I'm surprised how the younger generation does not seems to know all these things. It's not like if they weren't well-known.
Sometimes I hear "what's 2600?" "why is it called 2600?" from "security professionals". Woot.
Sometimes I hear "what's 2600?" "why is it called 2600?" from "security professionals". Woot.
As for not knowing eclectic but important bits of history like "2600" or even who "Lawnchair Larry" was, experience takes time, and knowledge takes effort. A good example is that most people don't know all of the available terminal commands available on a UNIX(-ish including MacOS/iOS/Android) system, let alone know the reasoning or history behind all those "funny" command names.
BTW, I always get a giggle out of your HN user name even though the poor disturbed fellow who tied umteen helium balloons to a lawnchair and shutdown airspace of Los Angeles for a few hours eventually committed suicide after receiving his "Honorable Mention" on the Darwin Awards.
Exactly.
Here on HN the confusion is worsened because the definition of "hacker" has shifted from ~"security expert" to ~"technical enterpreuner".
Nothing wrong in redefining terms but we shouldn't be surprised if outside here hacker has another meaning.
In all seriousness, in this day and age of social media, FB, etc. the old school tech mags just aren't well known. I'm really not surprised that even younger security interested people don't know them. 2600, Phrack, and the like just don't end up on people's radars...
I'm not sure why that is.
Now the information out there is so widely available. Given enough time and effort, you can become pretty well-versed based on what's available.
Still, even back then most people weren't aware of Phrack, defcong and 2600. Kevin Mitnick was the only thing people knew of, and that came pretty late. Whereas today if you haven't heard of Anonymous you've been living under a rock.
(Phreaking also has become less relevant with the proliferation unlimited cellphone plans, ubiquitous broadband, and proper encryption of cell calls. I never hear the term 'phreaking' anymore, which was a large part of 'the scene'.)
Overall, I think the spirit of encouraging the'free exchange and discussion of information' has ultimately been successful.
Free exchange of information, security wise, is certainly already a thing of the past. That's not good.
Freedom of information (as I prefer to call it), in general, is more than ever at risk. In France, they're outlawing surfing on websites that can be called "terrorist".
That include documenting yourself on "bad" countries' culture (bad as in your govt does not like them), or of course, reading phrack's art of exploitation.
In Germany using tools such as nmap is outlawed if you're not a security professional.
Not need to get started on China or even the USA.
Then, take a look at Full disclosure's current activity. It's not dying because it's "an old ml". It's dying because people do not want to exchange free information. Who would, when you can sell it hundred thousand of dollars? (and the answer to that should be somewhere in your soul, right next to Phrack's World News)
And I really don't see how free exchange is a thing of the past when even on HN there are posts and discussions about security. Sure, there are people working against the free exchange of information, but cherry-picking examples to suggest there has been a total reversal or that nothing has been accomplished is neither realistic nor fair.
Fortress phones did not help much either. Of course now even those pay phones are getting removed from a lot of locations.