Remaining Relevant

We've witnessed a great change in our culture over the last couple of decades.  But many of our readers have only been around themselves for that amount of time or even less.  Therefore it's important to look at what has changed so that some perspective can be gleaned out of what's been going on.  And for the rest of us, it's important to remember so we can also learn and hopefully plan things out for a better future.

People used to get involved in hacking back when the world of computer and telephone technology was just beginning to open up because for many of us it was the only way in.  Owning a computer was something most of us could only dream about.  And the telephone network was big and omnipotent and kept out of the reach of those who wanted to shape it and experiment.

In the early days, if you wanted to play with a UNIX system, you almost had to use one that you didn't have permission to access.  If you wanted to communicate on something bigger than a one or two line BBS, breaking into a system run by the government or a large corporation was a path many of us chose.

The cost of making a telephone call was almost universally prohibitive for anyone who had the desire to try and communicate with people outside their local area.  Methods were devised and shared that allowed those with a bit of technical knowledge, a spirit of rebellion, and a desire to explore the ability to make calls all around the world, not just to other people like them but also to operators and technicians who could help them understand the vast system.

Today it's a completely different landscape, at least for those of us in the developed world.  Hopping on the net and communicating worldwide is something practically everyone takes for granted these days.  It means nothing to access a website that's coming from another part of the world whereas in the past it would have been a big deal to see even a foreign newspaper in the library.  Details of our daily lives are shared planet-wide through our blogs, mailing lists, mobile phones, laptops, and scores of other devices and methods.  Contacting anyone anywhere at any time has never been easier or cheaper.

It would seem that everything those hackers of the not-so-distant past were setting out to achieve has been accomplished.  Access is readily available to most of us, communications around the globe are cheap or free, information on operating systems and computer programs is shared rather than restricted, and concepts like open source software, free access, and open expression seem to be flourishing or, at the very least, heavily in demand.

So where do the hackers fit in today?  How are they even relevant?

To answer this requires an understanding of what hacking actually is.  If you're of the belief that the world of hacking comprises little more than making free phone calls and infiltrating computer systems, then the relevance factor has indeed gone way down.  There is no long distance anymore; There seems to be little that is beyond reach.  You no longer have to be a hacker to figure it all out.  And since computers are now everywhere, all sorts of people are accessing things they're not supposed to have access to, regardless of their technical ability.

Whether it's a university that leaves the personal data of 90,000 people up on a website, a certain government agency that still has its routers accessible to the entire world using default passwords, or individuals who feel compelled to post an astounding amount of personal data and private thoughts on sites like MySpace, Facebook, LiveJournal, Blogger, and so many others - infiltration and the obtaining of data that we really shouldn't be able to obtain is hardly a challenge anymore.

To many that challenge has been reversed.  Instead of trying to figure out ways to penetrate a system, the task now is to keep from being victimized by our (collective naivete and the poor security that pervades the computers running our society.  Maintaining your own privacy, avoiding the many ways of becoming a victim, and ultimately designing better systems is the next step that many of us are already taking.

While these are all positive things to be involved in, they are mostly defensive and lack the real edge of what the hackers of old were involved in.  For those who have never experienced this, it's very difficult to describe.  But it's a feeling of knowing that you're into something fascinating that most "normal" people could never understand and that one day might lead to something incredible.  It's also something that is usually forbidden for one reason or another, often because the people in control also realize the tremendous potential and they fear the sense of empowerment that individuals might gain by understanding this.

Lots of people see the thrill in being involved with something like the hacker world because it's portrayed with a hint of insurgency and self-determination.  It's romanticized in our movies, on television, and in literature.  Even in mainstream stories, the hero always operates outside the rules in order to get the job done effectively, as well as to be defined as a true individual.  And for the vast majority of those interested in becoming part of the hacker culture, this is all that matters: the image.  That, even more than the changing technologies, is what threatens the relevancy of the hacker world.  It's the epitome of a rebel without a cause.

There are all sorts of stories that have been written about victors in a war who then have no idea how to handle their triumph because they never expected to win.  There are elements of that which can be applied to hackers.  We no longer need to struggle to accomplish those things we wanted, mainly communications, understanding, and the sharing of information.  Those all seem to be the defaults now.  In that regard we have most definitely won.

But luckily the hacker mentality goes quite a bit beyond those concepts.  Discovery never ends.  Nor do those forces that want total control over societies and individuals, those forces which we must engage in perpetual battle with.  As long as they exist - in other words, for the duration of humanity - the hacker mentality will continue to be relevant and essential.

It's difficult not to get sucked into the world of popularity, especially when what you are saying or doing happens to become trendy.  We've faced this odd problem for a large part of our existence.  We've watched many good ideas turn into vastly successful business models.  We've seen many people become insanely rich.  And we've witnessed the inevitable gap that develops between the original goals and the realities of the marketplace when "success" strikes.  It's not that bigger isn't always better.  The original picture, however, does tend to become obscured when it's surrounded by flashiness and mass appeal.  This may be fine for promoting commercial products but it's about the worst thing that could happen to an entity with ideals.

An interesting parallel is that of government.  Many years ago it was possible to be heard as an individual, even all the way to the top leadership positions.  Today that is all but impossible with all of the "protection" and virtual firewalls that keep the people from their leaders.  This is not a healthy progression.  There is growing and then there is growing apart.

We will remain relevant as long as we keep thinking and developing as individuals.  It's clear the landscape has changed and it would be foolish to not change with it.  But to say the hacker world is dead because there's nothing left to hack shows a profound lack of understanding as to what hacking actually is.  It's not a fashion statement or a fad.  It's not a bunch of people looking to break the laws and get everything there is to get for free.

It's a state of mind that keeps one in a constant state of questioning everything around them, whether it be technological in nature, a set of rules, or an entire belief system.  It's about adapting and experimenting, far more than most others would ever attempt.  And, perhaps most importantly, it's about sharing what you learn and what you experience, not just with fellow hackers but with the rest of the world.  It's likely most of the latter will have no idea just what it is you're doing and in fact may completely misunderstand your motives.  But perceptions change over time, one way or another.

We're always looking to hold onto our spirit here and to self-examine as much as possible.  This is why we sent out reader surveys to all of our subscribers earlier this year.  In the next issue we hope to be able to analyze the pile of opinions and suggestions we've gotten back.  The enthusiasm we've seen so far is all the evidence we need to conclude that we've still got something amazing here.