On re-reading, I realize that I don't agree with Ms. Hancock's
> original logic. The pheapers who explored AT&T's LD network weren't
> _altering_ the basic functions of the network, they were using it for
> things that it's administrator's didn't _like_.
>
> Computer hackers, OTOH, are much more likely to repurpose the machines
> they crack, turning a website into a secret IRC server, etc.
>
> This seems a very subtle difference, I know, but I'm in a mood to > split hairs.
>
> Bill Horne
> Temporary Moderator
Back in the 1990s, I had to say that to every 15-year old "eleet hacker" who got caught breaking into our computers: We DON'T KNOW whether you're benign or malicious; a substantial proportion of crackers are malicious (and they all claim to be benign); so we have to do a lot of tedious clean-up after you even if you're benign; and that's why we don't tolerate "benign" break-ins.