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Comment by blhack | Hacker News Reader

It says in the article that the administration at MIT has had a "crackdown" on these "hacks"?

Pardon my language, but, are you fucking joking? If this is true, it is one of the most depressing things I have heard in a while. To me, these "hacks" represented a seemingly long standing tradition of "let the geniuses do whatever the hell they want, they're geniuses!".

This doesn't hurt anybody, doesn't damage anything, why on god's earth would you ever want to punish them? If nothing else, this is bringing more good publicity to the school. These sorts of things are exactly the reason that I daydream about being able to go to a place like MIT.

'Tis is a sad state of affairs if these people are looked at as scoundrels and not heros.

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I doubt it. The admissions office uses these hacks as a recruiting tool. There's a big long corridor documenting famous hacks from the past that they take all tour groups through.

The administration has always gone through the motions of trying to stop hackers. Evading them has always been part of the game. Those caught usually get a citation for trespassing, but certain professors have a history of covering the fines for them.

I agree that they shouldn't be punished or anything.

But calling them heroes is a bit of a stretch.

I agree that they shouldn't be punished or anything.

They shouldn't be punished in any way severe enough to screw up their future or their academic career. But I think it's important to keep hacking illicit and therefore require that it take a bit of courage to pull off. It serves as a quality filter and keeps the art from degenerating into stupid frat pranks.

Also, the fact that everyone knows that it's a bit difficult ($500 fine for being caught on the roof, locked doors, etc.) makes the hacks more impressive when they do happen.

But calling them heroes is a bit of a stretch.

And why is that? Football players earn the title of "hero". (at least at ASU they do).

Why should intellectual accomplishments be any less note-worthy than physical ones?

They're both a stretch.

Hero: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norman_Borlaug

Hero: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liviu_Librescu

Hero: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wesley_Autrey

MIT dome hackers: not heroes.

ASU football players: not heroes.

Fair enough.

I imagine that if these hacks where officially sanctioned and supported by the administration then they'd lose a lot of their charm and appeal. I also imagine the crackdown is more for show than any actual serious attempt to stop them.

Also sometimes kids get carried away and cannot fully think through their actions. My university had to crack down on these sort pranks or hacks after they escalated to the point where one caused several thousands of dollars of damage to public property . Just because you're a "genius" doesn't mean you have much common sense. However the crackdown wasn't an all out ban just stern warning that being stupid about it wouldn't be tolerated.

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