GhettoHackers: a new school of security

Now, this is interesting. There is a new school out there for those that really want to learn security. Classes aren't held in your conventional schoolground setting, but in an apartment building. The groups claims that they are not of the malicious variety, but of a security conscious group of people that are really interested in knowing more.
Check it out : http://xatrix.org/article1790.html

I would think that this may do more for the common conceptions of what a "Hacker" is, should the group not be putting a handful mal adjusted lunatics from their classes out into the world armed with a new level of security and networking. Of course as is with any education, it will be used as seen fit by the student in the end, but perhaps with guidance this will work out well..

What do you all think?

Yup your going to have to give these students a lot of guidance along with that knowledge other wise it’s like handing a monkey a shot gun. Its only a matter of time before he shoots him self in the foot.

Sounds like a really bad setup they have going. I wouldn't go to one of those classes. Not to be severly judging or anything, but I just don't see a guy with spikes in his lips and body piercings turning out to be a good teacher. Maybe that's just me growing up in a white-collar working class neighborhood, where nothing ever happens.

The strangest teacher I have is a guy who has a shaved head and is a semi-pro boxer in his spare time.

I've had a number of teachers and professors alike through out my high school and collegiate career. Outwardly the appearances will cause one to flinch, but the appearance should not matter so much. It should more be a focus the content and the manner in which it is delivered. I don't know about you, but as part of my internship in college, I've found that a number of students learn better from a teacher that has a certain flare. Getting them involved and making the environment comfortable is a great portion of teaching, or at least in my 1 year long experience it was any how.

As cwk9 stated, it is a dangerous situation and there would have to be a great deal of guidance to prevent one of the monkeys from shooting them from themselves in the foot. However, I think the idea is extremely sound. A great deal of information can be exchanged in these impromptu educational settings. I didn't learn a thing in my classes, but when I went home and was in my environment, I read many things well beyond the years curriculum, as do many well intentioned computer/ security students, formal or otherwise, who end up in trouble. I think that the potential here is great. Just my opinion though.

Sorry upon reading all of it, I will say that it is a perfect example of yet another company or person exploiting people that for what ever reason are where they are under the what security topic. Why not put people hardware software in place in a getto to empower people to get out? EXPLOIT happens also to people that have no mans to fight it, but by god I'll defend their diginity against EXPLOITS.

Is that allowed though, a school inside of an apartment? If they charge to be in the school than they could be arrested so I hope it is legal. Weird though..