HACKERS: HEROES OF THE COMPUTER REVOLUTION

25TH ANNIVERSARY

By: Brett DelaneyLiving in a Networked World: The Good, the Bad, and the

UglyCS 408 Section 2

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Steven Levy• Born 1951 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania• American Journalist • Written several books on technology,

computers, the Internet & privacy• Published articles in Time Magazine, New York

Times, & Rolling Stone• Currently lives in New York City

ABOUT THE BOOK

• 25th Anniversary Edition• Originally published in 1984,

revised and republished 2010• Publisher: O’Reilly Media• Descriptive and uses tacky

vocabulary • Wasn’t always a fun read but

was full of technological information

WHAT THE BOOK IS ABOUT

• Talks about the digital revolution from the early 1950’s to the 1980’s

• Focuses on specific computer systems and rise of the use of computers by people outside of the big businesses and governments

• Contains information about big name computer enthusiasts like

Richard StallmanBill GatesSteve Jobs Larry Ellison

WHAT THE BOOK IS ABOUT PT.2

• Goes into great depth about the “Hacker Ethic”- “the belief that information-sharing is a powerful

positive good, and that it is an ethical duty of hackers to share their expertise by writing open-source code and facilitating access to information and to computing resources wherever possible”

- Levy discusses and views hacking from a beneficial viewpoint, as if it points out a hole in security for the company, especially if no monetary gain or theft is involved in the hack.

THE BENEFITS OF HACKERS& WHAT THEY DO

• Levy views hacking as a positive contribution to our society because he believes hacking can help show breaches in security for corporations or even normal citizens.

• Levy also says that hacking can help do great things for technology and the Internet as long as the hackers are not fixated on breaking into your computer and stealing your data.

• Levy goes into depth in the book explaining it might be worth remembering that the word hacker doesn’t mean criminal – at least not all the time.

THE NEGATIVES OF HACKING

• Levy doesn’t really focus on the negative side of hacking but critics would argue hacking contributes to

- Financial Losses- Loss of Information- Exposure of Privacy- Damage Reputation for major corporations• In the early years of technology, people never thought

second about hacking, but becoming vulnerable of an attack has increased drastically, especially with all these new inventions and gadgets.

HOW DOES THIS BOOK RELATE TO THE COURSE

• Hacking plays an important role in the networked world and was a topic the classed discussed not to long ago.

• In class we discussed three phases of hacking 1. The joy of programming- Early 60’s-70’s, hackers

first introduced2. 1970’s to mid 1990’s- Viewed as negative, started to

look deeper and analyze hackers for security purposes

3. The Growth of Web and Mobile Devices- Includes the problems we face today, spread of viruses and “hacktivism”.

WHY I CHOSE THIS BOOK• Hacking has always been an interest

of mine and I never really knew how it all began

• I never really knew what effects or contributions it could do for society

• I always thought the term “hacker” or “hacking” was automatically negative

• Never realized it had been an issue since the late 50’s and early 60’s.

• With new inventions and gadgets coming out, hacking needs to be analyzed and be taken seriously.

FOR ENJOYMENT OR INFORMATION

• Typically I wouldn’t read a non-fiction book that contains a lot of factual information, but the book is enjoyable if you are interested in learning the history of hacking

• Isn’t always entertaining to read but doesn’t jump around or throw you off topic

• I would recommend to a reader who is interested in computer science and learning about the ethical approach of hacking.