Week 3-Hackers

Wow, wow, wow!!!!!
Todays class definately put on new spin on things and i certainly learnt something new. Hackers, who knew they could do good, I absolutely had no idea. (hopefully I'm not alone in this) Just to know that the term originated from the people who constructured the internet was almost unbelieveable. The term originally referred to computer/internet enthusist and came from - to hack code (make a code as short as possible to go as fast as possible. Secondly to hack in a system (which they did to test the system over and over again to breaking point purely to make their art(the internet) better and stronger for use the users. So thats what hackers originally referred to and there are even Hacker Ethics.

However the media has taken the term and referred it to a few bad eggs that spoiled the bunch and used their skills for evil, for stealing money or data that is not there's. So up until todays lecture when i heard the term 'hacker', i immediately had this stereotype in my head of a loner male, computer mad, alone in a room or apartment, no friends in real life, barely goes out in the real world who hacks into companys or governments and steals data or money. It's a perception that I think a lot of people have and this is because of the media and how they have potrayed this term, rightly or wrongly, this is how it's shown. We see it on t.v., in magazines, newspapers, the internet and films. A example I can think about is Bad Boys 2 (sorry not a very good example but it's the first thing i could think about) , the police use a convicted hacker to help in an investigation. He's wearing glasses, giving the perception of geekyness (don't think that's a word), very intelligent and is able to pull up data that's was virtually impossible to access. Media has showed only this side in the media, it leaves out the history of the word and that there are good hackers (white hat) and not only the criminals (black hat)