www.youtube.com/watch
Hacking into life…

            In the beginning of the year we began learning the basics of hackers and hacking. We learned several ways to hack that go beyond hacking computers.  These include: hacking computers, minds, bodies, art and much more.  In one of the books we read, Hackers: Heroes of the Computer Revolution, Steven Levy talks about certain hacker ethics that all good hackers follow. He specifically lists six rules: “(1) Access to computers…should be unlimited and total; (2) all information should be free; (3) mistrust authority—promote decentralization; (4) hackers should be judged by their hacking, not bogus criteria such as degrees, age, race, or position; (5) you can create art and beauty on a computer; and finally, (6) computers can change your life for the better”. The hacker ethic can be applied to anything from computers to simple lifestyles.  Many students leave papers, projects and studying until the last minute.  These photos will touch on how procrastination affects students and will feature photos taken…while procrastinating.

            The first rule/guideline as laid out by Steven Levy is that you should be able to use a computer for anything.  He also mentioned using the “hands on approach”.  The first picture shows a student on her computer and faded into the background is a phone taken apart.  The student can find an endless amount of information on line and use it to improve her phone.  However, Steven Levy encourages hackers to use this approach when they want to fix something.  In other words, don’t be afraid to get your hands dirty!

            The second picture has been hacked!  The rule/guideline that Steven Levy mentions this time is that “all information should be free”.  When you need to access information, you should be able to find it quickly and easily.  What better site to search for information than “Hacker”. Obviously, one his picture has been tampered with. The original site is the very popular Google. The only way to learn and experiment is to have information readably available to the public.  There are more perks that can come with free information.  Sites like Slick Deals and Whiskey Militia give visitors access to the hottest deals available.  Slick Deals has promotion codes and sale information for all different types of items; whereas, Whiskey Militia offers one deal at a time, but you are able to purchase the item directly from the website. Without access to free information these sites as well as others would not be running.

            The third picture depicts the fact that too much authority isn’t a good thing.  In fact, Steven Levy states that “the best way to promote [the] free exchange of information is to have an open system”.  With authority, this is impossible.  Levy continuously brings up the company “IBM” which is now part of Lenovo.  IBM to hackers represents the stereotypical corporate business man.  There is actually no picture here; however, darkness depicts the suspicion of authority and the lack of trust between hackers and writers. 

            The fourth picture has also been hacked.  Steven Levy states that “hackers should be judged by their hacking”.  This picture depicts the alter-ego that everyone has hiding.  In front the quiet shy girl and then to the left her hacker ego is captured.  In other words, hackers can be anywhere and anyone. 

            The fifth rule/guideline that Levy mentions is that “art and beauty can be created on a computer”.  The pictures shown here were random snapshots and with a small tweak (thanks to Adobe Photoshop) became beautiful shots of scenery.  Many of the best animations and art works are done on the computer.  Also, Levy believes that art and beauty are not limited to what we can see, but also encompass music.  For instance, the song playing in the background is called Geek in the Pink by Jason Mraz.  It holds true to the fourth rule (hackers should be judged by their hacking) because the song is about “geeks” that get passed by because they are not popular. Most music is edited using new software and technology to give the consumer the best quality and to mix the best music.

            Finally, Levy mentions that “computers can change your life for the better”.  The photos used here are slightly ironic.  The social network, Facebook, was designed to help students keep in touch with other classmates.  Unfortunately, it has become one of the leading distractions when students attempt to study.  For this series of pictures a student has been overcome by the technology that should be helping her and is now forced to study all night in order to fully understand the information later.  The technology that was supposed to help her, has taken away valuable time.  However, the same technology will help her find information faster and easier.

            Throughout this project different aspects of hacking were revealed.  Photos were hacked using Adobe Photoshop.  Also, the last series of pictures depicted mind hacking, as the student used energy drinks to extend her studying time.  The hacker ethic doesn’t only apply to computers and technology.  It can easily apply to life as a whole. The hacker ethic reworded into a life ethic would sound something like this: never be afraid to try something new; always tell the truth; don’t let large corporations run your life, you should be running the large corporations; don’t judge a book by its cover; beauty and art can be seen in anyone and anywhere; and finally the experiences you fear the most could impact you the greatest.

...its darkk... i dont know how to fix that..  but i made a lounge chair and inner tube!!!!

