My Life Not Hacking

Of course, my mouse batteries died again. (I really need to learn to let them fully charge!) I say "of course" because I'm in heavy computer mode today — I know I said I felt like pursuing some artistic venues in physical space, but so many of my crafting supplies are not available to me right now. Plus the caffeine has turned my mind to business, and I have all these business ideas building up and I need to work on turning them into electronic reality. Yay for playing business consultant for the day. Again, I'm so glad I'm familiar enough with my computer to control it solely from the keyboard.

I read a great article today on the Popular Science website, entitled I Attended This Hacker Conference and All I Got Was All The Data On Your Hard Drive. Now that would be an amazing way to spend a weekend. I've always been fascinated with the hacker culture and this article sparked some recollection of my love for it. I don't remember quite how my it started, but I know it piquéd my interest before the time of Hackers or The Matrix.

In the early, early days of the internet, when it was first being introduced into schools as a possible learning tool (I recall this being around my 5th grade year) I took quickly to the medium. Of course, the technology was still limited, but my youthful mind adapted quickly. Soon I was helping teachers navigate their email accounts, and I even helped a few access their accounts despite forgotten passwords. This was the same year my mom bought our first computer, hence addicting me to DOS (even though the computer came with Windows 3.1).

I can't remember when we got internet (6th grade perhaps?) but in retrospect, I'm glad my mom attempted to monitor my computer and internet usage. Of course, she went about it the wrong way, limiting my time online instead of simply keeping tabs on what I was doing. Not understanding the technology or its possibilities, she saw it as a waste of my time as versus a possible outlet for my creativity. And I saw her lack of understanding as a way to circumvent her awareness of my activities. Granted, I'd probably be far more dependant (i.e. addicted) on my computer if she had let me do as much as I wanted, but I'd also be much more understanding of the technology.

The result of her misguided monitoring, other than probably saving me from life as a black hat, was that I spent what little un-monitored time I did have pursuing things that I knew she would never approve of. I can tell you that this is probably the strongest explanation of how I learned about navigating and tweaking the finer points of an operating system, and how I got interested in the gothic subculture as well as pornography. (You think "Click this link if you are under 18" pages are really going to stop horny youngsters?!) Yes, I'm a little bitter about the way my mom went about integrating computers into my life, but I know her intentions were good. It just means that now I have to play a bit of (un-monitored) catch-up.