Subject: ALT.HACKERS.GROUPS FAQ VERSION 0.24
Date: Thu, 11 Apr 1996 00:14:12 GMT
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Posting-frequency: Whenever I feel like it

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                            (alt.hackers.groups)
              Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)  -  Version 0.24


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              Maintained by Chester J. Karma, esq. <fts@cris.com>
                        Last Updated: April 9, 1996

       All parts of this FAQ are protected by United States Federal
     Copyright Laws, and appropriate regulations worldwide. All parts
     of this FAQ are Copyright 1995-1996, Tim Fries, unless otherwise
                     attributed to a specific author.


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                              TABLE OF CONTENTS

   Section 1 : The FAQ
      [1-1] Disclaimer and Other Garbage
      <1-2> Where can I get the FAQ?
      [1-3] What does FAQ stand for?
      *1-4* How do I submit to the FAQ?
      [1-5] How do I read the FAQ?

   Section 2 : The Newsgroup and it's Readers
      [2-1] What is alt.hackers.groups?
      [2-2] What is alt.hackers.groups for?
         [2-2-1] Who should post to alt.hackers.groups?
         <2-2-2> Who shouldn't post to alt.hackers.groups?
      [2-3] Who reads alt.hackers.groups?
         *2-3-1* Chester Karma (fts@cris.com)
         *2-3-2* Transient Grindage (sciri@redbox.newhackcity.net)
         <2-3-3> Molitoph (molitoph@micron.net)
         *2-3-4* Glen Merrick (gmarik@zot.io.org)
      *2-4* What are some related resources on the Internet?
      <2-5> How come no one replies to my posts?
      *2-6* The alt.hackers.groups charter
      *2-7* Alt.hackers.groups' standing on PGP

   Section 3 : Hacking and Cracking
      [3-1] What is hacking?
      [3-2] What is cracking?
      [3-3] Where can I learn to hack?
      [3-4] Does anybody have a hack/crack for (insert-name-here)?
         [3-4-1] How can I change my grades?
         [3-4-2] Where can I find AOHELL?

   Section 4 : The Hacker's Ethic


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                            SECTION 1 -- THE FAQ

    ----------------------------------------------------------------------

      [1-1] - Disclaimer and Other Garbage

        All information within this FAQ is presented AS-IS, with no
        warranty, written or expressed. You are solely responsible for
        consequences of your actions as a result of reading this FAQ (or
        lack of reading this FAQ).
        Reading this FAQ will not necessarily guarantee you will not be
        flamed for posting to alt.hackers.groups, even though you may
        follow all the guidelines within to the letter.
        If you get flamed, don't feel too bad. :)

    ----------------------------------------------------------------------

      [1-2] - Where can I get the FAQ?

        Usually, the best place to get the FAQ for alt.hackers.groups is
        in the newsgroup itself. I always post new versions of the FAQ
        right after they are finished, and I try to periodically post
        the FAQ there.  It's also available from my home page, at
        http://www.cris.com/~fts/FAQ/ahg.txt
        Muchos thankos go out to Molitoph for HTMLitizing the FAQ.

    ----------------------------------------------------------------------

      [1-3] - What does FAQ stand for?

        FAQ stands for "Frequently Asked Questions", and depending on your
        origin, is pronounced "fack", "Fah-Que" or "faak". Fortunately,
        little things like pronounciation get lost along the way. ;)
        The purpose of this document is to remove simple and annoying
        questions for alt.hackers.groups.  Here you can find the answers
        to many questions without wasting other users' time by asking them.
        The other purpose of this document is to provide a base for the
        charter of alt.hackers.groups... the rules the group follows.

    ----------------------------------------------------------------------

      [1-4] - How do I submit to the FAQ?

