I'm a beginner! Help! -- Opinions and Tips for Beginners
thinkzero
admin@thinkzero.com
newbie, beginner, new-comer, new, newcomer, newbies, hacking, phreaking, scene, help


No, this is not an article about how to hack or phreak or what have you, however it 
is an article about how to learn to get out of that wretched "newbie" class of people 
on the hacking scene.


Let me start by saying that I am no real authority on phreaking or hacking. You might 
even go so far as to call me a beginner myself, but if you are in fact thinking of 
entering into the world of hacking, here are some things that every hacker had to do.

	
	1) Read.  This is probably the most important of all.  Read everything you 
	   get your hands on.  In the beginning you might not have friends wise in the 
           ways, and you probably won't have a legitimate mentor, so reading texts all
           ready put together by hackers is a good way to pick up information.  Read 
           texts on hackers.com, read 2600, read sites on box.sk, and soon you'll feel 
           as if you've got a decent grasp on what hacking is all about, why Microsoft 
           sucks, and maybe on how to do some simple tricks not known by your average 
           Joe Schmuck AOLer.



	2) Get a real ISP.  It's a known fact that there aren't any real hackers on 
           CompuServe.  Trust me on this one. It'll make everything easier.

	
	3) Get involved.  Congregating with fellow hackers is a great way to trade 
	   and learn information.  Gather your courage and show up at the nearest 
           2600 or Blacklisted! meeting.  Don't try to bullshit and act all bad-ass 
           in front of these people, let `em know you're a beginner to hacking. 
           Chances are they'll respect that and answer any questions you may have.  
           If you don't know what something is or what something does, just ask about 
           it!  Don't be overly annoying, but talk to them and see what's up.  Who 
	   knows, they might actually be people you'd want to hang out with again.  
           Furthermore, getting involved, going to meetings and cons will allow you 
	   to:


	4) Make acquaintances.  Having friends on the hacking scene is always valuable. 
           If I didn't know BinaryZer0, I wouldn't be writing this article right now.  
           Make friends online and offline that are knowledgable about hacking. It's 
           always a good idea.  They'll show you the ropes, invite you places (if 
           you're not overly lame like me...heh) and before you know it you're 
           involved with everybody.



I hope you've found all this to be interesting and helpful. If anything, amusing.  
Practice what you learn, get involved, be paranoid, and don't get caught.

Regards,

thinkzero