This semester we have learned several ways to hack into anything ranging from one’s own body to technology.  For my project I will be making an album representing what we have learned with pictures taken around campus.  The pictures will focus on the hacker ethics and body/mind hacking.  I feel that these two points are the most predominant forms of hacking found at Trinity. For example, many students procrastinate to the point of having to pull “all-nighters”.  In order to do this they must hack into their body with highly caffeinated drinks and short “power naps”.   I will also explore the different hacker ethics; one for example would be that all information should be free.  There are various websites that offer deals and special promotion codes that are usually only available to specific people.  Also, information is handed out around campus all the time. Finally I will find a way to depict that hackers should not be judged by credentials, but instead by their skill. However, I feel like a hacker art project wouldn’t be complete without doing some hacking of my own.  One of the hacker ethics according to Steven Levy, in Hackers: Heroes of the computer Revolution, is that you can create art and beauty on a computer.  Therefore, I will also hack into my own pictures by using programs like Adobe Photoshop.  When I have enough pictures I plan on uploading them into an online photo-sharing site like Flikr or Photobucket.  Since I will be away during finals week for my brother’s graduation, I will present my project to the class using Second Life!

Hey all!

Here is a link to my scratch project, I hope you enjoy it!
It's short but fun...well at least I hope it's fun!
scratch.mit.edu/projects/jamasian/479701

This past week we have been exploring the program SCRATCH it seems pretty cool, if only I could figure it out. O_o... I found a few projects that allowed me to play hangman or tic-tac toe!  Then after downloading the project to see how the user made the game I noticed it was A LOT more complicated than I thought it would be. So here's the link to play tic-tac-toe I hope you enjoy!
scratch.mit.edu/projects/SenatorPenguin/1425
scratch.mit.edu/projects/WarioX/462602
(the second one is impossible... as far as I can tell.. I have yet to beat it)
So my plan is to make a super tic-tac-toe....you know. tic-tac-toe 5 in a row!.. however that MIGHT be a little ambitious (i'll still try) but if not my back up plan is to do an I Spy type of game!!! Actually the more I play this I Spy game the more I want to try and make it! so many choices to make before tomorrow at 11:20... So little time.

scratch.mit.edu/projects/bosox397/172528

When I first heard about this website [PMOG] I thought of Stumble Upon.  Which is another site that allows you to browse the internet according to your interests.  I thought it would be great...until i got to the site... I don't see the point of all the extra stuff.  Sure the idea of 'leveling up' may seem cool..and creating your missions was a good idea, but I don't really get anything out of going on a mission.  When you use Stumble Upon it allows you to mark your favorite sites and sites you never want to see again! The site is plain and simple, I never get bombed or...mined.  However, that is just my preference-- simplicity.  A real problem that  I have with the new Nethernet are those PUZZLE CRATES that never have the right answer...if you don't type the answer EXACTLY right ...its wrong.
I also am not a fan of the new interface that came with the name 'nethernet' PMOG used to seem cheerful and 'chill' but now when I log on I feel like I am in a dark ally about to get attacked by some... 7th level.. wutcha-ma-call-it...I guess overall it is a very good concept and probably very valued by a lot of people.  But like I said before, I could do with out the pathmakers and missions ...mines and Dps and just have a tool bar that allows me to surf the internet when I please.

Sincerely,
Megan

Megan Chang

More Fun with My G1:

Unlocking the Simple Secrets of This New Technology

            In this day and age a phone is no longer- just a phone.  Even the most basic phone comes with options ranging from SMS messaging (aka texting) to cameras with video recording.  Not to mention the more technologically advanced phones such as the T-Mobile G1 (Google phone) that have options such as GPS navigation and thousands of applications.  The typical consumer simply purchases one of these phones for the novelty of having something new and advanced but most likely never takes the time to use the phone to its ultimate capabilities.  Okay, I take that back, there are hundreds of people who buy the phone and tweak it until it is “just right”; these people are often considered “computer nerds” and can even go as far as becoming “hackers”.  For those of you who do not fall into this category, don’t shy away from the new technology that you hold in palm of your hand. Just because the phone was sent to you ready for use, does not mean it has to stay that way.  For example, you might have a pair of dark jeans—they are plain and simple when you first buy them, but versatile when paired with the right accessories or top.  Don’t care about fashion? How about a cut of beef—why eat it plain and dry when you could have the finest seasonings soaked into a juicy slice.  The same thing applies to your phone—why would you only use it to make basic phone calls, and navigate through the city (with the GPS), when you could modify it or install applications that allow you to control your computer.  While this may sound overwhelming, the actual process is far from complicated and the results will exceed any expectations.

