meta-ghost
Dec 26, 2002, 05:05 PM
So the Feds announced today that Kevin Mitnick can begin surfing the web next month. SFGate reports:
"FCC Administrative Law Judge Richard Sippel granted the license in a ruling made public Monday.
"He started hacking as an inquisitive teenager and wound up a disgraced felon," Sippel wrote. "There is reliable evidence that Mr. Mitnick has focused on becoming an honest, productive citizen."
The question I have is which of the media protraits is closer to the truth. When he was hunted and captured, the stories focused on the seedier side of hacking - including credit card fraud. Recently I saw a great documentary on hacking - where Mitnick was not the focus - that gave a much different story. One that says Mitnick was at first unlucky (his previous arrests had more to do with the governments need to punish and set an example) and later vengeful (as a result of things like solitary confinement). Which is it.
BTW. The documentary had Woz and Captain Crunch(the phone freak) sitting with Mitnick discussing the history of hacking. Woz told some great stories of he and Jobs with a Blue Box trying to make international calls at a Golden Gate Bridge phone booth and getting arrested (but Jobs was able to smooth talk their way out of it).
"FCC Administrative Law Judge Richard Sippel granted the license in a ruling made public Monday.
"He started hacking as an inquisitive teenager and wound up a disgraced felon," Sippel wrote. "There is reliable evidence that Mr. Mitnick has focused on becoming an honest, productive citizen."
The question I have is which of the media protraits is closer to the truth. When he was hunted and captured, the stories focused on the seedier side of hacking - including credit card fraud. Recently I saw a great documentary on hacking - where Mitnick was not the focus - that gave a much different story. One that says Mitnick was at first unlucky (his previous arrests had more to do with the governments need to punish and set an example) and later vengeful (as a result of things like solitary confinement). Which is it.
BTW. The documentary had Woz and Captain Crunch(the phone freak) sitting with Mitnick discussing the history of hacking. Woz told some great stories of he and Jobs with a Blue Box trying to make international calls at a Golden Gate Bridge phone booth and getting arrested (but Jobs was able to smooth talk their way out of it).
