The Human Face of Technology: Insights From Cliff Stoll's Cuckoo's Egg

Technology is more than mere bits on a wire or pixels on a screen. As the Internet continues to expand and we become virtual neighbors with people of different races, nationalities, and beliefs, we are forced to see how human each of us is and how important the viewpoints and feelings of others are. Networks aren't just emotionless pieces of hardware. We are the network. With every Facebook or blog post, with every web page and wiki entry, we expose ourselves to the world, placing an innate trust in other people.

When hackers use the Internet to break in and steal information or write viruses that cripple others, they betray the mutual trust that is inherent in the network. Invading someone's computer is just as wrong as breaking into someone's house. Better security and antivirus programs, although they help, are not the ultimate solution. We need to change as a society. The problem is not in the technology; it's in the choices of people that use it. The best security system is the personal responsibility that allows us to confide in each other.

The Origin and Purpose of Modern Technologies

Many of the modern technologies that have been developed are divinely inspired, and as such have a divine purpose.  Although the Internet is plagued with the depravity of pornography and inundated with time wasters, it is intended for spreading truth and light.  God wants us to use technology to share the gospel's message of peace and to seek out our ancestors.  As we bless others, we begin to understand the true reason for the gifts He gives us.  As children of the information age, we need to comprehend the opportunities for good that technology affords us.

Buying Electronics is Not a Sin

The working conditions at some of the factories in China that produce electronics truly are deplorable, and something needs to be done.  However, it is an overstatement to claim that consumers are inherently to blame for the situation.  Any decent human being would be willing to pay extra for gadgets if it meant a better quality of life for someone else.  The truth is that we as consumers have relatively little that we can do to affect the working conditions in the factories because there are larger, more complex economic forces at work.  Given that our actions, however well-intended, cannot guarantee a direct improvement in factory working conditions, much of the recent media hype isn't necessary.

I Am A Hacker

In today's society, the term "hacker" is often used with a negative connotation.  I've read in a few different places about hacker culture and what it truly means, or at least meant, to be a hacker.  This article about Mark Zuckerberg, the founder of Facebook, explains the concept fairly well.  I identify with the idea of taking things apart, digging deeper to discover how things work, and always yearning to make things better.  Hacking is not about writing viruses or breaking into someone's private information to steal credit card numbers.  The true hacker is characterized by a vigorous pursuit of knowledge and a stubborn unwillingness to settle for mediocrity.  As one whose curiosity about the world around him never seems to be satisfied, I am a hacker—in the original sense of the word.