        If you have a submission for the FAQ, either E-Mail to me at
        fts@cris.com, or post it in alt.hackers.groups. The latter is
        preferred, because other people can add their input on the matter
        as well.
        When submitting an addition to the FAQ, be sure to recommend
        a place in the FAQ for it to be included. When submitting a
        change to existing material, be sure you mention which version
        of the FAQ you are changing. (This is 0.24).
        PGP-encrypted FAQ suggestions will not be considered.
        If submissions are deemed worthy of addition to the FAQ, they
        are added to the appropriate place and you're given credit for
        the submission.
        I also read over the newsgroup and I add questions and answers to
        the FAQ as the questions asked in the group change.

    ----------------------------------------------------------------------

      [1-5] - How do I read the FAQ?

         The FAQ is organized in question and answer format (go figure).
         Questions are grouped by type and their relationships to each
         other. In the table of contents, new/updated questions are
         marked with asterisks surrounding the section (e.g., *1-5*).
         Questions updated in the last version of the FAQ are surrounded
         with less- and greater-than signs (e.g., <1-5>). Unchanged
         questions are surrounded by brackets (e.g., [1-5]). Only
         changes in content are marked with these markers, spelling and
         grammar fixes are not. (This system of marking questions was
         borrowed from The Official DOOM FAQ.)


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                  SECTION 2 - THE NEWSGROUP AND IT'S READERS

    ----------------------------------------------------------------------

      [2-1] - What is alt.hackers.groups?

        Alt.hackers.groups is a newsgroup on the Usenet, where users can
        post public messages for anyone who decides to read the specific
        group.

    ----------------------------------------------------------------------

      [2-2] - What is alt.hackers.groups for?

        Alt.hackers.groups was created to facilitate discussion for and
        about the various underground organizations in existance. Groups
        such as the infamous LoD and the up-and-coming FtS are prime
        examples of who this group was created for.
        However, this underground culture prefers NOT to discuss in
        public forums, so alt.hackers.groups exists basically for
        technical DISCUSSION of hacking (not cracking) related topics.
        Included in this are computers, telephones, electronics, etc.

        Alt.hackers.groups is NOT for AOL weenies who have just got their
        first computer who want to hack because they just saw the movie
        "Wargames", "Sneakers" or "Hackers".
        Alt.hackers.groups is NOT for AOL weenies who are looking for
        the hottest WaReZ, or the latest crack for Doom.  We don't deal
        with that sort of thing in alt.hackers.groups.

        [2-2-1] - Who should post to alt.hackers.groups?

          Alt.hackers.groups is a public newsgroup, so I can't place
          restrictions on who can post outside of what the charter
          allows. However, if you are a member of an underground
          group, or at least someone slightly knowledgable in the
          art of hacking, you're more than welcome to grace
          alt.hackers.groups with your presence.
          If you have moderate-to-expert knowledge in the field you're
          posting about, feel free to post.

        [2-2-2] - Who shouldn't post to alt.hackers.groups?

          Don't post to alt.hackers.groups for the sake of posting a
          message on the Internet to satisfy yourself and/or your
          friends. Alt.test serves this purpose nicely.
          Posting a "Test message" is discouraged, however it is
          understood that every once in a while, a situation may
          exist where checking the news server is needed, and using
          alt.test may be a hassle... this is tolerated, but only in
          EXTREME moderation.
          Don't post to alt.hackers.groups if you have no idea what
          you're talking about. Alt.hackers.groups is not for novices.
          Don't post to alt.hackers.groups if you want a copy of the
          latest "Hacker's Handbook" or any other 'Me Too' troll.
          Don't post illicit cancel cmsgs to alt.hackers.groups. If a
          post is bad, then by all means cancel away, but if you want
          to cancel a post because you personally disagree with the
          poster, you're breaking the hacker's ethic.

          (Note that I will cancel messages that are in violation
          of this FAQ myself, but sometimes I don't get around to them
          fast enough.)

          Alt.hackers.groups is not for program cracks or WaReZ.
          Alt.hackers.groups is not for people who make fake AOL
          accounts and spam the net. If you have that much free time
          on your hands, you really need to get a life. It's so damn
          easy to make fake AOL accounts, you're not proving anything
          to anybody with them.

