Date: Sat, 03 Jul 1999 11:45:41 -0600 From: Wes Peters <wes@softweyr.com> To: "G. Adam Stanislav" <adam@whizkidtech.net> Cc: Bill Fumerola <billf@chc-chimes.com>, haodongpan@netease.com, freebsd-hackers@FreeBSD.ORG Subject: Re: how to start to be a hacker? Message-ID: <377E4C45.522F3E78@softweyr.com> References: <Pine.HPP.3.96.990702075306.20843F-100000@hp9000.chc-chimes.com> <377DB95C.448E4227@softweyr.com> <19990703113140.B220@whizkidtech.net>
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"G. Adam Stanislav" wrote:
>
> On Sat, Jul 03, 1999 at 01:18:52AM -0600, Wes Peters wrote:
> > > > You either are a hacker, or you are not. It is not something someone else
> > > > can teach you.
> > >
> > > This deserves a FAQ entry. What an awesome response.
> >
> > But it's certainly NOT something that you just are, either. You have to
> > have talent, but you also have to have experience. This is most often
> > done by a mentor.
>
> If you have the innate curiosity mentioned in my message, you will obtain
> experience whether you have a mentor or not. Experience is best obtained
> by trying things. It cannot be imparted by anyone else (although, it can
> be encouraged).
And, in some cases, disasters averted. I think all of us here have seen
a few graphic examples lately of what happens when the mentoring process
doesn't work.
I think being a hacker is a combination of talent, ethics, and experience.
I've known talented and experienced programmers who weren't hackers,
either because they didn't have the innate curiousity you mention or
because they were ethically challenged and used their skills to steal,
cheat, and destroy, which are *not* part of the hacker ethos. Hackers
create, crackers steal and destroy.
But I'm certain you new that. ;^)
--
"Where am I, and what am I doing in this handbasket?"
Wes Peters Softweyr LLC
http://softweyr.com/ wes@softweyr.com
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