his computer time
drastically.
I encourage all parents to read through this guide carefully. Your child's
future may depend upon it. Hacking is an illegal and dangerous activity,
that may land your child in prison, and tear your family apart. It cannot
be taken too seriously.
---------------
Poll
I'm scared of hackers because...
They hack into NASA 5%
They steal things 4%
They are violent sociopaths 4%
They use amphetamines and speed 7%
They help Osama Bin Laden 14%
They're un-American 5%
They smell bad 58%
Votes: 11015
---------------
=================================
Here's the link to the real site.
http://adequacy.org/public/stories/2001.12.2.42056.2147.html
Author:
T Reginald Gibbons
Posted:
Dec 02, 2001
As an enlightened, modern parent, I try to be as involved as possible in
the lives of my six children. I encourage them to join team sports. I
attend their teen parties with them to ensure no drinking or alcohol is on
the premises. I keep a fatherly eye on the CDs they listen to and the
shows they watch, the company they keep and the books they read. You could
say I'm a model parent. My children have never failed to make me proud,
and I can say without the slightest embellishment that I have the finest
family in the USA.
Two years ago, my wife Carol and I decided that our children's education
would not be complete without some grounding in modern computers. To this
end, we bought our children a brand new Compaq to learn with. The kids had
a lot of fun using the handful of application programs we'd bought, such
as Adobe's Photoshop and Microsoft's Word, and my wife and I were pleased
that our gift was received so well. Our son Peter was most entranced by
the device, and became quite a pro at surfing the net. When Peter began to
spend whole days on the machine, I became concerned, but Carol advised me
to calm down, and that it was only a passing phase. I was content to bow
to her experience as a mother, until our youngest daughter, Cindy, charged
into the living room one night to blurt out: "Peter is a computer hacker!"
More stories about Internet Idiocy
Milosevic Goes Free, Thanks to Godwin's Law!
The Online Social World: Internet Dating
Wil Wheaton Moves Beyond Wesley To Internet Stardom
Internet Licenses: An Idea Whose Time Has Come?
Writing Satire For A Technical Audience
Death Threats on Groups.Google.Com
Adequacy.Org Presents the Commonsense Crossword
Google Needs a Winston Smith
On criminal language and the word `hacker'
Avatars and the Telecommunications Revolution
Keeping the terrorists off the net
The Internet, Pornography, and Masturbation are destroying college students
More stories by
T Reginald Gibbons
My Children Will Not Be Attending College
America's Death Machines
As you can imagine, I was amazed. A computer hacker in my own house! I
began to monitor my son's habits, to make certain that Cindy wasn't just
telling stories, as she is prone to doing at times.
After a few days of investigation, and some research into computer
hacking, I confronted Peter with the evidence. I'm afraid to say, this was
the only time I have ever been truly disappointed in one of my children.
We raised them to be honest and to have integrity, and Peter betrayed the
principles we tried to encourage in him, when he refused point blank to
admit to his activities. His denials continued for hours, and in the end,
I was left with no choice but to ban him from using the computer until he
is old enough to be responsible for his actions.
After going through this ordeal with my own family, I was left pondering
how I could best help others in similar situations. I'd gained a lot of
knowledge over those few days regarding hackers. It's only right that I
provide that information to other parents, in the hope that they will be
able to tell if their children are being drawn into the world of hacking.
Perhaps other parents will be able to steer their sons back onto the
straight and narrow before extreme measures need to be employed.
To this end, I have decided to publish the top ten signs that your son is
a hacker. I advise any parents to read this list carefully and if their
son matches the profile, they should take action. A smart parent will
first try to reason with their son, before resorting to groundings, or
even spanking. I pride myself that I have never had to spank a child, and
I hope this guide will help other parents to put a halt to their son's
misbehaviour before a spanking becomes necessary.
