Hacking

shortliner

Member
Dec 23, 2004
354
0
16
84
Shamus - I take it that Qube fixed it - the only reason for posting was in the hope that one of you would see it, in case you didn't know the site was down - having lost your email I couldn't tell you via email - well done anyway
 

ezdays

Out AZ way
Feb 3, 2003
6,339
0
36
Arizona
bigbluetrains.com
It is totally incompreshensable to me that someone would take down someone else's site just to see if they can, or to pile someone's inbox with garbage or worse yet some insidious device just designed to distroy data. I lothe those that can hide behind the anonymity of the Internet and would go to any extremes to steal your data, you identity or disrupt your life just for fun or for profit.:curse:

I guess though that these are the same jerks that will garffiti a neighborhood or vadilize property just because they can, or steal your car because they're too lazy to get a job and earn the money they need.

Sorry folks, but it's totally dispicable and I'm glad you were able to recover Paul. I hope you didn't lose anything in the process.
 

N Gauger

1:20.3 Train Addict
Dec 20, 2000
6,732
0
36
South Eastern, PA
mywebpages.comcast.net
They have clubs, Don. They actually hold "underground" competitions, on who can break through a server's security teh fastest and easiest... :( Now that college is starting up again, the "Hacking season" will be upon us :( :(

The movie Swordfish is a good example of what can happen....
 

shamus

Registered Member
Dec 17, 2000
3,489
0
36
87
UK
Hi Don & Mickey,

The hacked part was just the index page so David (My Son Qube) told me and is now back up and working.

I just wish that some kind person would hack into their website and disrupt it for a while.

By the way, nice website Mickey.

Shamus

 

ezdays

Out AZ way
Feb 3, 2003
6,339
0
36
Arizona
bigbluetrains.com
Yeah, you're right Mikey, they have clubs, they even have national conventions for hackers. If it's illegal to do, than it should be illegal to have a convention to discuss techniques and the latest innovations. If the police got wind of a national convention for bank robbers or counterfitters, you can be sure they'd be on them like a rash. These conventions are covered by the main networks.:curse:

I also have recently seen a sharp increase in spam, at my Yahoo address, at my regular address and of course, here. I even get it at an address that only me and my ISP know about. I always wonder how far these people would go doing real work, they'd probably do a lot better than most of us, given their talent.
 

jetrock

Member
Dec 18, 2003
894
0
16
55
Visit site
"Hacking" is certainly not necessarily illegal activity: hacking includes all sorts of exploration, investigation, and occasional innovation using technology of all sorts. We have a microcomputer industry, a computer gaming industry, and easy-to-use PC interfaces largely because of hackers who were interested in creating and destroying. That is the sort of person you'll find at these dastardly "hacker conventions." Painting them all with such a broad brush is as wrong-headed as those who oppose gun shows because guns can be used to commit crimes.
 

ezdays

Out AZ way
Feb 3, 2003
6,339
0
36
Arizona
bigbluetrains.com
jetrock said:
"Hacking" is certainly not necessarily illegal activity: hacking includes all sorts of exploration, investigation, and occasional innovation using technology of all sorts. We have a microcomputer industry, a computer gaming industry, and easy-to-use PC interfaces largely because of hackers who were interested in creating and destroying. That is the sort of person you'll find at these dastardly "hacker conventions." Painting them all with such a broad brush is as wrong-headed as those who oppose gun shows because guns can be used to commit crimes.
That's a good point. One must understand that over the years, "Hackers" are thought of as those that go in places they are not invited, don't belong and do bad things when they get there. Just like in the past when you're told "your cholesterol is too high", cholesterol is a bad thing. Now we're told there is "good" and "bad" cholesterol, but it's hard for the average person to tell the difference. The same goes for hackers.

If I found a stranger roaming around inside my house and they told me there were there just to look around and not to harm me, I don't think I'd welcome them, regardless. They are intruders. The same goes for someone that is poking around in my database so you can well see my confusion. When Paul had his site intruded upon, we concluded it was done by hackers. The concept of "good hackers" is hard to grasp, especially in light of what happened to Paul's site. That's my point.
 

jetrock

Member
Dec 18, 2003
894
0
16
55
Visit site
The difference, I think, is that it isn't necessary to intrude on another person's system in order to "hack." Taking apart a phone to see how it works is hacking. Writing computer code to do something new is hacking. Codebreaking is a classic hacking activity, dating back to World War II and the birth of computers. The line between hacking and stealing is personal gain: learning lockpicking because one is fascinated with locks and locksmithing is one thing, learning lockpicking so you can break into people's homes and steal things is another.

In fact, there is even a strong connection between model railroading and hacking: the original "hacker culture" at MIT in the early 1960s was an outgrowth of MIT's "Tech Model Railroad Club," which featured a sophisticated signal/control system and telephone communications system, thanks to parts supplied by the Bell system for student projects. Many of the switch & signal people jumped ship when they were offered a chance to work on the TX-0, an early "minicomputer" (meaning it only took up a small room, instead of several large rooms.)