Hacking evolution: From good to evil to good

March 29, 2013, 10:19 AM — The outstanding PBSoffbook channel on YouTube has done another great interview/documentary with a technology topic - this time discussing the history and evolution of hacking.

The video explores the early days in the '60s, when hacking was accepted and thought of as a good thing; through the '80s and '90s when the media used the word to describe criminal break-ins of computers and networks; to the world of today, where people use hacking for activist purposes (Anonymous) or create hack-a-thons to help solve problems.

It should be interesting to see if they can truly take back the term - tech journalists generally understand the different types of hackers, I'm wondering if mainstream journalists will ever give up their love of the term to describe cyber-criminal attacks on systems.

Keith Shaw rounds up the best in geek video in his ITworld.tv blog. Follow Keith on Twitter at @shawkeith. For the latest IT news, analysis and how-tos, follow ITworld on Twitter, Facebook, and Google+.

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