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After 20 Years, Phrack's Final Issue Looms
akahige writes "According to BBC News, the legendary phreaking/hacker magazine is set to close up shop after the publication of its forthcoming issue, no. 63 (which will be hardbound in commemoration). The editorial staff is stepping down, and no one has expressed an interest in taking up the reins. Bruce Sterling is quoted as saying, 'I'd be surprised to see the thing stay dead. They've got no fixed address and anonymous contributors.' If you've ever wanted to helm a magazine, here's your chance!" (See this earlier story as well.)
Why can't Shashdot add a "Phrack" section, being that Phrack content is contributed in a similar manor, and keep the party going?
The editorial staff is stepping down, and no one has expressed an interest in taking up the reins.
Each year the articles get goofier. However, I don't think that was really a bad thing, just not a very good source of technical information.
Luckily there is still the 29A zine. Always a great read but it won't show you how to get free soda.
You must have the memory of a /. editor: The story first appeared here on 30 May and (this being /. ...) 22 January. Three times not enough for you?
you had me at #!
Anyone willing to take over Slashdot? They've been asleep at the wheel for a while here too...
There is a fine line between being a cultivated citizen and being someone else's crop. - A. J. Patrick Liszkie
Slashdot coverage of the "lasts final issues"
may 30th : Phrack Final, #63
January 22nd : Phrack E-zine comes to an end #63
I wouldn't mind you in my head, if you weren't so clearly mad -Lews Therin Telamon
1) People entering the scene are getting dumber. While this could be said in general for the current generation (brainwashed by MTV, the whole No Logo thing etc. etc.), they are also being dumbed down by the computers/OSes they're using.
[...]2) Like the article says, the learning curve is much higher for beginners. Before you can do something cool you have to learn a lot, essentially catching up with all the security progress that's been had these past couple of decades. It's not like the "good ol days" when you could just dial up/ connect to some system and use some arcane bug that's 2 years old to login.
These reasons have always been there, in spirit if not in form. The dumb people never amount to anything more than script kiddies. And the beginners always have to learn a lot if they want to amount to anything.
It takes a special mix of curiosity, technical enclination and perseverence to make a hacker, regardless if he's hacking his dad's car engine or game protection.
So I'd argue that the reasons you listed lead to there being fewer hackers, not lower quality hackers.
i ate crayons when i was a kid and now i have two braincells and the blue ones taste nicer
While I definatley agree with you that it takes a special mix of curiosity, technical enclination and perseverence to be technically capable you musn't also forget the gratification factor.
;-) )
But you have to admit, to do something cool or new is a lot harder now just because a lot has already been done. Almost every vulnerability out there is a buffer overflow.
These days its a lot harder to just scew around with your computer within days of buying it and for example writing a crack in qbasic. You have to put in more effort than say 10 or 20 years ago.
Saying that however, there is now MUCH more information available freely on the internet than in the old days. Anything you want to learn you probably can. The whole thing sorta balances itself out.
BTW I get your point in that you don't call script kiddies hackers, but every since a certian movie about HACKERS came out it became cool and everyone and their mother wanted to do it. Therefore, I think there are a lot more clueless script kiddies out there now then before (or maybe it just feels like it
It would be nice if the Phrack editors would make the bound final issue available online for a reasonable fee. I won't be able to get to where it will be available, but would love to have a copy.
Given that the roots of Phrack and the EFF are so closely tied, it would be a great gesture to donate any profits made from online sales to the EFF...
It's sad to see such a historical element of a sub-culture that so influenced me fade away. Here's hoping 2600 can keep it alive.
akad0nric0
This sentence no verb.