[defaced-commentary] The State of the Hack Awards #1

[InfoSec News <isn () C4I ORG>]

---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Tue, 16 Jan 2001 22:06:44 -0700 (MST)
From: security curmudgeon <jericho () attrition org>
To: defaced-commentary () attrition org
Subject: [defaced-commentary] The State of the Hack Awards #1


[Unfortunately with this article, the links go back to the original site,
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http://www.hackinthebox.org/article.php?sid=1241

The State of The Hack Awards #1 from L33tdawg
Sun, Dec 17 @ 12:19 PM

Web page defacement has evolved into something of an art form, or
perhaps more accurately the bastard child of art, and it is in
recognition of this dubious achievement that I conduct the following
examination of some of the more widely visible acts of (digital)
vandalism. I neither encourage nor approve of the practice, by the
way, but merely report on it. One may critique actions one does not
necessarily condone. On the other hand, on a few rare occasions the
hack is better than the original content, and it is the fond hope of
discovering one of these gems that drives me to pick my way through
the mountains of uninspired, deadly dull script kiddie tripe out there
on a daily basis. It's something akin to a treasure hunt in a septic
tank.

I classify defacements, which I will call for the sake of brevity
"hacks,"  (although they aren't usually the result of what I
personally would term 'hacking') by their relative artistic and
sociopolitical merit, as judged by me. From time to time you'll see me
rate a hack for one reason or another (usually because I damn well
feel like it). My rating categories are:

# (Braindead): Probably carried out by a chimpanzee or lower primate
with a barely functional scripted auto-attack. Simply not worth the
bad HTML it may or may not be written in.

## (BeanieBaby): An obvious script kiddie job. No real message or
elegance, just a puppy pissing on a park bench.

### (BlueCollar): A solid hack. Nothing fancy, but functional. Some
evidence of higher brain functions.

#### (Expert): A classy bit of hackery, to the point and often with a
touch of *joie de vivre.*

##### (Elite): A force to be reckoned with. Smart, saavy, politically
aware, and dangerous. Smoothly professional.

###### (Godlike): The ultrauberH4x0r was here. Makes Kevin look like a
beginner with a pocket calculator. Look well, lads, for ye may ne'er
see th' likes o' this again.

Don't expect to me to review any ###### hacks in your lifetime.

[snip...]


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