            The first step to hacking, into any technology, is to become familiar with what you are working with. The G1 runs on an Android operating system (T-Mobile).  First of all, an operating system is basically the brain of most modern phones. According to Coustan and Franklin (2008) an operating system is used to manage and organize the hardware and software of a computer, in this case the G1 phone.  The Android operating system uses open source software which means that anyone is allowed to modify the system and redistribute their modification (How stuff works, 2008).  This is why the Android Market has applications made by several different developers. As you can see in the picture to the right, the developers name appears underneath the application name.  Anyone can sign-up to become a developer and upload their applications. 

Note. From Rhodzy Retrieved from http://rhodzy.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/ 2009/01/2986371857-0bd06294f1.jpg

Developers are now even able to charge consumers for the applications they create (Android.com).

­­­­            Now that you are familiar with how the phone operates you should take the Android Market for a test run.  Start off with a very useful and simple application, the Flashlight. Although it may seem odd to have a flashlight on a phone this application can come in handy.  First, start by opening the Market (left).  You can start searching one of three ways. You can either; search through the application category until you find a flashlight (very time consuming, but a good idea if you want to familiarize yourself with the market), press menu then search, or simply start typing. If you decide to use the search option type “Flashlight” and then press enter, when the results appear you will notice there are several different applications.  Once again, this is a result of the open source software.  Since anyone is allowed to create and modify the software, several choices (some better than others) become available to the consumer.  Once you have decided which flashlight to install (it is best to decide by star rating and popularity) simply tap install on your screen, there may be a warning about access to your “system tools” or “hardware controls”.  This is nothing to be worried about; most of the flashlight applications have brightness setting which is controlled by your phone’s system tools.  System tools are used to control your settings. After the flashlight is finished installing a notification will appear at the top of your screen in the “notification bar”.   Select the application and test out your new flashlight!

            Now that you can navigate through the market try installing a more complex application.  Gmote 2.0 is a remote desktop application.  This means you are able to control certain functions on your computer (such as a PowerPoint presentation and iTunes) through your Wi-Fi network. To start using Gmote 2.0, follow the same steps used to install the flashlight, except this time search for “Gmote”.  When you have installed the application you will need to download software onto your computer.  The software can be found in the website www.gmote.org/server.  While you wait for the software to install on your computer refer back to your phone, press “menu” and then “settings”. Next select “Wireless controls” and then make sure the box next to “Wi-Fi” is checked. Then go to Wireless settings and connect to your Wi-Fi network. When the program is finished downloading follow the setup prompts to install it on your computer.  Then when it is finished installing, you will need to again follow the prompts to start using the program. After the program is properly running, open the application on your phone and press the button that says “I have installed the Server. Start Gmote!”.  When the program starts up, press the button that says “find server”. If you are unable to connect to the server you will have to enter the IP address manually.  To find your computers IP address you can right click on the Gmote icon on the tool bar, select “help” then “show local IP address”.  Now it’s time to use your new Gmote!  Press browse at the top left corner of your G1 and select the files you want to open.  When you are in the remote setting you can press menu for alternate settings.  If you select touchpad you can use your phone as a touchpad mouse. 

            After you have mastered the basic ways of improving your phone by using the Android Market try diving deeper into the software and exploring other possibilities.  For instance, shortly after the release of the G1, Google released the “Android Dev Phone1” to the Android developers.  Shortly after that, the phone was accidentally sent to none other than an Android Hacker (Park).  According to Will Park, dream_kill hacked into the Android Dev Phone1 and was able to “extract [the] unlocked bootloader”.  This means that he was able to expose the software that allows G1 users to use networks besides T-Mobile.  For example, the iPhone was made for the AT&T network, but when someone is able to unlock it, they can use it on the T-Mobile network.  Unlocking your phone is not illegal, but be careful because doing so will void your warranty with T-Mobile.

            UberGizmo (2008) gives step by step instructions on how to hack into the G1.

