This article was posted to the Usenet group alt.hackers in
1995; any technical information is probably outdated.
Re: Hackers vs. Crackers - the survey.
Article: 8892 of alt.hackers From: cr25@pmms.cam.ac.uk (Pooh) Newsgroups: alt.hackers Subject: Re: Hackers vs. Crackers - the survey. Date: 19 Oct 1995 11:18:39 GMT Organization: Very little. Lines: 136 Approved: Piglet Distribution: world Message-ID: 465c6f$j50@lyra.csx.cam.ac.uk Reply-To: Derek.Scott@newcastle.ac.uk NNTP-Posting-Host: apus.cus.cam.ac.uk Return-receipt-to: "D.Scott" <Derek.Scott@newcastle.ac.uk> Status: RO
Hello all,
I got this little questionnaire in my emailbox from a psychologist
who wants to investigate the psychology of hacking, with special reference
to the oft-ignored distinction between hacking and hacking.malicious .
Please forgive me if you feel that 30 question forms from stray
shrinks should not appear here, or if you've seen it before (did he send one
to all authors on this group?) but if you felt like filling in and returning
the form to Dr. Scott he would much appreciate it. As in the Reply-To
above, the
email address is Derek.Scott@newcastle.ac.uk
ObComputingHack: Because dinosaurs still roam the forests around Cambridge,
England, I still use serial lines to get onto the net. According to the
fossil who runs our College computing service, the thing to do is to
dial in with mskermit to read ones mail, and that's about it.
Well obviously after installing Linux I installed a 24 hour TERM connection
(didn't want to bother anyone about sliplogin) and discovered that this would
reliably fail after a day or two in such a way that the serial line was
completely
stuck. I suspect this is the same unreliability that led to kermit usually
failing to download very large files. But guess what, if I logged into
cus (main UNIX service) instead of pmms (mathematicians only) the fault went
away, and even occasional breakdowns didn't cause the line to hang.
However the 24 hour connection had to change because on cus (not pmms) there
is a hard limit on how long a process can run.
Small perturbation: at 3AM every morning the connection now dies and is
immediately
resurrected. result: all is sweetness and light, until next June when I finally
get an Internet connection of my own... No, can't be bothered with SLIP with
only 8 months to run... I even persuade my smail to sign itself bogusly
so it can get out without setting off security alarms.
ObPostscript: One of my academic colleagues (science subject too !!!) is very
impressed that I can actually have TWO terminal windows on my screen connected
to TWO
remote machines without an Internet connection. Wow, how on earth do you
get kermit to do that ??
ObBytheway: What non-malicious hacking type things should one do with
ones very own IP address, highspeed line and Linux box??
Well, here's the form.
Sorry to bother you, but I hope you can spare a couple of minutes.
This is a survey relating to "hackers" and "crackers"
in an attempt
to identify whether some of the suggestions
made by writers have any value. As you will know, many people
(usually journalists) have made various suggestions and statements
about "hackers". It remains to be known what is really
true from those actually involved. As a young psychologist,
I am trying to do some preliminary investigations into what is
true and what is only speculation. So, here is a questionnaire
which I would like you to complete and return. Please return
to either
derek.scott@newcastle.ac.uk
or
an410911@anon.penet.fi
The latter address will offer you an anonimity coding.
Some of the questions may seem strange, but do not worry
about that as there are underlying reasons (whether the
reasons are correct or not is debatable) for asking these particular
questions. Please remember that there are no "correct" answers,
so try to be as honest as possible.
Incidentally, your name was derived from alt.crackers or alt.hacks;
there is nothing
sinister going on.
I thank you for your cooperation in advance.
Please be assured that this is done in EXTREME CONFIDENCE
and that NO INDIVIDUAL DETAILS OR RESPONSES WILL BE
GIVEN TO ANYONE.
Firstly, do you regard yourself as a hacker, a cracker, or a bit
of both? ........................
Answer positively (Yes) or negatively (No) to the following
questions or statements
1. Access to computers---and anything which might teach you
something about the way the world works---should be
unlimited and total...........
2. Always yield to the Hands-On imperative!...........
3. Are computer "break-ins" ethical?....................
4. As long as no significant damage results, break-ins may serve a
useful purpose.......
5. All information should be free......................
6. I mistrust authority..................................
7. I believe in promoting decentralisation..................
8. You can create art and beauty on a computer................
9. Hackers should be judged by their hacking, not bogus criteria
such as degrees, age, race, or position............
10. Computers can change your life for the better....................
11. Would you agree that "a closed door is an insult and/or that a
locked door is an outrage"?............
12. Do you believe that locks (locked doors) symbolise the power of
beurocracy?..............
13. Do you feel alienated from the outside world?...................
14. Do you regard yourself as "zany" or anarchistic?................
15. Do you feel that you share goals, intellectual excitement and
even a social life with other "hackers"?......................
16. Do you feel powerful in hacking?.....................
17. Can computers change your life? ..................
18. Do you agree that "hitting the market-place"; i.e. "going
commercial" is the best way to show off one's "hacks"?
..................
19. Software is too expensive....................
20. I only copy programmes I wouldn't buy anyway. .................
21. There is such a thing as a "moral hacker".................
22. Would you ever use hacking as a means of
revenge?....................
23. Do you feel that people should respect you for your hacking
abilities? .............
24. Do you hack mainly for fun rather than personal
gain?..............
25. Do you sometimes like teasing animals?....................
26. Do you have many different hobbies?.............
27. Does your mood often go up and down? ...............
28. Have you ever said anything bad or nasty about
anyone?...............
29. When someone does me a wrong, I feel I should pay him/her
back if I can, just for the principle of the
thing...............
30. During one period when I was youngster I engaged in petty
thievery.......
31. I don't blame anyone for trying to grab everything he/she can
get in this world.......
32. I can easily make other people afraid of me, and sometimes do
for the fun of it.........
33. Do you believe that there should be no such thing as
intellectual property?........
34. Do you feel that you are just making use of equipment whilst it
is idle?..........
35. Do you feel that you are learning about computers in a
cost-effective way?...........