|
|
The following was received by HNN after the airing of MTV's True Life: I'm a Hacker
contributed by Anonymous
'True Life, I'm a Hacker' fully demonstrated MTV's aptitude for
generating educational, accurate, and informative programming. The young,
uneducated, MTV television audience needed that mockumentary about as
much as the preceding 'Karaoke Boobs' game show. Having conversed with
"True Life's" producers when they started filming, it was apparent from
the beginning that they were only looking for a few amateur crackers
gullible enough to admit to criminal activities on national television.
Thanks a lot for making role models out of a few misguided kids.
In all fairness, they did end the show with a few shots of Mantis
educating schoolmates about proper HTML design. Way to go, MTV,
commending the underprivileged youth. How very politically correct of
them. Now, as the virgin AOL audience gets their first taste of the
exciting, daring, world of 'hackers', they'll know to let Parse TV and
John Vranesevich field their questions. Not once did MTV capitalize on
the creative spirit that embodies the hacker, or the ubiquitous
self-reliance and profound skepticism that distinguishes young hackers
from their mainstream peers and schoolmates.
So in a few words, I'm disappointed. MTV had an opportunity to educate,
and to impart some hacking spirit to the disillusioned masses. Instead,
it spoke to unfortunate, angry, and repressed high school geeks, burning
into the backs of their heads the phrase: 'Hacking is Power'. So go forth
and invade others privacy, misusing your knowledge to scare your peers.
Make yourself seem bigger then you are. If you made it far enough to
watch the credits, you'd note that even MTV personalities fear you. Isn't
that the way true life should be?
contributed by Mike
The MTV "True Life" show was disturbingly sensationalistic, although I
really should have expected it. Serena (although an attractive woman)
gives virtually no real insight into things, no big picture. This would
be fine if the show genuinely was about "observational" asethetics that
could be found in a documentary--but this show presented itself as a
Journalistic show. It really didn't explore very much... and I kind of
felt at times that Serena was _straining_ to make things look even more
exciting, when they weren't. For example, the illustrious MYSTERY DISK,
which reminds me of something one would find directly out of Hackers The
Movie, and we all know what a truthful and honest cinematic experience
that was. The three guys involved weren't particularly good at
articulating themselves (particularly Shamrock, who looked more
interested in impressing us with how he GOT INTO HACKING FO' ALL DA WRONG
REASONS). I watched the show with folks who have virtually no knowledge
of "hacker stuff", and they came out with tons of misconceptions.
Essentially, the show portrays itself as potentially objective ("hacker:
renegade or criminal?"), but all its final premises are basically
anti-hacker, not to mention confusing. I guess that's all you can do in
a half hour, in a medium marketed for short attention spans, though, huh?
contributed by TechNoiD
About this true life that mtv showed on tv. It really wasnt that good.
It doesnt show why we do it which in most cases is to better the
security in this world. That is one thing I wish mtv would have said
something about. What do they do? They make hackers look like idiots.
If the hackers on MTV were true hackers then they would not want their
face to be showed on tv for one. For 2 they would not admit they just
hacked something like that voice-Email box or that one linux box. Give
me a break. I watched it with a couple of my friends that know
somestuff but not much. Even they agree with me that is a BS story.
contributed by Sp3ctacle
I heard about the MTV's I'm a Hacker special and I eagerly awaited its
airing. I read the through the armchair critics postings on
slashdot.org which expressed little confidence that MTV could do
this
topic any justice. But I still had faith. Maybe someone could finally
explain to the teeming millions what drives thousands of their wired
brethren worldwide to "hack". What makes them explore every crevice of
the data sphere? What makes them want to share what they find with
others? Where do they get their healthly mistrust for the government
and
big business? What are the positive and negative things they bring to
society?
I was sorely disappointed. But I guess that is what I should have
expected from a show which credited John Vranesevich, the guy from
antionline.com, as a "Technical Consultant". I think Vranesevich's
misunderstanding of hackers put a major dent in the show and I can only
hope that this will keep him from being hired as a "Technical
Consultant"
on hackers again.
There were no deep questions answered about hackers. But there were no
shallow ones answered either. That is except the fact that they share
many of the same traits as their non-hacker peers. Some do 'E'. Some
pound 40's. Some are geeks who go out of their way to defend their
non-geekdom. Some feel a need to be empowered. Surprise! Teenagers are
still teenagers. But I wanted more. I wanted to know made hackers
different not what makes them the same.
I was left with the sense that the show was telling me that hacking was
this juvenile thing that I should just get over. I should move on
before I
get into trouble somehow. I didn't really know why though. It was kinda
like a DARE session where they tell you to 'Just say no' to drugs but
don't really tell you why.
They did have a couple of moments of the more constructive side of
hacking. They showed the guys from the L0pht and showed Chameleon
moving
on to a job with a security software company. Good move Chameleon!
But the majority of the show was just hacking without much of a reason.
Hacking as just something else to do, like skateboarding or tagging a
utility box.
MTV had promised HNN an advance copy of the show for review. After
watching the show we know why we never got it.
|
|
|
