http://digitalethics.org/essays/good-reasons-hire-hacker/
The above article by Owen King was a very welcome read in my opinion. I have often wondered many of the same things that he mentioned in the article over the years. It's fascinating really, to think about the kind of times we are living right now; that there are actually outlets... DIGITAL outlets, like the websites brought up in the article, where people can go and hire hackers to help them with their DIGITAL problems or concerns. In a sense, these hackers-for-hire are like cyber plumbers and handymen. At least, that is if they are used constructively, as mentioned by King. Certainly, it's an almost scary thought hiring someone to bypass system securities or whatever it is they may do to assist you with your computer or digital system. However, this is not necessarily a bad thing. hacking can be very beneficial for some people, despite the gut reaction some people may get when hearing the word "hacker" and immediately jumping to the conclusion that thy will steal loads of data and information and spread it to the world to see, much like the cases with Target and Sony.
One main point I thought of while reading the article was brought up in a related article on CNBC's website. In the same way that some prisons have used prisoners who escaped in order to find weaknesses and better secure the prison, some companies have begun hiring hackers to better secure the company's network. Hackers are also being used in counter-terrorist efforts in order to try and find out about attacks before they happen, among countless other reasons. "The domain that you protect, cyberspace, is presenting us with some of the most profound challenges," he said. "While you may not be at risk in the way that the forces are — physical risk in the way our — in Afghanistan, we are requiring from you a comparable level of professionalism, excellence, dedication. And I know you show all that, but we count on it, because you really are on the front lines" (http://www.cnbc.com/2015/11/17/companies-are-starting-to-hire-many-more-hackers.html).
In these ways, the hackers are extremely helpful because they tend to know much more about computers and cyberspace than the owners of the companies. In my opinion, the best defense against a hacker is another hacker. It's important that companies, as well as the government begin taking steps forward with cyber security measures. In today's day and age, threats against people are more and more possible and harmful online. Without proper protection, the destructive hackers out there will continue their attacks uninhibited. The digital age came about and has evolved at an almost unbelievably fast rate, but digital security has not kept up at the same pace. It's vital to make sure constructive hackers can thrive and can help us in the fight against destructive hackers.
Monday, March 28, 2016
Tuesday, March 22, 2016
Memorial Page Trolling
http://firstmonday.org/ojs/index.php/fm/article/view/3168/3115
After reading the above article by Whitney Phillips, the only way I can really describe my reaction is merely "not surprised."The article described the wonderfully cynical new trolling fad where people make crude comments and memes stemming from a tragic incident, like the Chelsea King rape and murder. People see these circumstances as a glorious opening to test out their wit in the hopes of getting likes or fame or whatever the hell is gained from using some one's nightmare for their own personal gain. Despite how grotesque and shameful these trolls' actions are, I say I'm not surprised because unfortunately I have come to expect people on the internet, and even in person, to act like this. People only ever seem to care about themselves and their own interests. I have, maybe unfortunately, developed a cynical view that there are no selfless acts. Everything people do is, at heart, in their own self interest. This complex is multiplied in these trolls who seem to think that degrading an innocent life that was taken away is somehow acceptable. Whitney Phillips is the well known author behind "This is Why We Can't Have Nice Things." This book details many more instances of trolling taken to another level. This includes similar incidents as the one described in the Chelsea King case. There was a case of a boy who killed himself over something video game related and after the initial attempt to make memorial pages for him online, they were quickly outnumbered by pages dedicated to making memes out of it. Trolls had a field day with the fact that someone would kill themselves over something like a video game. They didn't care about the fact that a kid had lost his life due to a possible case of depression. They only cared about getting noticed and making a joke out of a terrible situation. The problem with these memorial trolls is that they take attention from real issues at hand, such as depression, suicide, and, in the case of Chelsea King, rape. Instead they pull the focus towards themselves and distract from a meaningful life that had been taken away. In my opinion it is shameful and needless. I understand comedy is needed in our lives but attacking victims and making a joke out of their lives is pretty tasteless in terms of how these trolls handle it. Memorial page trolling has no place online. But once again, I cannot say that I am surprised.
