@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ @ @ @ HOW I KNEW WHEN I WAS HACKER @ @ @ @ BY: @ @ @ @ REVELATION @ @ LOA----ASH @ @ @ @ Written: 8/24/96 @ @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ I have heard the question many times, "How do I know when I am a hacker?". Each time that I heard it, I would ponder it for days at a time, thinking, how did i know when i was a hacker. It has taken me a long time to discover what makes a person a hacker, and what traits a true hacker has. I decided to write this file in order to help newcomers know when they have become hackers, and to provoke the thought of this question in the minds of the advanced hackers. There are many things that make us what we are. One, is the determination and the drive the gain knowledge. I had always thirsted to gain knowledge about computers. They have intrigued me in a way few things have done. My mind had flooded with questions about them. So, the only way to satisfy my thirst, was to learn. I enjoyed learning in general, and I could never learn enough about computers and the way they work. I learned about computer hardware, software, and operating systems in my spare time. I downloaded all of the information that I could off of the Internet. And still, I thirsted for more. After i had learned about all of the operating systems, the hardware, etc. I wondered what it would be like to actually operate one of these systems. So I began thinking, how could I use an operating system that I didn't have. Then it hit me. I remembered having watched the movie "War Games" and remembered how he gained access into a system. He was a Hacker. I knew what hackers were, and they also intrigued me. They were very mysterious to me. I wanted to learn about them too. And I wanted to become one. I had just gotten an Internet Service Provider, and I began to understand more and more about the Internet. I began going to hacking newsgroups, World Wide Web Pages, etc. I downloaded hacking text files and programs. I began to understand that hacking wasnt about crime, as it was portrayed in movies. It was about the pursual of knowledge, which is what i wanted in the first place. I began to take a great interest in this. I would spend most of the day, if not all, learning and reading about every aspect of hacking. Eventually I had felt like I knew alot about hacking, and I had hacked many, many times. I thought I was a hacker, but yet I felt like I was still an outsider. I was always nervous about asking questions, but than I decided not to worry about it. I asked alot of questions and began to make friends with people throughout the world who were hackers. I felt like I was finally being accepted by the hacking community. Then I noticed that there were some very good hackers attending my school. We started to get together frequently and traded hacking material and information. That is when I decided to make it an official hacking group. I named it LOA (Legion Of the Apocalypse). This also made me feel more like a true hacker. One day I recieved a few questions from some beginning hackers that I met on IRC (Internet Relay Chat). I proudly answered their questions, and I began thinking back to when I was a beginner. I remembered how difficult it was to gather all of the information I wanted. So I decided to write a beginners guide called "The Ultimate Beginner's Guide To Hacking And Phreaking". It is available now on various hacking W.W.W. Pages. These pages are listed at the end of this file. I sent it out to my friends and they in turn posted it on their pages. Then I started recieving a ton of E-Mail asking for the file and asking me various questions about hacking and phreaking. I answered every one of them with pride and happiness, because this is what being a hacker is all about. It's about the pursual of knowledge, the helping of others, and having fun. It is not about spreading viruses or crashing systems, like the public seems to think. When I understood all of this, and I learned more about computers in a several years then most people learn in a life time, i began to realize who hackers really were, and i was one of them. I understood that hacking isn't just a hobby, it is a way of life. You cant just decide one day that you want to be a hacker....you must work at it for a very long time. Even if you "retire" from hacking, you will always be a hacker at heart. It was then that I knew that I was a true hacker, and I would always be one. I hope know that you understand what hacking is, and that you will know when you have become a true hacker. Remember that knowledge is power, and that only the ignorant take it for granted. Maybe one day the government will realize that we harm no one, and that all we want is knowledge. I hope that i have helped you in your quest for knowledge about hacking. Check out these W.W.W. Pages on which you can find my beginners guide: http://www.sisna.com/users/Ryder/hack.html http://www.netwalk.com/~silicon/episteme.html http://members.gnn.com/ActMatrix/hideaway.htm Keep an eye out for the LOA home page coming sometime in October. It will have everything!!! Also, our quarterly online magazine called " Too Many Secrets" is coming out, so check that out too. If you have any questions or comments please email me, Revelation, at: revelationmail@usa.pipeline.com LOA/ASH Members: Revelation Phreaked Out Phreak Show Logik Bomb Silicon Toad Punk Phreak Happy Hacking!!!