Hacking Roof and tunnel hackers specialize in knowing How to Get Around MIT. They take great pride in knowing where the most interesting nooks and crannies of the Institute can be found and how to get to classic hacking spots such as the top of the Great Dome. It’s fun to find your way into a rumored hacking location such as the bricked-in shower or the Tomb of the Forbidden Ladder, or, better yet, to be the first to discover a particular “tomb” (an interesting, out-of-the-way, unused spot). The greatest challenge, however, is to do so without leaving a trace of your actions. Another activity under the aegis of the term “hacking” is what is known as “pulling a hack”. A hack, in this sense, differs from ordinary college pranks in that emphasis is placed on cleverness, timeliness, the ability to overcome technical obstacles, and the avoidance of damage to the object being hacked. Some of the best known hacks in recent years have been the transformation of the Great Dome into r2d2, the One Ring around the Great Dome, the astronaut on the dome celebrating the 30th anniversary of the moon landing, the Magic Pi-Ball on the Green Building, the cracking of the dome by a 48-unit weight, the human maze in Lobby 7, the parachuting beavers at the 2001 Commencement, the Wright Brothers flyer which appeared on the dome on the 100th anniversary of the first powered and controlled flight and the elevator to secret floors that appeared in the rubble of Building 20. Most famous, however, of recent hacks, was the life-size fiberglass model campus police car placed on the Great Dome, complete with a dummy CP and boxes of Dunkin’ Donuts. It’s considered a challenge to make your hack difficult for Physical Plant workers to remove (therefore ensuring its longevity), although should your hack manage to evade the attentions of PhysPlant, it is considered classy to remove it after a suitable length of time. Hacking is an MIT tradition, with a strong emphasis on ethics and ingenuity. You can learn more about hacks by visiting the MIT Museum and asking to see the folders on student pranks in the student activities file. They have several inches of photos and newspaper clippings dating back to 1910, and they welcome any information about current hacks. They hold a talk and slide show every IAP, and have published a number of excellent picture histories of hacks. The latest book, by “Institute Historian T F Peterson”, is called Nightwork: A History of Hacks and Pranks at MIT. An online gallery of hacks is also available at the IHTFP Hack Gallery. Roof and tunnel hacking dates back many years. The oldest known piece of graffiti is from a plumber on the fourth floor of Building 10, dated 1915, found in 1985 by hackers known as Heretic and Circumscribed Triangle. Various groups offer tours during orientation and CPW for interested freshmen, the most notable of which are the Orange and Tangerine Tours (run by Jack Florey and his associates) and the Spelunkers’ Tours (run by various members of the hacking community). During the rest of the year, the “Coffeehouse Club” — an informal group that meets regularly to go exploring — meets at the location of the late, lamented 24-hour Coffeehouse. The Coffeehouse Club welcomes both experienced hackers and newbies, from any group or no group at all. Hacking Groups There are and have been many hacking groups at MIT. Many are associated with living groups, but there are a few that are somewhat random collections of people. Jack Florey Jack Florey’s Old No. 5 East Roof and Tunnel Hackers is based just under the roof of East Campus’s east parallel. Jack is best known for running the Orange tours during Orientation. (If you need to find your way to Baker House, Jack is the person to ask.) Jack’s strength has generally been exploration, though he has also pulled some notable hacks - for example, he dropped a banner reading “The King is Dead, Long Live the Queen” during Susan Hockfield’s inauguration ceremony. While his numbers have varied from year to year, Jack remains a prominent figure in the hacking community. James E. Tetazoo III The Third East Traveling Animal Zoo is based in East Campus. They were probably the best hackers during the late seventies, and continue to amuse East Campus residents and the Institute with their wacky antics. During the dedication of building 66 (the triangular building inhabited by Course 10), they lowered an anchor over the bow, dropped a banner christening the “USS Tetazoo,” broke a bottle of champagne across the point, and blasted “Anchors Aweigh” on their stereos. In exploring they were the first group to sign in under the steps of 77 Massachusetts Avenue, and discovered the famed “Hackers’ Shower” in 1977. James Tetazoo’s “No Knife: A study in mixed media earth tones, number three” appeared overnight at an exhibit in the List Visual Arts Center and recieved rave reviews. This objet d’art consisted of a grey commons tray set with two spoons, a plate, a bowl, a tumbler and a fork ... but no knife. Order of Random Knights ORK is a small tightly-knit hacking group based in Random Hall. They are mainly an exploring group and are best known for discovering one of the missing half stories in Building Ten, 10-2.5. ORK’s most famous hack was the die hack that appeared in Lobby 7 several years ago. In the spring of 2005, ORK used wood paneling to replace the face on the dollar-bill mural in the Infinite Corridor with Susan Hockfield’s face in the days before her inauguration. Technology Hackers Association Reputed to have once been the largest group on campus, THA pulled off several widely known hacks requiring lots of manpower such as the Massachusetts Toolpike in 1985 and the Home on the Dome in 1986. Western Hacking Organization WHO is a relatively new hacking group consisting primarily of students from West Campus. They hacked the 2003 and 2004 freshman photos with small rockets that distributed fliers, and in February 2004 they were responsible for the Spaceman Spiff hack on the Little Dome. Delta Kappa Epsilon DKE is famous for the balloon hack at the November 1982 Harvard-Yale football game. That hack received more publicity than any other hack in the history of MIT. See Technique ’83 for details. DKE had tried to hack the game before, most memorably in the late 1940s when they buried explosive cord in a pattern that would spell out “MIT”. Unfortunately, Harvard