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Are Hackers Good?
Former Member
Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
in General Chat
As we move evermore into a digital world .. more and more companies are using technology to restrict what we do, for instance Sony by recently installing hidden software on music CD's, etc
Do you think Hackers have a useful role to play? I don't mean the kind that break into systems and steal credit card details but the kind that just like to take software apart?
I know for instance I have Yamada DivX player and the manufacturer was dragging their feet on writing new firmware whilst groups of hacker go together and put a much better unofficial version on the web which added a whole new host of features.
Also there are versions of windows out there that run so much faster and reliably then the originals from Microsoft .. because they've had various things most people don't need removed ... also useful for bring life to old PC's that previously weren't powerful enough to run the latest version of windows.
Do you think Hackers have a useful role to play? I don't mean the kind that break into systems and steal credit card details but the kind that just like to take software apart?
I know for instance I have Yamada DivX player and the manufacturer was dragging their feet on writing new firmware whilst groups of hacker go together and put a much better unofficial version on the web which added a whole new host of features.
Also there are versions of windows out there that run so much faster and reliably then the originals from Microsoft .. because they've had various things most people don't need removed ... also useful for bring life to old PC's that previously weren't powerful enough to run the latest version of windows.
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But... there are hackers, and there are hackers. Those who work to find flaws in operating systems and applications are also good. Those who exploit the flaws for personal gain are bad.
Equally as bad are those who drag their feet when it comes to releasing security updates. Hacking is good; it keeps security high on the agenda of many people. But exploitation of the hacks is bad; though I figure you can't really have one without the other.
How dare Sony install secret software to control how you play your legally obtained music - such antics are very bad. If only for the reason that they cause problems *only* for those who legally own the CD - it isn't hard to bypass the protection and then rip the tracks, whack them on a p2p network or make a torrent for them. At which point all the folk who download the music don't get infected with the DRM nonsense.
DRM is a bad idea. And so is Windows Vista. But that is another story. Anyway, shouldn't this be in the technology forum?
It's the same as asking are lawyers evil.
Crackers will break down a program, so that you can remove any protection on it. (such as a 30 day trial or whatever)
As a seasoned coder and occasional hacker, i've nothing but praise. But then of course you get confused stereotypes about credit card number stealing or whatever, when really, you can put knowledge to more altruistic uses. And when it comes down to it really, all these files that try and stop you ripping music are nonsensical, since you can get a good quality end file just by using a program to record the output (sort of before it reaches your speakers), which to the best of my knowledge, would be very difficult for sony to stop.
It's a bit of an ethical debate i suppose, so it could be either forum. I can't see how independant coders...at least can't be seen as a good thing. Hacking....has it's grey area due to copyright and the such.
A cracker used to be a hacker who used their talents for "evil"
Imho, anyone, as long as they are not the kindof peoiple who just destroy some home user's PC are alright. If it were not for people gaining acess to certain organisations through means known as "hacking", we wouldn't have alot today, which we do. For instance, certain interesting materials, that are quite a read.
TBH, though, the kind of people who fuck over home users computers are not really "true" hackers, as such. More just bored kids who feel like annoying someone.
I do disaprove of the cunts that fucked over Half Life 2, though. Bastards.
does wales even have any electricity
made by the wind ...from chicken shit ...and pirated of course.
They're thinking of sending the electric thorugh the air soon... like radio waves.
I can't wait, im going to steal loads.
How can you pirate electricity?
I approve of pirates as people have said, if they find flaws in programs that leads to either the manufacturer putting out a better version on the basis of the hacker's finds or the hacker themselves putting out a better version. The wankers who make viri are just pathetic but I suppose were it not for them, Norton and McAffee would be out of business.
Every cloud I guess.
crackers are good, fuck paying 100's and 1000's for software that im never going to commerically use or do anything that jusitfys spending that amount of money
and fuck sony and the likes, the majority of people would completely disagree with software like that being installed on their machine, if i wasnt already all for piracy that'd probably make change my mind
and on the case of piracy, shit one if someone's loosing out on a few quid, they already have more than they need!
I feel sorry for the people who spend time and effort writing programs that people like z01 feel they should have the right to use for free.
However now we have a third term. Hackers, Crackers and Pirates should not be used interchangeably.
z01 if you are not going to pay for it don't use it. If people didn't have to spend so long constructing things like safedisc and securom that end up meaning loads of people can't use certain software that have actually paid for it just to try and stop you stealing intellectual property they could use that time to improve the software. Far too much time is now devoted to protecting the work people actually do.
On your theme is it OK for a car thief to steal a car? Engineers have constructed that car and spent time trying to stop people stealing it yet its OK to steal the car because you would never have bought it in the first place?
i'm not the one who's cracking the software.. it makes absolutely no difference to them if i use cracked software or not..
and i'll use something without paying for it if i want, thanks
...and is donre all over wales.
best i can offer at the m/
a lot of people in nwales are gnersatoing ...but no matter what ypoiu do ...threres lwas ...
so yes ...most is pirated!
How about then if instead of doing a dissertation at university you copy somebody else's. They haven't been deprived and you now have all of their work for nothing?