1. Has your son asked you to change ISPs?
Most American families use trusted and responsible Internet Service
Providers, such as AOL. These providers have a strict "No Hacking" policy,
and take careful measures to ensure that your internet experience is
enjoyable, educational and above all legal. If your child is becoming a
hacker, one of his first steps will be to request a change to a more
hacker friendly provider.
I would advise all parents to refuse this request. One of the reasons your
son is interested in switching providers is to get away from AOL's child
safety filter. This filter is vital to any parent who wants his son to
enjoy the internet without the endangering him through exposure to "adult"
content. It is best to stick with the protection AOL provides, rather than
using a home-based solution. If your son is becoming a hacker, he will be
able to circumvent any home-based measures with surprising ease, using
information gleaned from various hacker sites.
2. Are you finding programs on your computer that you don't remember
installing?
Your son will probably try to install some hacker software. He may attempt
to conceal the presence of the software in some way, but you can usually
find any new programs by reading through the programs listed under
"Install/Remove Programs" in your control panel. Popular hacker software
includes "Comet Cursor", "Bonzi Buddy" and "Flash".
The best option is to confront your son with the evidence, and force him
to remove the offending programs. He will probably try to install the
software again, but you will be able to tell that this is happening, if
your machine offers to "download" one of the hacker applications. If this
happens, it is time to give your son a stern talking to, and possibly
consider punishing him with a grounding.
3. Has your child asked for new hardware?
Computer hackers are often limited by conventional computer hardware. They
may request "faster" video cards, and larger hard drives, or even more
memory. If your son starts requesting these devices, it is possible that
he has a legitimate need. You can best ensure that you are buying legal,
trustworthy hardware by only buying replacement parts from your computer's
manufacturer.
If your son has requested a new "processor" from a company called "AMD",
this is genuine cause for alarm. AMD is a third-world based company who
make inferior, "knock-off" copies of American processor chips. They use
child labor extensively in their third world sweatshops, and they
deliberately disable the security features that American processor makers,
such as Intel, use to prevent hacking. AMD chips are never sold in stores,
and you will most likely be told that you have to order them from internet
sites. Do not buy this chip! This is one request that you must refuse your
son, if you are to have any hope of raising him well.
4. Does your child read hacking manuals?
If you pay close attention to your son's reading habits, as I do, you will
be able to determine a great deal about his opinions and hobbies. Children
are at their most impressionable in the teenage years. Any father who has
had a seventeen year old daughter attempt to sneak out on a date wearing
make up and perfume is well aware of the effect that improper influences
can have on inexperienced minds.
There are, unfortunately, many hacking manuals available in bookshops
today. A few titles to be on the lookout for are: "Snow Crash" and
"Cryptonomicon" by Neal Stephenson; "Neuromancer" by William Gibson;
"Programming with Perl" by Timothy O'Reilly; "Geeks" by Jon Katz; "The
Hacker Crackdown" by Bruce Sterling; "Microserfs" by Douglas Coupland;
"Hackers" by Steven Levy; and "The Cathedral and the Bazaar" by Eric S.
Raymond.
If you find any of these hacking manuals in your child's possession,
confiscate them immediately. You should also petition local booksellers to
remove these titles from their shelves. You may meet with some resistance
at first, but even booksellers have to bow to community pressure.
5. How much time does your child spend using the computer each day?
If your son spends more than thirty minutes each day on the computer, he
may be using it to DOS other peoples sites. DOSing involves gaining access
to the "command prompt" on other people's machines, and using it to tie up
vital internet services. This can take up to eight hours. If your son is
doing this, he is breaking the law, and you should stop him immediately.
The safest policy is to limit your children's access to the computer to a
maximum of forty-five minutes each day.
6. Does your son use Quake?
Quake is an online virtual reality used by hackers. It is a popular
meeting place and training ground, where they discuss hacking and train in
the use of various firearms. Many hackers develop anti-social tendencies
due to the use of this virtual world, and it may cause erratic behaviour
at home and at school.