Step 1: Click here to download the unlocked bootloader (UberGizmo). If you are using Internet Explorer, a window will open that has the options; open, save and cancel.  Select save, then another window will open that is asking you where to save the file (see above).  In the bar at the top it should have your user name and then the word downloads.  Once the file is done downloading (if the folder does not automatically open) open the folder by going to your files and then selecting downloads.  The file’s name should begin with EngBootloader_v2…when you have located the file proceed to step two.  If you are using Mozilla Firefox, a “Downloads” window should open when the download is done (if not go to tools + downloads) right click on the most recent download and select “open containing folder”, then, proceed to step two.

N

 Step 2: Rename the unlocked bootloader file to “update.zip” (UberGizmo).   To rename the file right click on the file name and then select rename.

Step 3: Move the file to a microSD card (click and drag) (UberGizmo).

Step 4: Put the microSD card in your phone (UberGizmo).  Hold the phone vertically; there is a small cover to the left side of the phone (by the green call button). This is where you insert your microSD card.

 

Step 5: Restart the handset (UberGizmo).

Step 6: When you see the triangle logo (you’ll know it when you see it), press and hold “Alt” and “L” simultaneously (UberGizmo).  At the top of the screen you should see “using test keys” 

Step 7: Now press and hold “Alt” and “S” simultaneously (UberGizmo).

Step 8: Instructions should appear on your screen (UberGizmo).

Step 9: When you are done following those instructions press and hold “Home” and “Back” buttons simultaneously (UberGizmo).

Step 10: Allow the G1 to fully reboot (UberGizmo).

            Now that you have successfully hacked into your G1 and explored the possibilities of this technologically advanced phone, take the time to keep exploring, and installing different applications.  Try out the new Google Latitude (an update from February 2009) and share your location with your friends.  If you want to install more applications, but don’t know where to start, there are always “featured applications” on the Market home page.  You could even try to develop your own applications!

 

 

 

References

Coustan, D. & Franklin, C. (2008). How Operating Systems Work. How Stuff Works. Retrieved   from http://computer.howstuffworks.com/operating-system4.htm

What does open source mean. (n.d.) How Stuff Works. Retrieved from             http://computer.howstuffworks.com/question435.htm

DIY Android Development Phone 1. (2008, Dec 9). UberGizmo. Retrieved from             http://www.ubergizmo.com/15/archives/2008/12/diy_android_development_phone_1.htm l

Google Barges Into Phone Market with G1 and Open-Source Android Software. (2008,    September 23). PBS. Retrieved from http://www.pbs.org/newshour/updates/science/july- dec08/google_09-23.html

Park, Will. (2008, Dec 8). DIY: Hack and unlock your T-Mobile G1 into an Android Dev Phone 1.             Into Mobile. Retrieved from http://www.intomobile.com/2008/12/08/diy-hack-and-unlock-         your-t-mobile-g1-into-an-android-dev-phone-1.html

 

 

 

Throughout the mission the player will be quizzed on topics found on websites in the Mission.
Our mission starts of by giving the player a general idea of what an RFID Chip is and how it works.  This leads to potential risks and downfalls to the use of RFID Chips (and implants).  On the other hand, RFID Chips can be very useful and entertaining.  Our mission leads the player to sites with 15 top uses for RFID Chips.  For instance, the chips can be used in clubs to give people VIP status.  We end on a more entertaining note and information about what lies ahead in the future!  Hopefully by then all the dangers and risks of RFID Chips will be eliminated.

So in class we logged into a game/website called PMOG and were given the chance to figure out how it works.  I have yet to completely understand this game.  So far I have received a lot of dp's which I can got to the shoppe and buy things like light posts and portals.  From what I understand the portals help you create missions.  I've gone on a few missions and it seems like they just take you on a tour of different websites that are useful.  There are also these "associations" which... I have yet to figure out what those are for... I get points for going to random sites too. I think it is because people 'leave' dp's for people to find when the get to the site. I hope I get this by tomorrow!

Today we were asked to install a program called MindJet Mind Manager. At first I was a little suspicious, thinking it would be something like making a bubble chart on Excell or Word, but when I opened it, the program was actually pretty cool!  I started with the quick start tutorial since I had NO idea what I was doing.  The tutorial was extremely helpful and after I got a hang of things I began to venture out on my own.  As I was mapping I quickly picked up on shortcuts like pressing enter twice after creating a main topic to... create another! Seems simple but I personally thought it was "mind blowing".hah. >.<... Anyway, I decided to plan out my night. Aparently I have a lot more work than I thought, good thing I was able to use this program!  I really liked how you could draw arrows to related topics and put due dates and completion statuses.  I might even suggest it to my aunt who runs her own business!

