I watched a National Geographic documentary about Hackers
this evening. This thing I took away from it is that it is an addictive
activity that even though hacking outcomes are typically malicious, the real
pleasure seems to come from the satisfaction of sneaking into something they
weren’t supposed to. It’s like solving a puzzle, or playing a video game, but
with real life implications. The activity seems like an adrenaline fix, only
for people more technologically inclined and less interested in doing something
sporting in nature like skydiving or racing.
Hacking is also a way for people who were bullied to get an opportunity to bully someone else. It strikes me as it might be less satisfying, however if bullying can indeed be considered satisfying on any level, since the hacker won’t actually get to see the reaction of those whom they’ve affected most of the time.
It makes me realize that we all have a need to feel like
we make an impact on this world, to leave our mark in some way or another.
Personally I prefer to do something that I feel can benefit others, and there are
some hackers that feel the same way in kind. The types of hackers that use
their talents to protect websites and provide internet security services are
commonly known as “White Hats”, as opposed to their chaotic counterparts known
as the “Black Hats”.
Like many things in life, we choose where we want to
stand, and what our legacy will be. I’ll stick with the hackers who put their
skills towards being productive members of society. My hat goes off to them.
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