History

Main article: Timeline of hacker history

Hacking developed alongside "Phone Phreaking", a term referred to exploration of the phone network without authorization, and there has often been overlap between both technology and participants.

Bruce Sterling traces the roots of the computer underground to the Yippies, a 1960s counterculture movement which published the Technological Assistance Program newsletter.

Artifacts and customs

The computer underground^[1] is heavily dependent on technology. It has produced its own slang and various forms of unusual alphabet use, for example 1337speak. Writing programs and performing other activities to support these views is referred to as hacktivism. Some go as far as seeing illegal cracking ethically justified for this goal; the most common form is website defacement.^{[citation needed]} The computer underground is frequently compared to the Wild West: a male-dominated Frontier to conquer.^[3] It is common among hackers to use aliases for the purpose of concealing identity, rather than revealing their real names.

Hacker groups

Main articles: Hacker conference and Hacker group

The computer underground is supported by regular real-world gatherings called hacker conventions or "hacker cons". These have drawn more people every year including SummerCon (Summer), DEF CON, HoHoCon (Christmas), and H.O.P.E..^{[citation needed]} They have helped expand the definition and solidify the importance of the computer underground.^{[citation needed}