Of course it makes a difference. This is peoples jobs and income. When you shamelessly steal intellectual property you are affecting their income.
Is it OK if I come take your car drive it around for a day and return it with the same amount of fuel in? No it isn't.
It's the reason I never bought Star Wars:Battlefront, is Piracy. It's a shit game - I don't want to play it online, its shit. If it was good, it might have been bought. And the ones I don't buy? Well, fuck it. EA hardly lose profit, lets be honest. If it's a small outfit that has started up itself on a budget, i'll buy it. They deserve my money. Even if too much goes to the publisher. This is why I think Valve's Steam is a great idea. THEY get my money, not some theiving bastard publisher. The sooner more systems like this come out, the less cynical i'll be and more willing to part with my cash. I know it's going to the guys who actually made the game, not some bastard middle man.
I also will, when I get an income, buy all the CD's I have pirated. There is something BETTER, about owning a REAL one, isn't there? I like real music CD's - Cover Art, Lyric Booklet, Printed picture on disc - I hate hte fact so much mnoey, here too, goes to the Publisher - and the band gets royally fucked - but hey, the band needs every little bit of help they get. Alot of them live from paycheck to paycheck, scraping by.
Also, Piracy is good. I bought a real Interstate '76 - (wow, old) but, the CD1 broke, right down the middle. I see no reason I sohuld pay for another one, do you? So, ISO download time. As well, C&C Generals: ZH - WTF? Why do I need to buy two games to play it over a LAN in my OWN HOME? Fuck off, Pirate time. Why should I, when owning the game already, need two in my own fucking house? Get lost.
Plus, I have Pirate Films and Series that you just cannot buy anymore, anywhere. So, imho, good. And Film Piracy is no problem - been aobut for years, it's hardly increased dramatically. "Hollywood looses hunders of thousands of dollars each year!" They make Millions of Billions. They won't even notice.
And, at the end of the day - If these things were not studily expensive, i'd buy them more. It's time the middle man in all these areas took less and less money. If they made the same as the source, be it band or game developer, then the price would probably be half what it is right now.
Do you think the authors give a shit how much the publishers are making? Every sale will give them some money which they thoroughly deserve.
Downloading a game that you own isn't strictly piracy in its own right. Plus most companies will give you replacement CD's if you ask and you can always use backups.
What if everybody assumes that the small difference they make by not purchasing something will not affect a huge company. All of a sudden that company goes bankrupt.
Does nobody remember the Amiga? That was destroyed by piracy.
And if I could afford more real games/music/films, I'd buy them. But I can't, and with Films I probably only would if I really wanted it. They make thier real money at the cinema, which I frequent anyway.
And I could afford more games, if said Publishers didn't rack the fucking price up and were not such greedy bastards. But they are, so I cannot, so I turn to Piracy. I want to play the game. I purchase many real games each year, and as such, cannot afford alot of other ones I would like. So, I download them.
And as you say, if EVERYONE did this, ALL the time, the companies would go bankrupt. But, we don't. I buy games, and I also pirate games. I would NEVER live entirley off Piracy - far from it. I want these things to continue existing.
But for me to buy ALL of them, it just is not a reality. Should I go without because some theiving bastards want a huge profit off of someone elses work, and to live a life of luxury, whilst screwing over both the end user and developer? I think not.
If you can't afford it don't get it. It's same as anything else. Why do people think they have the right to pirated software if they cannot afford the original. I want to not do any university work this term so instead of working I will copy my mates and spend term drinking. How is this fair?
The more people pirate the more companies will have to increase prices just to break even. A lot of game companies and software houses struggle to turn over a profit!
Yes you should go without if you don't want to pay for something.
Well thats obviously wrong. If im not buying it anyway... how I am not giving them profit by pirating it? See, I wouldn't be buying it even if I didn't download it anyway. I am still buying other games off of them. The same ones im buying regardless of piracy.
So they still get the same amount of cash from me. So no loss in profit. It is not like I am stopping purchasing altogether.
Alot of game companies struggle, mate, because they get conned by Publishers. The sooner we get a direct link between Developer and Seller, the sooner they'll stop struggling. Cut out the middle man, make life better for us all.
no, it makes no difference
how many times do i have to say
EITHER WAY IM NOT GOING TO BUY THE FUCKING GAME
whats so hard to understand
no matter what, no money is going to be going into their pocket from me, so it makes NO DIFFERENCE AT ALL if i use it or not
say what you want, you're wrong
and for the record, that examples just as pathetic as the other
Actually one farmer got caught, he hooked up his entire farm to a lamp post - he'd gotten away with it for like 7 years before one day the electricity board saw the wire leading from the street light to his farm.
land changes hands so often from friends to family to fellow conspirators that it is nigh on impossible to nail which owner at which time ...spent two days in the fields digging a long ditch.
with a jcb.
and laying water pipes and covering them up.
thats what farmers do ...who would be suspicious?
theres no one around to be suspicous out here!
moving water around from and to other peoples meters and no one ending up being responsiblew in court ...meaning few people actualy pay very much.
water fraud out here is huge!