Added: 09/30/2007 |
Cult Of The Dead Cow, The Hacker HangoutWhenever you think of computer hackers, you probably do not think of dead cows. After 1984, in Lubbock, Texas, that may not have been the case because on this date Cult of the Dead Cow was formed. This was an organization formed by computer hackers and DIY media organizations. This cult still runs today, and keeps a web blog (of recent news) on its site up to date. Of course, they find their way into the media by doing a lot of interviews for magazines, newspapers, and television shows so they do not get forgot that easy.
Back in December of 1990, the Cult of the Dead Cow brought together the hacker convention. This was the very first hacker con and was usually held in Houston, Texas. Usually people think of hackers as a bad thing, but in a way hacker con was a good thing. You see, hackers were not the only people invited to this conference. Journalists and law enforcement officials were also invited to attend. Cult of the Dead Cow enjoyed staying in the public eye. The participated in many interviews, sharing their ideas and what they believed in to the world.
Cult of the Dead Cow also did and said a lot of irrational things. For instance, in 1994, the group declared that they were responsible for giving Ronald Reagan Alzheimer's disease. Cult of the Dead Cow claimed to have done this back in 1986 by hitting Ronald Reagan with a dart from a blow gun. Whether this is a true claim or not, however, very unlikely, is yet to be determined. Also, in their insanity, the Cult of the Dead Cow declared war on the Church of Scientology. This was done back in late 1995.
This organization has had some good moments as well. In February 2000, the group was the star of a short documentary, which was only eleven minutes long, entitled Disinformation. Ironically enough, in February of the same year, one of the members of Cult of the Dead Cow had the chance to brief President Bill Clinton on internet security. Who better to brief the President on internet security than a group of hackers. You see, nobody knows computer security quite as well as a hacker. This is because it is a hackers job to find ways to breach computer security systems. They have to know how to get past firewalls, password protected sites, and other forms of anti hacking technology. Then it is their duty, nay their responsibility, to inform the members of National Security on how to improve their anti hacking systems.
As you can clearly see, Cult of the Dead Cow, although not the best organization, is still a very helpful on at that. By keeping the best hackers of the world on our side, we can continue to have better anti hacking software. New and better hackers are popping up everyday. It is up to us to stay informed of the latest ways these hackers configure to break into computer networks. We have to stay ahead of the game, otherwise, our technology could be overtaken. We have to face the facts that our world is more dependent on technology than it ever has been. The cult's stated goal is “Global domination through media saturation.”
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