I was reading the archives of the Whyville Times, as I do for few minutes every day. However, the articles that I came across were not happy ones. You may have read my article on hacking, titled "Hacking Hurts". However, did you know that hacking is not just a recent problem in Whyville? It has been occurring in our town for several years now. Only recently has the Whyville Times sparked new awareness with the introduction of "The Scam Section". At least, that was the trigger that got me thinking.
You could say that it all began with Flower and Catdog, two Whyvillians that were allies in crime. It was said that Catdog and Flower wanted to kick everyone out of Whyville. This was because they wanted to be the only Whyvillians left (which does seem like a fantasy that wouldn't happen). Eventually, the damaging-duo composed a club of followers. Each of the members were to trick other Whyvillians by asking for passwords, personal information, etc. The good thing about this story is that it concludes with a happy ending. In the December 2, 1999 addition of the Whyville Times, Flower sent an apology letter to all of the citizens. It turns out that everything was just a "harmless" prank that went terribly wrong.
Truthfully speaking, the episodes that dealt with Flower and her posse created a great deal of commotion and awareness in Whyville, as did the articles on the infamous Skumbag68, which got many Whyvillians worried and thinking. Even today, I am not sure who Skumbag68 really is (since different articles approach the individual with different perspectives). However, I don't think the actual person is the key. It is more about the lesson that the reader should have received. In a nutshell, that hacker only helped us by providing more information and consciousness on the issue.
A person will never be certain why someone would hack, and I am sure that people such as the Times Editor and City Hall have their own viewpoints. However, the sad truth is that there are people who will hurt others everywhere you go. It is something that you cannot escape, no matter how hard you try. Providing awareness does help, and that is why I believe that the new scam section is something of a treasure.
Everyone works hard on their accounts and wants to keep them safe. The best piece of advice that I can lend to you is, "Don't give out your password to anyone", although we have heard this a lot. You have also all heard the phrase, "It is better to be safe than sorry". Well, I suggest that you put the two phrases together, because they might make a great combo. Perhaps you might splurge and super-size it! (I'm sorry, but I was just dying to say that.)
I think it is safe to say that no one respects hackers, and their time and energy goes to waste the majority of the time. Many of us don't even understand why a person would find joy in something that hurts other people. Personally, I don't think that this problem will end soon... as long as people who like to hack are around. If you are interested in reading up on articles that are related to hacking, try these:
"Flower: The Undercover Report" by Karra and Amanda
"Beware of Flower and Catdog" by Alicia
"The Perfect Krime" by Skumbag68
and "Response to A Perfect Crime" by Vixen68
I tried to choose articles that portrayed a variety of opinions and perspectives. These are only a few out of the many articles related to hacking and hackers in the Times. If you would like more knowledge on this issue, look up the word "hack" in the archives section.
I was just called down for dinner and it seems as if we are having pizza. What a surprise, we NEVER get pizza. Today might just be my lucky day!
TIKE