    ----------------------------------------------------------------------

      [2-3] - Who reads alt.hackers.groups?

        The same people who post, generally... plus some lurkers. Lurkers
        aren't bad people.. consider them posters who don't make fools of
        themselves because they learn the group before they post.
        Be warned, like any group with the word "hackers" in it's title,
        some government agents are probably watching and taking very
        careful notes.  Be warned and don't incriminate yourself.

        Some examples of people who make GOOD posts to alt.hackers.groups:

        [2-3-1] - Chester Karma <fts@cris.com>

          I maintain the FAQ and enforce the rules for the most
          part. I do a lot of cancel messages, just run a DejaNews
          query on me and you'll see em all.  I've probably got
          an unfair advantage being as how I'm not going to break
          my own rules (that would be dumb-and-a-half). As far as
          keeping things in check, the other posters listed here
          have just about equal say in the way things run.

        [2-3-2] - Transient Grindage <sciri@redbox.newhackcity.net>

          This guy had a GOOD way to circumvent call-back security,
          which earned him immortality in this FAQ. He's also proven
          to me that people read this FAQ by the amount of mail he's
          gotten from lamers asking him how to hack. He said that
          he just forwards the mail to other users at NewHackCity and
          they all have a laugh or two.
          The sciri account has been removed from New Hack City, as
          you'll see if you finger him... and you'll probably never
          know what happened to him. :)

        [2-3-3] - Molitoph <molitoph@micron.net>

          He's been hanging around a.h.g almost as long as the group
          has been around, and he's been making good contributions,
          so I finally decided it's about time he got some
          recognition.  He's close to what I envision as the perfect
          a.h.g reader.. he posts some questions, some answers, and
          defends the Hacker's Ethic.

        [2-3-4] - Glen Merrick <gmarik@zot.io.org>

          Glen is currently taking CNE classes, and is quite
          knowledgable about Novell networks (and other random topics).
          He's a good, honest, legit hacker... I wish more of you
          out there were like him.

    ----------------------------------------------------------------------

      [2-4] - What are some related resources on the Internet?

        The following is a list of related resources available on the
        Internet. This list is by no means complete, and please send
        any other suggestions you have to me.

         http://www.cris.com/~fts
          My home page. I keep the latest version of this FAQ there.

         http://www.newhackcity.net
          Great domain. You have to check it out yourself.

         http://www.l0pht.com
          Like New Hack City, except L0pht is more complete.

         http://netnow.micron.net/~molitoph
          Molitoph's home page. Has some interesting links on it.

         http://www.2600.com
          2600's web site. I may not agree 100% with everything
          published in 2600, but it IS a good source of info.

    ----------------------------------------------------------------------

      [2-5] - How come no one replies to my posts?

        Not every post gets replies.  If your post is off-topic for the
        group (i.e., against the Hacker's Ethic), either I or another
        reader of the group will cancel the message.  If I cancel a
        message, I will notify you by E-Mail with the post and the reason
        it was cancelled.
        Another reason no one may be replying is because no one HAS a
        reply for the post.  

    ----------------------------------------------------------------------

      [2-6] - The alt.hackers.groups charter

        ALT.HACKERS.GROUPS exists for the discussion of all sorts of
        legal hacking.  The group is 'unmoderated', in effect that posts
        do not go through a moderator before being posted.  The group
        is moderated however by it's readers.  This charter allows
        cancellation of any message posted to the group that is a
        violation of this charter and the group FAQ as a whole. Proper
        procedure for a cancellation is that the appropriate control
        message is issued, and a copy of the original message including
        full headers is e-mailed back to the poster with a reason for
        the cancellation. If this is not possible, the message is
        simply cancelled without warning.  A reader should be familiar
        with the group, this charter, and the FAQ before cancelling
        any messages.  In cases where repeated inappropriate messages
        are posted, a program may be run which will automatically
        cancel further offending messages from the poster. The period
        of this auto cancel run is determined by the posters to the
        group.  The group, it's readers and it's posters do not
        assume any responsiblity for the content of the traffic of the
        group outside of the guidelines in this charter and the FAQ.

