Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83; site ucf-cs.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!akgua!mcnc!duke!ucf-cs!giles From: giles@ucf-cs.UUCP (Bruce Giles) Newsgroups: net.sf-lovers Subject: May 1984 *Analog* < Nuclear flames Message-ID: <1212@ucf-cs.UUCP> Date: Wed, 28-Mar-84 00:04:26 EST Article-I.D.: ucf-cs.1212 Posted: Wed Mar 28 00:04:26 1984 Date-Received: Thu, 29-Mar-84 05:05:35 EST Organization: University of Central Florida Lines: 84 (where'd I leave my fissionable material?) I hereby nominate the editorial staff of *Analog* magazine, and the two authors of the story "Valentina" (my copy is at home, otherwise I would name names; I *had* regarded both of them highly) for the uncoveted [1632 bytes deleted] OF THE YEAR AWARD in the category of uncalled-for `ethnic' slurring. Their crime, for those of you fortunate enough not to have read the article, is protraying all "hackers" as (1) self-centered, (2) anti- social, (3) criminal, (4) ignorant of hygiene, (5) having numerous personality defects, and undoubtably several other dubious traits I have been too incised to notice. If they had used any other `ethnic' group, i.e. jews, blacks, white anglo-saxon blond women, lawyers, .... there would be an immediate uproar over the portrayal given. But everyone knows `hackers' are those creeps that break into NATO's computers for fun! How could they be anything other than self-centered, anti-social, criminal,... [interlude while I push my relaxation techniques to their limits] The story is technically well written, exciting (although questionable in a number of points beside the one mentioned above), and deals with a matter near all of out hearts, A WORLDWIDE NETWORK WITH INTERUSER COMMUNICATION. But the fact that BOTH main characters who were "hackers" were portrayed as cultural miscreatins has no value whatsoever to the rest of the story! It was, pure and simple, a gratuitous groin kick at "hackers." Example: here are descriptions of both "hackers" in the story HIM HER -------------------------- --------------------------- long, greasy hair extremely overweight dressed in decrepit clothes anti-social (computer room scene) fast-food junkie, who keeps has difficulty communicating to all of the wrappers anything but a computer terminal. . . . . . . [there goes my blood pressure again...] Finally, I have included "hackers" in quotes because neither the authors or editors seem to understand what a hacker is, even though they used the term quite liberally. The male hacker was an employee of a prestegious law data-base firm (what he was supposed to be doing there is anybody's guess) and the female hacker was a (graduate?) student at MIT(?). As I have been called a hacker by fellow graduate students, I know from first hand experience that there is no way in [153 bytes deleted] that anybody could continue to have access to such powerful computers with behavour as revolting as was in the story. What's more, the one critical personality flaw required in the female "hacker" would have prevented her from continuing her education! Finally, I should mention that the [85 bytes deleted] lawyer was also portrayed in highly undesirable tones. As in, he likes little girls, enjoys power trips, has no self-confidence behind a Machivelli exterior, .... Furthermore, the two "hackers" are the only ones who seemed to know what was going on (even while they tried to kill one another). Well, thinking about the story in order to write this article has made me so mad that I can't think coherently anymore (as though I ever can :-)) so, does anyone else feel the same way I do? Does anyone have the phone number of *Analog*'s editor? I don't feel like a hate letter, I want a real live "responible" person on the other end to shout at! (On second thought, that would probabily only reinforce their [523 bytes deleted] opinions). ave discordia going bump in the night ... bruce giles decvax!ucf-cs!giles university of central florida giles.ucf-cs@Rand-Relay orlando, florida 32816