After reading the above article by Whitney Phillips, the only way I can really describe my reaction is merely "not surprised."The article described the wonderfully cynical new trolling fad where people make crude comments and memes stemming from a tragic incident, like the Chelsea King rape and murder. People see these circumstances as a glorious opening to test out their wit in the hopes of getting likes or fame or whatever the hell is gained from using some one's nightmare for their own personal gain. Despite how grotesque and shameful these trolls' actions are, I say I'm not surprised because unfortunately I have come to expect people on the internet, and even in person, to act like this. People only ever seem to care about themselves and their own interests. I have, maybe unfortunately, developed a cynical view that there are no selfless acts. Everything people do is, at heart, in their own self interest. This complex is multiplied in these trolls who seem to think that degrading an innocent life that was taken away is somehow acceptable. Whitney Phillips is the well known author behind "This is Why We Can't Have Nice Things." This book details many more instances of trolling taken to another level. This includes similar incidents as the one described in the Chelsea King case. There was a case of a boy who killed himself over something video game related and after the initial attempt to make memorial pages for him online, they were quickly outnumbered by pages dedicated to making memes out of it. Trolls had a field day with the fact that someone would kill themselves over something like a video game. They didn't care about the fact that a kid had lost his life due to a possible case of depression. They only cared about getting noticed and making a joke out of a terrible situation. The problem with these memorial trolls is that they take attention from real issues at hand, such as depression, suicide, and, in the case of Chelsea King, rape. Instead they pull the focus towards themselves and distract from a meaningful life that had been taken away. In my opinion it is shameful and needless. I understand comedy is needed in our lives but attacking victims and making a joke out of their lives is pretty tasteless in terms of how these trolls handle it. Memorial page trolling has no place online. But once again, I cannot say that I am surprised.
Tuesday, March 15, 2016
A Rape in Cyberspace?
http://www.juliandibbell.com/articles/a-rape-in-cyberspace/
What is cyber rape? This is the question that first presented itself to me after reading the above article, describing the LamdaMOO incident with the infamous Mr. Bungle years ago. It was a very interesting and thought provoking piece to read. It was one that certainly caused a lot of back-and-forth for me as well as outright disgust that people like exist. The main issue came down to whether or not Mr. Bungle's actions should be classified as legitimate rape.
To try and answer the question I guess it would be necessary to determine what "cyber rape" actually is. after looking at various websites, the most common answer I could find is the very blunt "a rape that takes place on the internet." What it boils down to is any time sexual advances are made towards someone online who does not wish for those advances to be made. This was certainly the case on LambdaMOO in the late 90's where this case takes place. By Mr. Bungle subjecting these other players to demeaning sexual behavior on the internet without them having any control, he was very clearly cyber raping them. A similar case took place in Douglas County, Georgia last year when a man was on trial for cyber rape of his ex girlfriend. He had released multiple intimate pictures of his ex girlfriend online in an attempt to humiliate her. The judge ruled it as an act of cyber rape and granted a warrant for his arrest (http://www.wsbtv.com/news/local/judge-issues-warrant-man-accused-cyber-rape/27306268).
My struggle comes when deciding whether or not cyber rape is equal to real life rape. I certainly think they are on two different levels. Of course cyber rape is harmful and scarring and there is no place for it on the internet. However, real life rape is a much different animal. It is both a mentally AND physically painful experience. I don't personally think the two compare very closely. Again, cyber rape is utterly disturbing and feral in its own way and should certainly not be taken lightly. I just happen to think physical rape is a much different, more vile form.
What added to the despicable nature of the case was that Mr. Bungle was actually owned by multiple people. It's just horrifying to think that a group of people would work together on such a disturbing act against various people. It's important to know that just because they did it from behind a computer screen, they are not less innocent than someone who commits a crime in person. There is no place for physical rape in real life and there should be no tolerating of rape in the cyber realm either.
What is cyber rape? This is the question that first presented itself to me after reading the above article, describing the LamdaMOO incident with the infamous Mr. Bungle years ago. It was a very interesting and thought provoking piece to read. It was one that certainly caused a lot of back-and-forth for me as well as outright disgust that people like exist. The main issue came down to whether or not Mr. Bungle's actions should be classified as legitimate rape.
To try and answer the question I guess it would be necessary to determine what "cyber rape" actually is. after looking at various websites, the most common answer I could find is the very blunt "a rape that takes place on the internet." What it boils down to is any time sexual advances are made towards someone online who does not wish for those advances to be made. This was certainly the case on LambdaMOO in the late 90's where this case takes place. By Mr. Bungle subjecting these other players to demeaning sexual behavior on the internet without them having any control, he was very clearly cyber raping them. A similar case took place in Douglas County, Georgia last year when a man was on trial for cyber rape of his ex girlfriend. He had released multiple intimate pictures of his ex girlfriend online in an attempt to humiliate her. The judge ruled it as an act of cyber rape and granted a warrant for his arrest (http://www.wsbtv.com/news/local/judge-issues-warrant-man-accused-cyber-rape/27306268).
My struggle comes when deciding whether or not cyber rape is equal to real life rape. I certainly think they are on two different levels. Of course cyber rape is harmful and scarring and there is no place for it on the internet. However, real life rape is a much different animal. It is both a mentally AND physically painful experience. I don't personally think the two compare very closely. Again, cyber rape is utterly disturbing and feral in its own way and should certainly not be taken lightly. I just happen to think physical rape is a much different, more vile form.
What added to the despicable nature of the case was that Mr. Bungle was actually owned by multiple people. It's just horrifying to think that a group of people would work together on such a disturbing act against various people. It's important to know that just because they did it from behind a computer screen, they are not less innocent than someone who commits a crime in person. There is no place for physical rape in real life and there should be no tolerating of rape in the cyber realm either.
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