That's why I don't watch any shows that have anything to do with "hacking", computers etc, because it feels cringe and makes me think if anything else is fake, then why should I bother ingesting it.
That's why I don't watch any shows that have anything to do with "hacking", computers etc, because it feels cringe and makes me think if anything else is fake, then why should I bother ingesting it.
The answer is: all of it! 100% of Stranger Things is inaccurate, because it’s fiction. ;)
This is true for all subjects, not just computer hacking. This includes non-fiction documentaries too… there’s nothing you can watch anywhere that is “accurate”, except maybe live video feeds. There are always incorrect details.
Accuracy, of course, is not the primary goal of TV show producers. They like to slip in these somewhat period accurate-ish tidbits for the enjoyment of those of us looking closely at the tangential details, but the Amiga in the show has no bearing on the story, it’s just a prop. I’m sure if you looked as closely at all the other props, you’d notice many that are inaccurate for the time & location: lamps, furniture, clothes, cars, houses, etc. It’s not possible to shoot a large production and get every single detail (and it would be unaffordably expensive to even get very close.) To me, going to the trouble of recreating the Amiga screen seems like a lot of effort to put into a prop.
So here’s a question for you: would you rather they used fictional computer brands and fictional screen shots? Would that make it more watchable for you? Can you watch computer sci-fi when it’s not trying to include period props, like Tron, for example? I do have my own line for where inaccuracies will pull me out of a show and prevent me from suspending disbelief, but generally as a computer nerd who lived through the 80s, I like a lot of the ‘hacking’ pop culture, even when it’s extremely cringe (looking at you, “Hackers”).