<p>Actually, it sounded much more like social engineering to me. Anyway can become a social engineer, you don’t even need to know how to use a computer. I recommend reading Kevin Mitnick’s books for more info.</p>
<p>38 years? There is something much more seriously wrong with the US than having as its citizens two stupid teens who hacked a computer and cheated.</p>
<p>"with all the talk of these kids lives getting ruined at age 18 for mistakes of desperation, i’m just gonna throw this out there</p>
<p>what about the 18 year old poor inner city kid who turns to selling crack and ends up with 25 years? and 25 years of hard time. </p>
<p>Is it really that different? Why do we differentiate so between white collar and blue collar non-violent crime?"</p>
<p>I agree. I spent the morning doing voter registration in a poor, rural area. I saw a preschooler standing looking out a window with a window so broken that just shards of glass remained. I registered an elderly woman who couldn’t read or write. She had to make an “X” as her sign. Her house was falling apart outside, but the inside was immaculate.</p>
<p>This was in one of the poorest counties in my state. Many of the young men said that they couldn’t vote because they had felony records. </p>
<p>I know that people in such places are at risk of serving long terms due to drug use/possession, even minor drug possession. For instance, crack – which is the drug of poor people – possession results in much higher legal penalties than does powder cocaine possesion. Powder cocaine is what affluent drug users tend to use. </p>
<p>While I agree that 38 years would be an excessive punishment for the teens described in this thread, I think it’s a shame that the public tends to have far more sympathy for middle class and affluent kids who do stupid things like breaking and entering to try to get to college than for poor kids who have very limited opportunities who break laws to try to achieve things like having a regular income, something that’s easy for most middle class and affluent people.</p>
<p>Excellent points, NSM.</p>
<p>Also, it would appear that, far from being a knowledgeable and talented programmer capable of actually hacking into a system, this kid simply stole passwords and IDs. He’s a simple thief and a cheater, not a hacker.</p>
<p>this is messed up. You don’t even get that long of a sentence for murder.</p>
<p>do i smell racism?</p>
<p>How could they give that kid 38 years+ in prison? Are you kidding me? Our justice system is seriously messed up. There are people that rape and kill and get less time than that.</p>
<p>yeah that was actually at my school (i’m class of 2010 at tesoro) but thankfully i didn’t know the kids. it just kind of goes to show how much pressure there is on kids to get into college and stuff, but i think they’ll deserve whatever they get.</p>
<p>Both these articles are just crazy! What is happening here?
that kid changed his grades too many times–pathetic
those girls are confused if they want to get pregnant</p>
<p>people at my school change their grades all the time…stupid things such as 91 to 95, or 85 to 91…etc. etc.<br>
nothing happens, they never get caught (actually they do it when the stupid teacher is looking)</p>
<p>Pursuit of Happiness the only guarantee we all have in this great country! Some are just lucky with regards to opportunities. If you don’t have luck then it’s hard work to make your own luck! The rest are doom to struggle the rest of there lives in hope of getting lucky! These people start screaming foul.They are either tired of working hard or have given up on luck! They demand help to make it easier for unlucky people and lazy people. Somehow those of us who were able to Pursue Happiness and succeed whether because of luck or hard work are now suppose to feel guilty for those unlucky and lazy people. Forget the fact that we volunteer to help those we can. It’s never enough because there will always be more unlucky and lazy people then lucky and hard working people. These students gave up on working hard and were counting on getting lucky by cheating. Now they’re unlucky and will blame the lucky and hard workers for they’re fate in life. Unfortunately, I will be busy volunteering to help those people who still believe hard work will lead to luck!</p>
<p>But even if neither of them serves ANY time, the fact that this stuff is on their record is enough to mess up their lives. I mean, honestly, what college is going to take students that have intentions like these? And who is ever going to hire these kids? They’re gonna have to show some major improvement over the next several years to give themselves anything close to the futures they just lost.</p>
<p>Alot of the time computer crimes are worse than Murder.</p>
<p>" A lot of the time computer crimes are worse than Murder"</p>
<p>^^ I hope you are joking. Taking the life of an individual is most definitely worse than unauthorized use of a computer. I can barely even think of an instance in which any computer crime is more severe, or at least as severe, as the intentional manslaughter of another person(s).</p>
<p>COLLEGE! brings up the an excellent point. “The fact that this stuff is on their record is enough to mess up their lives.” If they ever had dreams of acquiring a professional license in the future or going to graduate school in law/business/medicine, this is definitely going to stop them, whether they get jail time or not. Not only that, think of the media. Their names are on national news (FOX) – the fact that this story has been publicized nationally is going to bite them in the arse their entire lives, even if they get away with only a few misdemeanors and probation.</p>
<p>I think this is a trap. Clearly the school is trying to save face and regain some credibility. I can see how they (and perhaps parents) would be pushing for some harsh action if the school is as well off and well featured as the article implies. And clearly no sane person is going to convict 2-eighteen year olds to 38 years because, as this thread has shown, people find it generally ridiculous, but it makes a good story, it makes them into an example, and distracts from the school’s role in this situation.</p>
<p>In the old days, before there were laws against hacking, you got hired on as security consultants. This hacking, though, was for personal gain as opposed to something mildly malicious or something that’s just amusing.</p>
<p>Common culture has glorified the hacking community in television shows and in movies and it’s a way for kids that may be treated poorly in high-school by their peers, to get a little self-esteem.</p>
<p>Hacking can be very, very dangerous:</p>
<p>An Ohio man has pleaded guilty to a federal conspiracy charge for being part of a gang of “swatters” – one of them blind – who used Caller ID spoofing to phone the police with fake hostage crises, sending armed cops bursting into the homes of innocent people. </p>
<p>For example, in September 2006, co-conspirator Guadalupe Santana Martinez (.pdf) targeted the father of a female party line participant. The swatter called the police in Alvardo, Texas while spoofing the father’s number, identified himself as the father and told the police dispatcher that “he had shot and killed members of the … family, that he was holding hostages, that he was using hallucinogenic drugs, and that he was armed with an AK47.” He went on to demand $50,000 and transportation across the border to Mexico, “and threatened to kill the remaining hostages if his demands were not met.” </p>
<p>[Guilty</a> Plea: Phone Phreaks Use Caller-ID Spoofing to Get Foes Raided By SWAT | Threat Level from Wired.com](<a href=“Guilty Plea: Phone Phreaks Use Caller-ID Spoofing to Get Foes Raided By SWAT | Threat Level from Wired.com | WIRED”>Guilty Plea: Phone Phreaks Use Caller-ID Spoofing to Get Foes Raided By SWAT | Threat Level from Wired.com | WIRED)</p>
<p>Did these kids really think that no one would notice their grades all shooting up to As? I think smiling for mugshots is important.</p>
<p>My buddy did this for me back in high school… one of the few reasons i actually graduated…</p>
<p>38 years in prison= Too Excessive
Get their diploma= Too Lenient
Living the rest of their lives as losers=Just right</p>
<p>Punishment is too harsh IMO.</p>