A geeky, socially awkward boy sits alone, locked in his room, with his face lit up by the glowing monitor of his computer.  This is the stereotypical display of a hacker as defined by today’s media.  However, a hacker is much more than a geeky boy sitting in front of his computer.  Who even said the hacker world had to be limited to one gender?  A broader definition of a hacker encompasses anyone who is able to see a situation for what it is and explore, or create, new opportunities regardless of societal limitations.  With that said, there have been many famous hackers throughout history.  A very popular example would be that of Martin Luther King Jr. He saw the American society as repressive and prejudice so he made it his mission to find a way to change the world non-violently and effectively.  By hacking into society King successfully reached his goal of uncovering the truth of the American society. However, not all hackers have a mission to change the world, or even change a societal view.  Todd Wilbur, for example, hacks into popular recipes and attempts to recreate them for the general population to use.  He is driven by a simple human characteristic - curiosity.

            According to his website, Topsecretrecipes.com, Wilbur started recreating recipes after receiving the popular chain letter about the Mrs. Field’s cookie recipe in the late 1980’s. David Emery from About.com posted a copy of a 1997 version of this chain letter (which by then had changed to the Neiman Marcus cookie).  The letter was supposedly written by an angry customer trying to get revenge for an overpriced cookie recipe.  The letter was proven to be completely fabricated and versions dated back to as far as 1948, and used a popular name brand of the time.  In the 1997 version, when a customer complained about the Neiman Marcus chocolate chip cookie, the store didn’t even have a chocolate chip cookie on their menu, making the email obviously fictional.  When Wilbur received the original Mrs. Field’s letter he, like many other Americans, eagerly attempted to make the popular Mrs. Field’s chocolate chip cookie using the recipe. Wilbur noticed that the recipe was not even close to the gooey chocolate goodness that defines a Mrs. Field’s cookie.  He immediately made it his goal to recreate his own Mrs. Field’s recipe, and so his food hacking began.

            Of course, like all good hackers, Wilbur had to find a way around the extremely impenetrable security of recipes such as the McDonald’s Big Mac and the KFC Fried Chicken.  In Goldstein’s A Hacker Odyssey (2008), The Roving Eye gives a few pointers for an new hacker, some of which include “[playing on people’s ignorance and [using] all the legitimate resources you can lay your hands on” ; two aspects of hacking that Wilbur follows very closely in order to discover the secret recipes. One way he was able to” play on people’s ignorance” was to fake allergies so that he could question the chef about the ingredients. He also used all his resources very well and even went as far as too take menus from the restaurants!  However, these techniques only worked in restaurants where the chef’s could be questioned.  Wilbur has to use the old fashion trial and error method in order to clone mass produced recipes. Levy (1984) writes about a basic set of rules that most hackers follow called The Hacker Ethic.  In his list of hacker ethics, he talks about the belief that “all information should be free [because] if you don’t have access to the information you need to improve things, how can you fix them?”  Wilbur is a perfect example of this rule.  He doesn’t hide his discoveries from the public; however, they aren’t all exactly free.  He has 8 published books and countless recipes online available to be purchased.

            In an interview by Heidi Knapp Rinella (2007) Todd Wilbur’s wife Ellis said that former employees of restaurants will, at times, talk to Todd about his technique and tell him that what he is doing is wrong.  Wilbur’s response is that he simply doesn’t care. There are many reasons he has a plan to create his own versions of the popular food item, not steal someone else’s idea.  One reason brought to attention by Rinella (2007) is that restaurants and businesses have a lot more ingredients and industrial equipment available to them making it easier to deep fry and mass produce foods. Another reason is that he is trying to avoid lawsuits, and thus far he has thus far been very successful.  Wilbur has to be very careful since he is dealing with powerful companies and most of all, because he is unveiling a way around the secrets that made them so popular in the first place.  However, on his website, he states that it is not the secret recipe that is the key to success; it is the reputation of a company.  Although he is hacking into what seems to be the most important ingredient to success of these big companies, he started cloning recipes on a whim and continued as it grew into his passion.

