@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@
@
@ @                   HOW I KNEW WHEN I WAS HACKER
@ @
@ @                             BY:
@ @                                                                    @
@                       REVELATION                                 @ @
LOA----ASH                                @ @
@ @                 Written: 8/24/96                           @
@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@


        I have heard the question many times, "How do I know when I am a
hacker?". Each time that I heard it, I would ponder it for days at a time,
thinking, how did i know when i was a hacker. It has taken me a long
time to discover what makes a person a hacker, and what traits a true hacker
has. I decided to write this file in order to help newcomers know when they
have become hackers, and to provoke the thought of this question in the minds
of the advanced hackers.
        There are many things that make us what we are. One, is the
determination and the drive the gain knowledge.
        I had always thirsted to gain knowledge about computers. They have
intrigued me in a way few things have done. My mind had flooded with questions
about them. So, the only way to satisfy my thirst, was to learn. I enjoyed
learning in general, and I could never learn enough about computers and the
way they work. I learned about computer hardware, software, and operating
systems in my spare time. I downloaded all of the information that I could off
of the Internet. And still, I thirsted for more.
        After i had learned about all of the operating systems, the hardware,
etc. I wondered what it would be like to actually operate one of these
systems. So I began thinking, how could I use an operating system that I
didn't have. Then it hit me. I remembered having watched the movie "War Games"
and remembered how he gained access into a system. He was a Hacker.
I knew what hackers were, and they also intrigued me. They were very
mysterious to me. I wanted to learn about them too. And I wanted to become
one.
        I had just gotten an Internet Service Provider, and I began to
understand more and more about the Internet. I began going to hacking
newsgroups, World Wide Web Pages, etc. I downloaded hacking text files and
programs. I began to understand that hacking wasnt about crime, as it was
portrayed in movies. It was about the pursual of knowledge, which is what i
wanted in the first place. I began to take a great interest in this. I would
spend most of the day, if not all, learning and reading about every aspect
of hacking.
        Eventually I had felt like I knew alot about hacking, and I had hacked
many, many times. I thought I was a hacker, but yet I felt like I was
still an outsider. I was always nervous about asking questions, but than I
decided not to worry about it. I asked alot of questions and began to make
friends with people throughout the world who were hackers. I felt like I was
finally being accepted by the hacking community.
        Then I noticed that there were some very good hackers attending my
school. We started to get together frequently and traded hacking material
and information. That is when I decided to make it an official hacking group.
I named it LOA (Legion Of the Apocalypse). This also made me feel more like
a true hacker.
        One day I recieved a few questions from some beginning hackers that
I met on IRC (Internet Relay Chat). I proudly answered their questions, and
I began thinking back to when I was a beginner. I remembered how difficult
it was to gather all of the information I wanted. So I decided to write a
beginners guide called "The Ultimate Beginner's Guide To Hacking And
Phreaking". It is available now on various hacking W.W.W. Pages. These
pages are listed at the end of this file. I sent it out to my friends and
they in turn posted it on their pages.
        Then I started recieving a ton of E-Mail asking for the file and
asking me various questions about hacking and phreaking. I answered every one
of them with pride and happiness, because this is what being a hacker is all
about. It's about the pursual of knowledge, the helping of others, and having
fun. It is not about spreading viruses or crashing systems, like the public
seems to think. When I understood all of this, and I learned more about
computers in a several years then most people learn in a life time, i began to
realize who hackers really were, and i was one of them. I understood that
hacking isn't just a hobby, it is a way of life. You cant just
decide one day that you want to be a hacker....you must work at it for a very
long time. Even if you "retire" from hacking, you will always be
a hacker at heart.
        It was then that I knew that I was a true hacker, and I
would always be one.
        I hope know that you understand what hacking is, and that you will
know when you have become a true hacker. Remember that knowledge is power,
and that only the ignorant take it for granted. Maybe one day the government
will realize that we harm no one, and that all we want is knowledge. I hope
that i have helped you in your quest for knowledge about hacking.
        Check out these W.W.W. Pages on which you can find my beginners
guide:

http://www.sisna.com/users/Ryder/hack.html
http://www.netwalk.com/~silicon/episteme.html
http://members.gnn.com/ActMatrix/hideaway.htm

        Keep an eye out for the LOA home page coming sometime in October. It
will have everything!!! Also, our quarterly online magazine called " Too
Many Secrets" is coming out, so check that out too. If you have any questions
or comments please email me, Revelation, at:

revelationmail@usa.pipeline.com

LOA/ASH Members:

Revelation
Phreaked Out
Phreak Show
Logik Bomb
Silicon Toad
Punk Phreak


        Happy Hacking!!!