    ----------------------------------------------------------------------

      [2-7] Alt.hackers.groups' standing on PGP

        PGP is cryptography software written by Phil Zimmerman. It
        provides a secure way of encrypting and verifying messages
        using insecure channels. If you don't understand PGP, don't
        worry about it, you probably don't need the security it
        provides anyway.

        The alt.hackers.groups policy on PGP is that public messages
        are posted unencrypted. Messages posted encrypted will be
        cancelled without being decrypted. (Posting a message
        encrypted is stupid anyway.)

        If you strongly feel it is necessary, you may append a PGP
        signature to sensitive posts. This will be tolerated in
        extreme moderation only. A better idea is to say "signature
        available at http://www.site.com/sig.html for perusal".

        A one-line PGP fingerprint is tolerated in a .sig file. It
        is unintrusive and doesn't take much bandwidth.

        Posting your PGP public key is not allowed. Any message
        containing a PGP public key will be cancelled. If it is
        in a .sig, one warning may be given for future posts.
        Instead of actually including the key, use a line like
        "PGP Public Key available at http://www.site.com/key.html".


==========================================================================

                       SECTION 3 - HACKING AND CRACKING

    ----------------------------------------------------------------------

      [3-1] - What is hacking?

        Webster's Third New International Dictionary doesn't have a
        suitable defination for the word "hack" as it's used in this sense,
        so I'll try to write up my own definition:

          hack \'hak\ n 1. An unusual and/or creative solution to an
          unintended problem.
          hack \"\ v 1. The act of attempting to create a hack.

        Basically, hacking is the act of trying to fix something that isn't
        working the way it's supposed to in an unusual way. Say for example
        you're using Linux, and the SVGALIB doesn't work right with your
        SVGA card (although it SHOULD). By editing the SVGALIB to make it
        work, you have created a hack.

    ----------------------------------------------------------------------

      [3-2] - What is cracking?

        Hacking is almost the same as cracking, but notice the difference
        in my definition:

          crack \`crak\ n 1. An unusual and/or creative workaround for
          an intentional boundary.

        In my opinion (and probably most other people's), the difference
        between a hack and a crack is that with a hack, you're finding a
        better or different way to accomplish something you SHOULD be
        able to do, and with a crack, you're finding a way to do something
        you SHOULDN'T be doing.
        Using a program to remove copy-protection from a piece of software
        is using a crack, since the copy-protection is an intentional
        boundary which you shouldn't be crossing.

    ----------------------------------------------------------------------

      [3-3] - Where can I learn to hack?

        Being a hacker is not just a name you call yourself. Hackers are
        different from non-hackers in the fact that hackers generally are
        more intelligent, inquisitive, and creative.
        You can't just LEARN to become a hacker, depending on your
        personality, either you are one or you aren't. There really is no
        middle ground, and if you're not one, you can't learn to be one.

        There are numerous "hacking guides" floating out there, and many
        people have read them, but the fact that you've read every guide
        to hacking does not make you a hacker. There is no replacement
        for experience, and there is no replacement for the ingenuity it
        takes to create an original hack of your own.

        If you think you have the skills it takes to be a hacker and you
        want to learn, the BEST way to learn is to read every manual you
        can, because they supply a lot of useful knowledge that you
        might not figure out otherwise, and you have to experiment with
        systems. Hands-on work is the number one way to gain knowledge
        and experience.  If a manual says that a piece of software will
        work with certain hardware and it doesn't, the only way to hack
        around it is to fool with the software and hardware yourself.

        Asking others "Can you teach me how to hack?" is like asking
        Micheal Jordan "Can you teach me to be a professional
        basketball player?" .... it just can't be done. There is too
        much left to underlying skill that can't be taught.

