Episode: 103
Title: HPR0103: Community Rant
Source: https://hub.hackerpublicradio.org/ccdn.php?filename=/eps/hpr0103/hpr0103.mp3
Transcribed: 2025-10-07 11:31:35

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Hi, this is Totenkov, and I'll be talking about the hacker community both in real life as well as online.
Let's start with a brief look back on the community and scene.
Before the turn of the century, we were a pretty cool group of people.
The hacker halfway house was operating semi-functionally.
2600 was being read.
Defcon was actually about hacking and exchanging exploits ideas and information.
And we actually did stuff.
We threw the best parties, did insane amounts of drinking, and we either collaborated on or shared the end result of our projects with other hackers.
It was great, but then we let our inherently lazy nature take over.
The hacker halfway house is no longer what it used to be.
We let drama, disrespect, and disregard to our brothers and their property get in the way of having a common meeting ground.
2600 is now concert 12th paper, and it's not just a manual's fault.
We got lazy and decided not to write articles that are informative, interesting, or relevant.
We are the ones who sat idly by, as crap on botnets and hacking my space gets published.
Defcon is becoming about business cards swapping and e-peness measuring.
It's time for us to do something, not just the veterans, even though they know how things were and should be.
Nor should it be just the newcomers, although they need to recognize that the old schoolers have something to teach them.
We need to pull together and show the world who we really are.
We're not bot hunters or Chinese credit card broaders.
We're the ones who gave the internet, improve hardware so it runs more efficiently.
Hell, we create code for the software they use in order to feel safe from us.
We need to make ourselves hurt again.
When you're at work school or at a store, and here's someone misuse the term hacker, call them on it.
Don't be a jerk.
Explain that we're people who manipulate technology so it works better than it did before.
Did you read a blog entry about hack sores?
Just calmly reply and inform them that we don't speak with numbers, thus they shouldn't write with them.
Read the wired article describing us as Trinity loving cyber sex scenes.
Write them an intelligently worded letter stating that you hate the matrix and that USB ports aren't penis friendly.
Or that they are, either way, the mainstream media needs to be informed when it comes to who we are and what we do.
Only a margin of us are straight up chaos causing assholes, and we need to let people know.
It's about time for us to have a reawakening, and in order for it to work, we need to work together.
Girls, women, don't sit quietly while the guys talk shop.
Join in when you know something about the subject matter.
We're good for things besides making sandwiches and burden babies.
But on the flip side, don't come in and try to start drama or bitch excessively on the IRC network.
We have to work especially hard to be recognized as a valuable member of the community, and it only takes one stupid little girl to set the rest of us back.
Guys, don't be an ass pony.
The dog jokes really aren't that funny, and are only useful if you don't want to get laid, ever.
If she doesn't know what she's talking about, call her on it.
Don't troll them out of the community, but correct it.
We all need to get more involved, attend a 2600 or bin rev meeting, and actually talk.
Don't just sit there. Submit talks to comms that have nothing to do with botnets or poning a wireless network.
Start or help out with the hacker space.
Don't be an ass hat to your fellow hacker or someone who wants to start hacking.
We all have our weaknesses and strengths and need to recognize this.
I know this hasn't been a long broadcast or provided any new information,
but this has been bugging me for a while, and I just had to let it out.
But I do promise if Venigma lets me have a spot next month, I'll talk about something that's at least semi-cool.
Thank you and good night.
Thank you for listening to Hack with Public Radio.
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So head on over to C-A-R-O dot E-C for all of us here.
Thanks for watching.
