Hacker Manifesto
Encyclopedia
The Conscience of a Hacker (also known as The Hacker Manifesto) is a small essay written January 8, 1986 by a computer security hacker
who went by the handle (or pseudonym
) of The Mentor (born Loyd Blankenship
). It was written after the author's arrest, and first published in the underground hacker ezine Phrack
in Volume One, Issue 7, Phile
3 of 10. It can be found on many websites, as well as on t-shirts and in films.
It is considered a cornerstone of hacker culture, and it gives some insight into the psychology
of early hackers. It is said to have shaped the hacker community's view of itself and its motivations. The Manifesto states that hackers choose to hack because it is a way for them to learn, and because they are often frustrated and bored by the limitations of standard society. It also expresses the satori
of a hacker realizing his potential in the realm of computers.
The Manifesto acts as a guideline to hackers across the globe, especially those new to the field. It serves as an ethical foundation for hacking, and asserts that there is a point to hacking that supersedes selfish desires to exploit or harm other people, and that technology should be used to expand our horizons and try to keep the world free
.
. Mentor receives attribution in the credits of the movie.
It is also reproduced inside the CD case of the computer game Uplink
.
The Mentor gave a reading of The Hacker Manifesto and offered additional insight at H2K2
.
It is also an item in the game Culpa Innata
.
"A Hacker Manifesto" is also the name of a book written by media studies professor McKenzie Wark
.
A poster appears in the movie The Social Network
on the wall of Mark Zuckerberg
's dorm room.
Hacker (computer security)
In computer security and everyday language, a hacker is someone who breaks into computers and computer networks. Hackers may be motivated by a multitude of reasons, including profit, protest, or because of the challenge...
who went by the handle (or pseudonym
Pseudonym
A pseudonym is a name that a person assumes for a particular purpose and that differs from his or her original orthonym...
) of The Mentor (born Loyd Blankenship
Loyd Blankenship
Loyd Blankenship has been a well-known American computer hacker and writer since the 1970s, when he was a member of the hacker groups Extasyy Elite and Legion of Doom....
). It was written after the author's arrest, and first published in the underground hacker ezine Phrack
Phrack
Phrack is an ezine written by and for hackers first published November 17, 1985. Described by Fyodor as "the best, and by far the longest running hacker zine," the magazine is open for contributions by anyone who desires to publish remarkable works or express original ideas on the topics of interest...
in Volume One, Issue 7, Phile
Phile
Philes commonly refer to files about hacking in the days of BBSs. Ph may have been originally used as homage to the phone/phreak.Other common abstractions of the word are t-files and g-files...
3 of 10. It can be found on many websites, as well as on t-shirts and in films.
It is considered a cornerstone of hacker culture, and it gives some insight into the psychology
Psychology
Psychology is the study of the mind and behavior. Its immediate goal is to understand individuals and groups by both establishing general principles and researching specific cases. For many, the ultimate goal of psychology is to benefit society...
of early hackers. It is said to have shaped the hacker community's view of itself and its motivations. The Manifesto states that hackers choose to hack because it is a way for them to learn, and because they are often frustrated and bored by the limitations of standard society. It also expresses the satori
Satori
is a Japanese Buddhist term for enlightenment that literally means "understanding". In the Zen Buddhist tradition, satori refers to a flash of sudden awareness, or individual enlightenment, and is considered a "first step" or embarkation toward nirvana....
of a hacker realizing his potential in the realm of computers.
The Manifesto acts as a guideline to hackers across the globe, especially those new to the field. It serves as an ethical foundation for hacking, and asserts that there is a point to hacking that supersedes selfish desires to exploit or harm other people, and that technology should be used to expand our horizons and try to keep the world free
Freedom of information
Freedom of information refers to the protection of the right to freedom of expression with regards to the Internet and information technology . Freedom of information may also concern censorship in an information technology context, i.e...
.
In popular culture
The article is quoted several times in the 1995 movie Hackers, although in the movie it is being read from an issue of the hacker magazine 2600, not the historically accurate PhrackPhrack
Phrack is an ezine written by and for hackers first published November 17, 1985. Described by Fyodor as "the best, and by far the longest running hacker zine," the magazine is open for contributions by anyone who desires to publish remarkable works or express original ideas on the topics of interest...
. Mentor receives attribution in the credits of the movie.
It is also reproduced inside the CD case of the computer game Uplink
Uplink (computer game)
Uplink is a video game released in 2001 by the British software company Introversion Software. On 23 August 2006, it was made available for purchase on Valve's Steam service and on 24 March 2011 it was made available for purchase from the Ubuntu Software Center...
.
The Mentor gave a reading of The Hacker Manifesto and offered additional insight at H2K2
H.O.P.E.
HOPE is a conference series sponsored by the hacker magazine 2600: The Hacker Quarterly. Held biennially in the summer, there have been eight conferences to date with the next scheduled for 13 - 15 July 2012.- HOPE: Hackers On...
.
It is also an item in the game Culpa Innata
Culpa Innata
Culpa Innata is a third person point-and-click adventure game by Istanbul-based developer Momentum AS and published by Strategy First. The game, according to the developer, was inspired by Alev Alatlı's novel Schrödinger's Cat.-Gameplay:...
.
"A Hacker Manifesto" is also the name of a book written by media studies professor McKenzie Wark
McKenzie Wark
McKenzie Wark is an Australian-born writer and scholar. He works mainly on media theory, critical theory and new media. His best known works are A Hacker Manifesto and Gamer Theory.-Life:...
.
A poster appears in the movie The Social Network
The Social Network
The Social Network is a 2010 American drama film directed by David Fincher and written by Aaron Sorkin. Adapted from Ben Mezrich's 2009 book The Accidental Billionaires, the film portrays the founding of social networking website Facebook and the resulting lawsuits...
on the wall of Mark Zuckerberg
Mark Zuckerberg
Mark Elliot Zuckerberg is an American computer programmer and Internet entrepreneur. He is best known for co-creating the social networking site Facebook, of which he is chief executive and president...
's dorm room.