From: Robert G. Ferrell (rootrgfsparc.cr.usgs.gov)
Date: Tue Nov 21 2000 - 10:03:20 CST

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>For years, a few small groups of socially conscious hackers have used
>their skills to advance social causes. The practice can be traced to
>1998, when a group called the Electric Disturbance Theater conducted
>"virtual sit-ins" on the Web sites of the Pentagon and the Mexican
>government to bring the world's attention to the plight of Indian
>rights in the Mexican state of Chiapas.

Not to put too fine a point on it, but 'hactivism' isn't that new. I can
remember hacks from at least as far back as '96 that were executed for the
purpose of condemning governmental policies. An example would be the DOJ
hack (http://www.attrition.org/mirror/attrition/1996/08/18/www.doj.gov/)
where the maifesto was quite clearly to protest what the crackers saw as
abuses of the U.S. Constitution by the Dept. of Justice. While that might
not be as politically correct as protesting hunger or basic human rights,
it's still a (highly visible) form of political activism.

I haven't got archives to prove it, but I believe a careful survey of
historical events would reveal that hactivism is as old as hacking itself.
A certain percentage of hackers have always been socially conscious;
it's only relatively recently that that the public have become aware of it.
Trees fell in this forest before anyone from the press showed up to hear them.

Cheers,

RGF

Robert G. Ferrell, CISSP
Information Systems Security Officer
National Business Center
U. S. Dept. of the Interior
Robert_G_Ferrellnbc.gov
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 Who goeth without humor goeth unarmed.
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