    ----------------------------------------------------------------------

      [3-4] - Does anybody have a hack/crack for (insert-name-here)?

        This is probably the most asked question that doesn't belong in
        alt.hackers.groups. The newsgroups alt.cracks, alt.hackers, and
        alt.2600 more suit this type of question. Alt.hackers.groups is
        more for established hackers, not people looking for help.

        [3-4-1] - How can I change my grades?

          Changing your grades is a lot harder than it looks in the
          movie "Wargames".

          First of all, you may have seen "WarGames", but you also need
          to remember: the people who administer computers that contain
          grades have ALSO seen it, and have added security accordingly.

          Second: Grade systems are different everywhere. You can't
          simply ask "how can I change my grades?" and expect to get a
          step-by-step answer.  Systems differ greatly if it's a high
          school or college/university.. they differ if the system is
          a VAX or some sort of UNIX box... they differ depending on
          how many students are kept in the system.  The variations are
          endless.

          Third: Changing your grades is illegal and stupid. If you're
          in a college/university, you could be expelled and even
          jailed for doing it. High school punishments aren't much
          lighter. Changing anything on a system like that is more than
          likely logged, and logs are harder to edit than you think.
          Also, YOUR grades are connected to YOUR name. This is
          probably the de facto number one reason they shouldn't be
          messed with. The paper trail leads DIRECTLY to you because
          YOUR name is the one on the grades. And, as corny as it
          may sound, you're only cheating yourself. You have your
          classes for a reason... if you skirt through a UNIX basics
          class and some day get a job as a Sysadmin, you're going
          to be lost... and NO one will have any sympathy for you.

          Fourth: Changing your grades violates the hacker's ethic.

        [3-4-2] - Where can I find AOHELL?

          This is not an appropriate question for alt.hackers.groups,
          but it's addressed here since it's asked quite often in the
          group.
          To find AOHELL, use a web search engine and search for
          "AOHELL". (That was difficult.)


==========================================================================

                         SECTION 4 - THE HACKER'S ETHIC

    ----------------------------------------------------------------------
    (I'm open for additions to this.. just mail me and I'll consider them)

    1. A hacker does not use viruses. Viruses are for pre-pubescent weenies
       who think trashing a system makes them look "cool". A hacker
       generally has nothing to do with viruses, and hackers generally
       frown upon people who brag about their virus collections.
    2. A hacker does not hack for personal gain other than knowledge of the
       system. Our telephone system would not be as sturdy as it is today
       had it not been for real hackers like Cap'n Crunch who actually
       called telephone companies and explained problems in their systems.
    3. A hacker does not modify anything except in a couple instances:
       1) A hacker may modify system logs to make sure their access is
          unnoticed.
       2) A hacker may edit user files to ensure future access.
       3) A hacker may fix something that is broken.
    4. A hacker disseminates knowledge, so everyone knows about security
       holes, and everyone can work towards FIXING them... not EXPLOITING
       them. (Although a hacker also realizes there are dregs in society
       that will try to exploit these holes for personal gain)
    5. A hacker will help someone who has helped themselves. If someone has
       made an honest effort to learn something but cannot, a hacker throws
       in a helping hand. A hacker may decide not to help someone who
       leeches for information without even trying the work to learn it
       otherwise.
    6. Although a hacker may break "legal" laws, a hacker does not break
       "ethical" laws. A hacker may enter a system illegally, but will only
       work for the system's benefit, and will not read information that is
       not needed.
    7. A hacker pays for commercial software, and does not touch WaReZ, and
       does not associate with WaReZ d00dZ. Hackers look down upon WaReZ 
       d00dZ as insecure little delinquents who can't get an honest job to
       afford commercial software.


==========================================================================

          This is the end of the alt.hackers.groups FAQ, version 0.24
               Submissions and comments can go to  fts@cris.com
   Info about cracking your ISP can be obtained from root@warez.phantom.com

