Something just occured to me...

Bryce

Uplink is a game about being a professional script kiddie. (You buy all your tools...)
So why do people say it's a game about hacking? Hacking is a lot of things, but breaking into computers for profit isn't one of them. Most (if not all, nowadays) hackers will not even break into computers at all, due to the fact that it is illegal.

Although a tool used to comprimise security can in theory be a hack, it is more correctly called a crack and in any case using it does not make one a hacker. Writing it might, but it had best be awful clever, and using the word '1337' anywhere in the documentation except as irony will disqualify you

So, in conclusion, please stop using the verb hacking, the nouns hack and hacker (one who hacks), and related terms, in connection with Uplink. It's drives me crazy every time I visit here... Thank you.

By the way, none of this is intended to disparage Uplink itself, which is quite fun and of high quality. But it has nothing to do with hacking.

Also note that I do not consider myself a hacker, as (1) it is a title that others must bestow upon you, not something one proclaims oneself to be, and (2) I don't think I deserve it.

Now, script kiddie is admitedly not a very cool sounding title, but you could write it '5<R1p7 k1{|{|13'... yeah, that's real '1337'

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"Programming is an art form that fights back."

(=SYME, 'DNE', '01'=)

::hakerz::

This is something I have heard before. And yes, you are right. They should be called crackers. One of my cousins is a "hacker" for a small software company and helps correct the tools. I beleive they chose "hacker" cause when the average american hears "cracker", they have little Idea of what that is. Yet, when they hear "hacker", they think of some computer geek in a small dark room hacking the FBI computers and such. Etc.

I can't imagine what uplink would be like if you had to do all of the hacking manualy. Imagine trying to get into the main server through a LAN :0. Plus, the uplink "theme" sort of gives this image of a enourmas hacking company, that probably has there own sofware and other such tools. I mean, they give you the O.S.

That is my theory

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Trust is a weakness
Uplink Achievments:
**Completed all storyline missions (both sides, both special missions)
**Currently at Techno-Mage

Bryce

Indeed, the mass media is as confused as anyone about what hackers do
Most cracking is done with tools today. A 'real' cracker (are there any anymore?) would write his or her own tools, or at least have the skills needed to do so. A script kiddie is someone who downloads or buys their tools, and likely does not understand how they work very well, if at all.

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"Programming is an art form that fights back."

(=SYME, 'DNE', '01'=)

TomRix

Well, we wouldn't want to go training thousands of younguns to think of even more ways to compromise the software of today, would we? People using the same tools are easier to catch, I'd suppose. Of course, I'm not speaking from experience either, since I haven't the knowhow to deal with networks or anything like that.

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Getting on everybody's nerves since 1999.

mrxak

Although you're completely right about the origins of the term, today "hacking" has become by popular use a very different word. I have no problem with people calling uplink a hacking game, because language evolves, and nowadays real hackers are fairly scarce and mostly forgotten.

Bryce

Quote

Originally posted by mrxak:
**Although you're completely right about the origins of the term, today "hacking" has become by popular use a very different word. I have no problem with people calling uplink a hacking game, because language evolves, and nowadays real hackers are fairly scarce and mostly forgotten.

**

Perhaps you're right. It is likely too late to remedy the situation, at any rate.
I guess hackers (real ones) will have to make up a new name for themsleves...

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"Programming is an art form that fights back."

(=SYME, 'DNE', '01'=)

Guest_Teetow_*

Being well aware of the original ethymology and such, I try to separate "hacking into an account" from "cracking the code". They both kinda mean the same thing, but there are slight nuances into what's going on.

I still say Uplink is a hacking game mostly because it involves clever thinking on the part of the player - he has to think like a hacker, to some degree. The fact that it's done for profit and with "malicious" intent doesn't make it less hacking, in my opinion - it's still the matter of combining things at your disposal with the agility of your mind to acheive a goal. A cracking game would involve more of the theoretical, possibly mathematical approach.

But that's just my 2 quads...

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Hap hap!
http://www.teewars.com

mrxak

Welcome to the boards!

If you want that link in your sig to be, well, a link, you should add (url="http://"http://www.ambrosiasw.com/webboard/ubbcode.html")UBB tags(/url).