            Levy (1984) also states that “hackers should be judged by their hacking, not bogus criteria such as degrees, age, race or position.”  Wilbur also exemplifies why this statement is true.  For one, he never went to culinary school and simply acquired a gift for picking apart recipes after years of trial and error.  In fact, before becoming a “food hacker” Wilbur had numerous odd jobs ranging anywhere from a real estate agent to a news reporter for various news broadcasters.  After Wilbur had found his passion in cracking recipes he took it on as a full time job.  When he created his website, Topsecretrecipes.com, it quickly launched to the 7th most visited food website in the Wall Street Journal. On the other hand McDonald’s website, a very powerful business consisting of countless professionals, was ranked the 8th most visited.  This confirms the theory that just because McDonalds is extremely powerful and filled with professional businessmen, doesn’t mean they will be more successful than a simple food hacker.  However, businesses still don’t seem threatened by his popularity as they have not threatened him with any lawsuits.  They obviously don’t take the hacker ethic into account despite the obvious fact that Wilbur is exposing their best kept secrets.  People magazine says that some companies, for example Pizza Hut, consider his imitation as “the purest form of flattery”.  He also doesn’t feel like he is a threat to the companies as he tells People that “just because you can make a Big Mac…doesn’t mean you’re not going to the drive-thru”.  This demonstrates one of Wilbur’s values of knowing and not stealing.  His curiosity pushes him to feel the need to discover what is in the popular food items; however, he has no desire to collapse the company.  Wilbur’s form of hacking attempts to quench his curiosity, and in a broader sense, he is able to quench the curiosity of everyone with access to his publications. 

            Much like Lenstra in The Uncrackable Code, Todd Wilbur has been able to crack hundreds of secret recipes and continues to publish a new one weekly on his website (“Noted and Notorious Hacker Feats,” 1995).  Not only does he crack secret recipes, but he also uncovers the truth about urban legends such as the Mrs. Fields chain letter or KFC’s genetically engineered chicken.  In other words, he doesn’t simply help uncover how to make your favorite recipes, he helps the big businesses spread the truth about their companies.  Even though Wilbur hacks into the big businesses’ secrets, he obviously has high moral standards and a lot of respect for the companies.  Wilbur, like most hackers, continues to hack into recipes not for the fame, but to satisfy his dedication to innovation and creativity.  A stereotypical hacker will sit in front of his computer all day locked in his basement. Quite similarly, Wilbur can be found today in his “Lab” in Las Vegas, Nevada cloning popular foods and feeding popular demand.

 

References

Emery, D. The Neiman Marcus / Mrs. Fields Cookie Recipe. Message posted to http://urbanlegends.about.com/od/fooddrink/a/cookie_recipe.htm

Goldstein, E. (2008). The Best of 2600: A Hacker Odyssey. Indianapolis: Wiley Publishing.

Levy, S. (1984). Hackers: Heroes of the Computer Revolution. United States of America: Doubleday.

Noted & Notorious Hacker Feats. (1995, September). Retrieved from http://www.byte.com/art/9509/sec7/art25.htm 1/11

Rinella, H. (2007). ReviewJournal.com. Retrieved from http://www.reviewjournal.com/lvrj_home/2007/Mar-07-Wed-2007/living/12905632.html

Secrets and Pies. (1998). People, 50(15).Retrieved from  http://www.people.com/people/archive/article/0,,20126588,00.html

The 1960's was a time of change, to America there was change in both directions.  Big businesses and corporations were making huge technological advances while the younger generations started to believe that freedom away from the technology was the best solution.  The youth formed a "counter-culture" to the popular technocratic movement.  The youth culture was extremely against the Vietnam war and very comfortable protesting the military actions.  Sexuality, drugs and other "free forms" of living were explored and protests to big businesses and technology also began.

When I thought of people protesting against new technology and the government it didn't occur to me that the people protesting could be the children leading a more priveleged life.  In other words the "counter-culture" started with university students who had access to money and opportunities. Nicholas Klar described the movement as a "self indulgent lifestyle of luxury, freedoms and sex."

After watching the YouTube video of Jefferson Airplane and doing some research it was even more obvious that the youth counter-culture of the 60's was very much against the idea of technology taking over their generation.  I found a lot of information about the 60's youth culture in an article on MSN (through Google).  The article mentions the band Jefferson Airplane and how their music AND actions displayed the beliefs of the counter-culture.  The lyrics of the song "plastic fantastic lover" personify a computer and emphasize the "draining" effects it is having on society.

This article, as well as several others, quotes Theodore Roszak's text The Making of a Counter-Culture and describes the technocratic move as being "repressive rationality" from the youth's point of view.  However, the counter-culture did not forsee the long term effects of their decisions.  Infact, there were few lasting effects other than addiction to drugs and the emotional strain of sharing multiple sexual relationships.  The benefits from the counter-culture are more potent today as a "greener" society has become more desireable.

