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It says in the article that the administration at MIT has had a "crackdown" on these "hacks"? Pardon my language, but, are you fucking joking? If this is true
by blhack 17y ago
It says in the article that the administration at MIT has had a "crackdown" on these "hacks"?
Pardon my language, but, are you fucking joking? If this is true, it is one of the most depressing things I have heard in a while. To me, these "hacks" represented a seemingly long standing tradition of "let the geniuses do whatever the hell they want, they're geniuses!".
This doesn't hurt anybody, doesn't damage anything, why on god's earth would you ever want to punish them? If nothing else, this is bringing more good publicity to the school. These sorts of things are exactly the reason that I daydream about being able to go to a place like MIT.
'Tis is a sad state of affairs if these people are looked at as scoundrels and not heros.
- albertsun 17y agoI doubt it. The admissions office uses these hacks as a recruiting tool. There's a big long corridor documenting famous hacks from the past that they take all tour groups through.
- cesare 17y agoI agree that they shouldn't be punished or anything. But calling them heroes is a bit of a stretch.
- dfranke 17y agoI agree that they shouldn't be punished or anything. They shouldn't be punished in any way severe enough to screw up their future or their academic career. But I think it's important to keep hacking illicit and therefore require that it take a bit of courage to pull off. It serves as a quality filter and keeps the art from degenerating into stupid frat pranks.
- akd 17y agoAlso, the fact that everyone knows that it's a bit difficult ($500 fine for being caught on the roof, locked doors, etc.) makes the hacks more impressive when they do happen.
- blhack 17y agoBut calling them heroes is a bit of a stretch. And why is that? Football players earn the title of "hero". (at least at ASU they do). Why should intellectual accomplishments be any less note-worthy than physical ones?
- dfranke 17y agoThey're both a stretch. Hero: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norman_Borlaug http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norman_Borlaug Hero: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liviu_Librescu http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liviu_Librescu Hero: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wesley_Autrey http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wesley_Autrey MIT dome hackers: not heroes. ASU football players: not heroes.
- blhack 17y agoFair enough.
- dfranke 17y agoThe administration has always gone through the motions of trying to stop hackers. Evading them has always been part of the game. Those caught usually get a citation for trespassing, but certain professors have a history of covering the fines for them.
- dagw 17y agoI imagine that if these hacks where officially sanctioned and supported by the administration then they'd lose a lot of their charm and appeal. I also imagine the crackdown is more for show than any actual serious attempt to stop them. Also sometimes kids get carried away and cannot fully think through their actions. My university had to crack down on these sort pranks or hacks after they escalated to the point where one caused several thousands of dollars of damage to public property . Just because you're a "genius" doesn't mean you have much common sense. However the crackdown wasn't an all out ban just stern warning that being stupid about it wouldn't be tolerated.