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"Hackers" crack more Fed sites

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the exercise-in-adolesence dept.

pluteus_larva writes "Speaking of the media and government's war on hackers, CNN is reporting that "hackers" (why can't *anyone* get this right?) are attacking Federal Web sites. " The press is covering this in a variety of areas. In related news, CobaltQ sent us the story about how "non-sanctioned" Chinese crackers have taken aim at NATO sites since the Chinese embassy bombing.

3 of 118 comments (clear)

  1. Abandon All Hope, Ye Who Bicker Semantics by jonbrewer · · Score: 4

    Wired News Service posted a few lines last week about "crackers" shutting down fbi.gov with a DOS attack, and I almost fell out of my chair laughing. Cracker will *never* be used as a term to describe a malicious hacker in the popular media.

    As noted by many other posters in this discussion, "cracker" is a racial slur. It has been in use for far longer than computers and networks have been around. I cite a Webster's from 1963 I just happen to have lying around:

    Cracker:

    1. a bragging liar
    2. something that makes a cracking or snapping noise
    3. NUTCRACKER
    4. a dry think crisp bakery product made of flour and water
    5. POOR WHITE: -- usually used disparagingly
    6. the equipment in which cracking is carried out


    Besides it's other meanings, cracker is just a lame term. When I saw that Wired article, I wondered what kinds of arguements went on in the newsroom when the editor and reporter disagreed over the term... or when at a staff meeting they decided to standardize upon usage.

    I sincerely hope this arguement gets buried today, and that our esteemed colleagues at Slashdot ignore future temptation to start it up again by so blatantly including the arguement in the news brief.

  2. And they spelled... by Rombuu · · Score: 4

    "hackers" (why can't *anyone* get this right?)

    And they spelled Komputer and Computer... and I say my way is right and everyone else is wrong.

    Face it, just becuase a small vocal and annoying minority try to use a word in a certain way, doesn't make that the "correct" meaning of the word. Go find a battle you haven't already lost.

    --

    DrLunch.com The site that tells you what's for lunch!
  3. Conspiracy theory by mattdm · · Score: 5
    Ok, no self-respecting script kiddies - let alone skilled system crackers - would call themselves something as lame as "Masters of Downloading".
    These so-called break-ins are actually fakes created by the government so they can a) get increased support for crackdowns on "evil hackers" and b) increase attention and therefore funding for their own "cyberwar" plans.

    --