Status of the world of computers

[Cheeseball]

Today there are several different groups that make up what is known as the internet.

The first of these groups would be the below standard user group. This group is almost 100% dependent upon Technical Support, and "ease of use" ISPs such as AOL or CompuServe. These are the people you best friends are warning you about, like the 80 year old man that calls tech support asking why his computer is "Beeping" after installing a modem. "Well, sir, frankly, using wire pliers to cut the modem down so it would fix into that nice pretty BLACK slot, was probably a bad idea...considering the modem is ISA".

Then there is our second group of the night, the standard user. Not much can be said about this group, only that they make up about 80% of the population of the internet, using ISPs such as AOL, and even down to local access carriers. This group mostly knows enough about computers to be dangerous, and subseptible to panic upon media coverage of a virus, worm, or the defacement of a webpage. The majority of this group view all people in the following groups as a threat, one that should be dealt with no matter what the cost.

The next group is a very slight change from the standard user, it is a group that has gotten the name "script kiddies" over the years. This group is a bit more advanced than the standard user. People in the "script kiddies" range tend to have a redeeming predestination for violence and incorrect grammer. If it were not for thier lack of social skills this group would most likely not be involved with computers, I guess we can say they are wannabe gang members that forgot to make friends. This group it could be said is the most dangerous, they know what they can do, and they know where to download the "leeto toolz" to get it done. The technical knowledge in this group varies from "My friends showed me how to do it", to "I am a BS in CST and I just felt like causing some trouble". These people are not the curious of the internet world, they are the vandals who wish to an extent that they knew everything, but lack the patience to spend the time to do so. Some of the "lucky" script kiddies actually make a final destination to our final group.

And finally, we have the standard 100% USDA approved hacker, one who may dwell within or possibly outside of the law. The persons in this group have a VERY apparent lack of social skills, as well as an abnormal intellegence, most do not like school, and will either be forced by parents to go, or drop out at the college level. These people normally find it hard to carry a relationship into actual commitment, mostly because of improper social skills. This group also makes up about 70% of the security community, as well as about 40% of the cybercrime sector.

[Eversor]

Where does that leave people like me then? I don't know a single programming language nor do I try to be a 'script kiddie'. I work at a PC shop and am a hardware/software troubleshooter/installer/guy who normal people ask dumb questions to on the phone. Don't ya'll (wonder if I live in the south?) have any love for us poor bastards that tell people they have to disable onboard video before they can install their new GeForce 2 MX 400 video card, oh yea and remember folks computers have to be plugged in they don't run off batteries (yes I've had this happen)? No sympathy for us when we have to tell them that the floppy drive is not a change holder, or when we have to explain how you speed up your mouse? The best are the people who don't think that virii can happen to them, Nimda has made our shop a ton of cash this past week, businesses as well think that virii won't hurt their precious server (had to wipe and re-load 2 servers thus far). Anyway, thats my rant it might be warranted and then again it might be crap.

[Lascaux]

Hackers have an apparent lack of social skills? That is a pretty broad comment that is likely a little insulting to hackers. Thats like saying all black people are thugs or that all southerners are red-knecks. I don't think that one should make any kind of gerneralizations. Especially insulting ones.

[Terr]

Originally posted by Cheeseball
Today there are several different groups that make up what is known as the internet.

The first of these groups would be the below standard user group. This group is almost 100% dependent upon Technical Support

And what about the Tech Support people? They must be either down-on-their luck or masochistic, working in Tech Support against (not with, against) a large clueless user base. (This is to differentiate them from the Tech Support people who help in more desirable places). Where do they fit in?

I would chalk up script-kiddies to just wanting to somehow make a cyber-macho-ness that they can't... no, don't have the inclination... to take in real-life. They want to be someone on the net, someone with power. Except they don't want to spend too much time on it. I was at a LAN party yesterday, and a younger invitee (there were two age groups, as it was hosted in a house by two brothers, one older, one younger.) Anyway, this High-school-freshman-looking guy was very smug about having a combination IGMP and some other kind of nuker program. (I'm not sure if he really MEANT IGMP, or meant ICMP and got it wrong... there was an IGMP DoS attack for the windows TCP/IP stack some time ago, I think...)

Anyway. He couldn't tell me what IGMP (Internet Group Management Protocol, as opposed to Internet Control Message Protocol) stood for. I didn't bother leaving my firewall on during the LAN-ning. I preferred crisper (albeit slightly, with ping under 20 ms...) action over security in my Counter-Strike-ing. I q0w|\|z0red at most of the maps. Damn, now I'm reminiscing.

Anyway, most of the description of those groups is sort of media-tized. Either by popular media, or by Slashdot , IMO.

[Lascaux]

Counter Strike is awesome. You ever play firearms ?

[Terr]

CS

Good, but a few tweaks necessary, IMO. AKs a bit too cheap for their burst-crouched accuracy. I wish some weapons were more specialized, but then it wouldn't be realistic since most weapons fall under the 'punch holes in things' category. I've been accused of cheating so much, that I'm actually feeling pretty good that I rate that kind of suspicion when I'm using my really-good-at-directional-footstep-sounds headphones to hear the enemy approaching.

AHL (Action Half Life)

Generally cool, nice weapons and stuff. I once got 14 kills vs 6 kills on a 1v1 with an admitted wallhacking guy. Pistols only. I have to thank the aforementioned earphones and silent slippers.

FireArms

Neat, but I haven't played it quite as much as the others. Depends on map, I suppose.

Science and Industry

Really fun so long as your team isn't too stupid. It's harder to lone-cowboy in than, say, Counter-Strike or AHL. Nice for games with a long time rotation.

Day of Defeat

Okay, except that some maps REALLY (like Omaha, I believe it was. Allies gotta get documents, Axis get Keys) suck, and spawn-killing with sniper rifles is a problem. Not one of my favorites, really.

Team Fortess Classic

Hmm. Some balance issues too, but okay to play. Medics should NOT be given concussion grenades. Too tougher-than-a-normal-scout-like.

[Lascaux]

I love firarms. I use the knife more than any other weapon. Just take stealth and have a field day. Yesterday I got a 64-16 rec. woth it. Counterstrike is my next fav. I have still yet to play Science and Industry or Day of Deafeat. Are they woth my time ?

[Evil Homer]

AKs a bit too cheap for their burst-crouched accuracy

Off topic, but you should be pleased with the newly released version if thats how you feel - more recoil now - you can only get maybe 2 shots off with AK before accuracy goes to hell

[Terr]

Waaaay off topic. I would recommend SI, but not recommend DoD quite as much.

The odd thing is that in the 1.1->1.3 changelog, I couldn't find any weapon changes! Yet everyone is saying that they can see differences. Maybe it was in the 1.1->1.2 (unreleased) readme? It's odd.

[AngelofVengence]

I like to throw my self in the all of the above catagory <cause if it's possible that's me> from configureing a lan to writing a program that tells me it's a program, to cleaning out root cause it looked cluttered I've done it. I'm dangerous and I'm a nerfball. I've used BO and I've used a ip spoof attack, and I've had problems cause the printer was unplugged. But at least I have some social skills.