If your son is using Quake, you should make hime understand that this is
not acceptable to you. You should ensure all the firearms in your house
are carefully locked away, and have trigger locks installed. You should
also bring your concerns to the attention of his school.
7. Is your son becoming argumentative and surly in his social behaviour?
As a child enters the electronic world of hacking, he may become
disaffected with the real world. He may lose the ability to control his
actions, or judge the rightness or wrongness of a course of behaviour.
This will manifest itself soonest in the way he treats others. Those whom
he disagrees with will be met with scorn, bitterness, and even foul
language. He may utter threats of violence of a real or electronic nature.
Even when confronted, your son will probably find it difficult to talk
about this problem to you. He will probably claim that there is no
problem, and that you are imagining things. He may tell you that it is you
who has the problem, and you should "back off" and "stop smothering him."
Do not allow yourself to be deceived. You are the only chance your son
has, even if he doesn't understand the situation he is in. Keep trying to
get through to him, no matter how much he retreats into himself.
8. Is your son obsessed with "Lunix"?
BSD, Lunix, Debian and Mandrake are all versions of an illegal hacker
operation system, invented by a Soviet computer hacker named Linyos
Torovoltos, before the Russians lost the Cold War. It is based on a
program called "xenix", which was written by Microsoft for the US
government. These programs are used by hackers to break into other
people's computer systems to steal credit card numbers. They may also be
used to break into people's stereos to steal their music, using the "mp3"
program. Torovoltos is a notorious hacker, responsible for writing many
hacker programs, such as "telnet", which is used by hackers to connect to
machines on the internet without using a telephone.
Your son may try to install "lunix" on your hard drive. If he is careful,
you may not notice its presence, however, lunix is a capricious beast, and
if handled incorrectly, your son may damage your computer, and even break
it completely by deleting Windows, at which point you will have to have
your computer repaired by a professional.
If you see the word "LILO" during your windows startup (just after you
turn the machine on), your son has installed lunix. In order to get rid of
it, you will have to send your computer back to the manufacturer, and have
them fit a new hard drive. Lunix is extremely dangerous software, and
cannot be removed without destroying part of your hard disk surface.
9. Has your son radically changed his appearance?
If your son has undergone a sudden change in his style of dress, you may
have a hacker on your hands. Hackers tend to dress in bright, day-glo
colors. They may wear baggy pants, bright colored shirts and spiky hair
dyed in bright colors to match their clothes. They may take to carrying
"glow-sticks" and some wear pacifiers around their necks. (I have no idea
why they do this) There are many such hackers in schools today, and your
son may have started to associate with them. If you notice that your son's
group of friends includes people dressed like this, it is time to think
about a severe curfew, to protect him from dangerous influences.
10. Is your son struggling academically?
If your son is failing courses in school, or performing poorly on sports
teams, he may be involved in a hacking group, such as the infamous "Otaku"
hacker association. Excessive time spent on the computer, communicating
with his fellow hackers may cause temporary damage to the eyes and brain,
from the electromagnetic radiation. This will cause his marks to slip
dramatically, particularly in difficult subjects such as Math, and
Chemistry. In extreme cases, over-exposure to computer radiation can cause
schizophrenia, meningitis and other psychological diseases. Also, the
reduction in exercise may cause him to lose muscle mass, and even to start
gaining weight. For the sake of your child's mental and physical health,
you must put a stop to his hacking, and limit his computer time
drastically.
I encourage all parents to read through this guide carefully. Your child's
future may depend upon it. Hacking is an illegal and dangerous activity,
that may land your child in prison, and tear your family apart. It cannot
be taken too seriously.
---------------
Poll
I'm scared of hackers because...
They hack into NASA 5%
They steal things 4%
They are violent sociopaths 4%
They use amphetamines and speed 7%
They help Osama Bin Laden 14%
They're un-American 5%
They smell bad 58%
Votes: 11015
---------------
=================================
Here's the link to the real site.
http://adequacy.org/public/stories/2001.12.2.42056.2147.html
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