In the movie War Games David Lightman is a young hacker that accidentally works his way into the military system and nearly starts a war.  When the character of David is compared to the hacker ethic, as outlined by Steven Levy, David follows many of the rules of a hacker.  One of the Hacker Ethic points that Levy makes it that "access to computers...should be unlimited and total".  Essentially he is saying that anyone should be able to have access to information and be able to fix something they feel may be broken.  Levy gave the example of someone opening the control box of a traffic light and making it so that the lights run smoother.  David Lightman displays this quality when he realizes that a new game has been invented.  He is highly determined to hack into the system and find the game when he eventually gets in he finds himself in the computer of Steven Falkens.  Later on in the movie David also is able to use scissors and a tape recorder he found in the clinic to sneak out and talk to Professor Falkens about "Joshua".  This is almost identical to the example that Levy gave of the traffic light.

Another point of The Hacker Ethic that is mentioned in Levy's book is that "all information should be free". After David makes his way to Steven Falken's computer he is very determined to get passed the password protection.  David talks to his hacker friends and they give him "free" information about how to make it into back doors.  Their advice is for David to figure out as much about Falken as he can to determine his password.  When David is given this information he uses the library as a free resource to figuratively hack into Falken's mind and figure out the password.  David had the idea instilled in him that if he could find information it was free for him to use.

A third point is that hackers should be judged by their hacking ability and not their age, race position or degrees.  When David is arrested by the military they immediately assume he is working for the Russian government since he is a young boy and shouldn't be able to hack into a military computer on his own.  However, they did not judge David by his ability, they judged him by his age.  This goes against what Levy said about the hacker ethic.  This also applies when David is showing Jennifer how he can change grades.  She is very interested in how he does it and wants to learn but since she is a girl he simply does it for her with out any explanation.  David didn't expect her to want to know how the computer worked.

Finally another point that Levy brings up is that "computers can change your life for the better". Although the examples given in Levy's books had a great effect on people's lives David thought that by hacking into his schools computer his life would be a lot better.  He was able to acquire the schools password and hack into the computer from home.  Once he did that he could change his grades so that he passed all his classes.  By doing this his parents were more proud of him and he didn't have to spend as much time studying.  Although this is considered very unethical to some people, to David this was a way to improve his life greatly.

I recently invested in a new phone...super high tech... super battery drainer.  After a month or two of using it I realized that my phone was dying with in 4 hours of me unplugging it from the charger.  So, I do everything that I can to make the battery last longer.  I basically turned off everything that was useful on the phone; 3G, GPS, Bluetooth.... I even lowered the brightness of the screen as low as it can possibly be.  Still, my phone died around 4 hours of use.  That's when I decided to call customer service.  After a half an hour of arguing with them about how I already turned off all of the good settings and my phone was still dying they continued to give me reasons my phone was dying, none of which made logical sense.
For another 15 minutes the customer service rep talked to me as if our first 30 min of conversation had never.  I could tell by how they talked to me that they didn't believe a word I was saying (that I had tried all their useless suggestions).  Finally they decide to tell me that the battery expectancy was only 4 hours and that I wasn't eligible to get a new battery unless my battery lasted less than 4 hours.  Ridiculous. I know. So, in order to get someone that wouldn't talk down to me or treat me like an ignorant customer I ended the conversation... dialed customer service and got a new rep.  This time I was spared the first 45 min of our conversation and easily given a new battery that actually just arrived in the mail!  NOW... as far as the broader version of technocratic domination I think that the world is being taken over by technology and therefore people should be opening their minds to the new uses and the new trends technology has taken.  They shouldn't leave tech support to the technocrats, if more people knew the simple ways to fix a computer or even the basics of technology they wouldn't have to call into customer service for simple questions that can be solved by plugging in a computer or changing a simple setting.  As technology grows technocracy will grow and eventually take over every simple task we take part in! =O

Hey! My name is Megan Chang.  Something that a lot of people find interesting about me is that I am Chinese and Jamaican.  I went to high school in Houston but just recently moved to San Diego.  I plan on majoring in Chinese or Asian Studies with some sort of business as a double major.  My favorite things to do outside of class are dancing, photography, just hanging out with people, watching movies and anything fun or relaxing :)