Guest_Teetow_*

Thanks for the welcome, I already like it in here

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Hap hap!
(url="http://"http://www.teewars.com")http://www.teewars.com(/url)

mrxak

Good to hear :).

::hakerz::

What alot of people do not realize is "hacking" isnt just about using tools to crack a password and such. But involves other things, such as dumbster digging, tricking someone into typing there password. etc. But there really isnt much to do about it.

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Well, I guess I beat uplink. Completed every storylin mission, both sides. Completed both special missions. Reached TERMINAL. Completed every type of hacking mission. So if you need any help, post and i'll be glad to reply

Maniak

Yep. It's too bad you can't change your username, else you might want to change you username from "::hakerz::" to "::crakerz::".

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Maniak hacks like
crazy!

mrxak

Quote

Originally posted by Maniak:
**Yep. It's too bad you can't change your username, else you might want to change you username from "::hakerz::" to "::crakerz::".;)

**

Mmmm... hackers.... :drool:

B Rob

Squawk Polly wanna hacker! Squawk

Sorry, that was rather low... I'll stop now.

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The bake sale to raise money for the car wash has been canceled due to confusion.
(url="http://"http://home.earthlink.net/~brob2003/")My Random Blog(/url)

Maniak

Quote

The bake sale to raise money for the car wash has been canceled due to confusion.

As long as we're talking confusion:

I am a liar.

The following statement is true:
The preceding statement is false.

Dad says Mom's lying.
Mom says Dad's telling the truth.

:D](http://www.wanfried.com/george)*

*Click the smiley.

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Maniak hacks like
crazy!

B Rob

Now that we're waaaaaaaaay off topic:

If you can tell me where the quote in my sig come from, I'll give you a cookie. Only one person has been able to answer correctly so far.

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The bake sale to raise money for the car wash has been canceled due to confusion.
(url="http://"http://home.earthlink.net/~brob2003/")My Random Blog(/url)

spacecowboy

I believe that what all of you have been looking for is (url="http://"http://www.mala.bc.ca/~soules/media112/hacker.htm")this(/url).

Cheers, mates.

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Suddenly, the little scoutship disappeared and then reappeared right behind the alien warfleet. The gravitic ship's captain hailed the armada. "You are going to be destroyed, but I will give you a choice as to how you want to spend eternity: big pieces, little pieces, or quarks?"
Dead silence.
"Quarks it is, then."

spacecowboy

Apologize for the double-post, but this needed to be addressed.

Quote

Originally posted by ::hakerz:::
**I can't imagine what uplink would be like if you had to do all of the hacking manualy.

**

You mean with a standard UNIX command-line interface, without the spiffy GUI? When the game comes with O'Reilly's "UNIX in a Nutshell" as the User's Manual? And uses real-life text commands instead of a bunch of little apps to do your work for you?

Answer: real life.

Which is one reason why they didn't do it. Uplink will, at most, teach you the theories of hacking: what different types of computers do, to clean up your tracks after you're done, etc.. However, it is simply incapable of teaching you HOW to hack. If they'd released a game too much more realistic, the company would've been shut down by MI.5 within 20 minutes of the game's release.

And don't say that they've already used command-line interface to trash the servers. Sure, they have: cd usr; delete. Big whoop. Any two-bit harebrained sheep-loving helldesk geek can figure THAT one out. The hacking itself lies in getting to the point where you can actually enter that command.

But that's just my two bits' worth. (Ooh, how I LOVE a good pun.)

Sláinte.

(edit)::hackerz::, did you find the Wargames mission, though? "Good evening, Dr. Falken. Would you like to play a game?"(/edit)

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Suddenly, the little scoutship disappeared and then reappeared right behind the alien warfleet. The gravitic ship's captain hailed the armada. "You are going to be destroyed, but I will give you a choice as to how you want to spend eternity: big pieces, little pieces, or quarks?"
Dead silence.
"Quarks it is, then."

(This message has been edited by spacecowboy (edited 12-23-2003).)

prophile

Unfortunately, "Uplink:Script Kiddy Elite" doesn't have the same ring to it does it?

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Vast__

mrxak

Heh.