:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: :::: We, the People proudly Present :::: :: :: :: The Cyberspace Chronicle Volume 1, number 1 :: :: :: :: Brought to you by Phardak :: :::: :::: :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: First off, Welcome! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Carrying on a war against misinformation and injustice is hardly something I can do by myself. If you wish to contribute to this magazine, telnet to MARS hotel (130.18.64.3 log in as bbs) and send mail to DigitalBishop. It's cumbersome but seeing as how I have no real internet address, it'll do. This magazine speaks out for the rights of those who have been injusticed by the likes of Tom Forester, the US Government, and Bell Security. Once again, speaking out for hackers' rights is risky and hence the alias. Such is another injustice. For did someone not say, long ago, that "all men were created equal"? If you are going to submit something to me, make the subject either Personal (to me personally), Letters to the Editor (which may be reprinted herein), or Submission (an article which may be used). This will provide some distinction. Part 1: Tom Forester, the computer nerd ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Mister Forester and his hippocritical words piss me off. This word's for you, Tom. I'm not going to resort to name calling or generalizations, look where they got Tom! Everyone who gains access to a computer system through unintended channels is NOT vandalizing it. Vandalizing would include leaving notes or modifying data, which is simply not done by those whom I would call "hackers". Tom Forester states that hackers did damage to the E911 system, which routes and handles 911 calls. THESE HACKERS DID NO SUCH THING. They distributed a file describing how such calls are handled to the public. This document was later found to be public access information. In other words, Mister Forester has blown distribution of information out of proportion into maliciously damaging a system. Not quite the same, Tom. Tom, you will probably be greatly disillusioned by this, but I am not a social outcast. I have girlfriends and accquaintances just like other people. Normal people, if you will. I do not wear glasses, I do not wear plaid (God I hate plaid), and I don't have a pocket protector. Right now I am wearing a Metallica T-Shirt and some old jeans. Whoops, that makes me a heavy metal fan. Do I worship Satan too? I am not mad at society, nor do I take said anger out on systems by means of hacking. I have only had one pizza delivered to this house in all the years I have been alive, I rarely drink carbonated beverages, and eat even fewer snacks. Generalization contributes to racism, Mr. Forester. It is now also a cause of discrimination against hackers. Where were we? Oh yes, my computer skills are mediocre. I've been using computers since I was 4, that gives me 10 years of experience, plus mastery of C, Pascal, 6502 and 65816 assembly language, not to mention higher level languages like BASIC, Logo, etc. and partial mastery of 80x86 AT Assembly language. One again, a generalization. Also, Mr. Forester, it is time to clamp down on hacking and throw all these nerds in jail. This was based on your words and generalizations, not mine. Why do I hack? To free information from Illuminati hands, to show system administrators their security holes. Ask Prarie States Marketing of Lenexa, KS if any harm was done to their system. No, I left a little note to them showing them all the security holes they had. When I came back, they had patched these holes. Maybe it's also a game of chess for me, outwitting the sysop. The idea of Pawn takes King always appealed to me. There are many definitions of 'hacking'. My personal definition, is any person who obtains access to a system through unauthorized channels and does not damage the system. It stands to reason, however, that hackers modify security logs to ensure their safety, lest Big Brother and his injustices come knocking at your door. When the public thinks of hacking, they will think of someone who 'breaks in' to a top secret computer and trashes everything. This guy would not be a hacker, but would be an outcast of any hacker community as would anyone else who damages a system, or creates viruses. This sort of thing is not tolerated anywhere in the world, Forester, not even by those uncouth, nerdly hackers. You also have the media to thank for that misleading definition of 'hacker'. God, I could go on forever, but I think I'll stop here, Forester. Tom Forester is not a psychologist, neither is he an ethicist, nor is he an anylist. Other than that, he's a good writer, I want you to know. ** If you reading this have anything to say to Forester to be printed in the next issue, or anything to say to me, please send it. Part 2: Definition of a hacker ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ What is a hacker, to clarify the word? A hacker is someone who: -> NEVER damages any system -> USUALLY tells the system operator of security holes one he has finished -> ALWAYS gains access thru unauthorized channels 'Nuff said? Undoubtedly, I forgot a few. Mail them to me. Part 3: A parting thought (and a poor choice of words!) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ If I left anything unsaid, write an article. Hello to the Computer Underground Digest, The EFF, Knight Lightning, and the MECH. Expect future issues to be lengthier than this one.. You'll hear more from me soon. - Phardak