discovered the hack and set up a trap. They arrested several students wearing coats lined with batteries. A dean, who had been informed about the hack after the arrest, went down to bail the students out. He pointed out to the detective that the battery-lined coats were only circumstantial evidence. At this point the dean opened his own battery-lined coat and declared that “all Tech men carry batteries.” Larry West (defunct) Conglomerated around the 41st floor of the Western Front of East Campus, back in the day. Archnemesis to James Tetazoo and self-appointed champion of Elvis and fred, Larry was an instigator and participant in much mischief around the Institute. Blue Goose, Incorporated (defunct) Blue Goose was founded in 1978 at Nu Delta. They were well known as expert explorers, and their name can be found in many of the more obscure nooks and crannies of the Institute. Smoots Although not technically a hacking group, every year Lamda Chi Alpha still repaints the Smoots, which mark the distance along the Harvard Bridge. Just what is a Smoot? Oliver Smoot was an unfortunate pledge of that fraternity in 1959 (the first year the marks were painted) who was immortalized as a unit of measure during a pledge event. Society of Institute Nihilists This group has no members and never will. Hacking Ethics This hackers’ code of conduct is taken from that enshrined by anonymous hackers on a mural within the Tomb Of The Unknown Tool. •The safety of yourself, of others, and of property should have highest priority. Safety is more important than pulling off a hack or getting through a door. •Be subtle; leave no evidence that you were there. •Brute force is the last resort of the incompetent. •Leave things as you found them or better. Cause no permanent damage during hacks and while hacking. If you find something broken, call F-IXIT. •Do not steal anything; if you must borrow something, leave a note saying when it will be returned and remember to return it. •Do not drop things without a ground crew to ensure that no one is underneath. •Sign-ins are not graffiti and shouldn’t be seen by the general public. Sign-ins exhibit one’s pride in having found an interesting location and should be seen only by other hackers. Real hackers are not proud of discovering Lobby 7, random basements, or restrooms. Keep sign-ins small and respect other hackers’ sign-ins. •Never drink and hack. •Never hack alone. Have someone who can get help in an emergency. • Know your limitations and do not surpass them. If you do not know how to open a door, climb a shaft, etc., then learn from someone who knows before trying. • Learn how not to get caught; but if you do get caught, accept gracefully and cooperate fully. • Share your knowledge and experience with other hackers. • Above all, exercise common sense. Hacking Tips The following tips are based on a document by Keshlam the Seer, Knight of the Random Order. The editors take no responsibility for its content. Evasion and Escape The Eleventh Commandment: Don’t get caught. Thou shalt honor it and keep it wholly. On the other hand, if you are caught, the least you can do is accept it with dignity, and have respect for your captor. Always have two ways to run. If someone comes one way, you can go the other. If possible, run along a path that has many side branches. Your pursuer will pause to check them. Change floors often. Don’t start running when someone spots you. Walk around a corner and then run. Remember that the person who sees you must first decide that you are doing something wrong, and running is an admission of guilt. “It’s amazing what you can get away with if you don’t look like you’re getting away with anything.” It is usually better to talk to a Campus Police officer than to try to run away. If nothing else, ask questions like “Where’s the nearest bathroom?” The proper blend of interest, respect, and a willingness to follow up on the things that are said can do wonders. If you can become invisible, people give up hunting for you and go away. Keep track of hiding places that you can get into quickly and quietly. If someone is chasing you, don’t hide unless you can convince them you kept running. People are usually unaware of anything above them unless it moves or otherwise calls attention to itself. When hacking, remember to look up periodically. If You Get Caught It may happen that you are discovered in an illegal location before you can become invisible, in circumstances out of which it is difficult to talk youself, such as coming off the Great Dome carrying materials for the hack that just went up. Be respectful. If a Campus Police officer asks you for your ID, show it - you should always carry your ID while hacking, so that you don’t end up arrested for trespassing. The officer may simply check your ID and tell you to go home, write down the information on it and then tell you to go home, or take it and tell you to pick it up at the Campus Police station. In the last two cases, and especially the last, if you were on a roof, you may be fined ($50 for most roofs, $500 for the Green Building) . If you have been caught before, a Dean’s Office Panel or Committee on Discipline hearing is not unheard of, though it is unusual. When pulling a hack, it is sometimes helpful to let any participants who have been caught before take less-risky roles, especially if they have been caught recently. Planning a hack When planning a hack, concentra have been caught recently. Planning a hack When planning a hack, concentrate on the tools and materials. People are awfully good at figuring how to do something, but they have a hard time imitating a roll of tape. Some feel that the best way to get the manpower needed for a hack is to get several people involved in the planning stage, but it is wise to remember that too many cooks can spoil the soup. Plan your deployment in excruciating detail, in order to keep the actual “critical time” during which you are actually putting the hack in position to a minimum. Anything that can be prepared ahead of time should be. The night before lasts, at most, eight hours, and no matter how careful your planning may have been, many of these will be consumed by unforeseen delays. Exploring Try to account for all the space in a building. If a bump in one wall does not line up with a dent on the other side, then there is a space that needs exploring. Move as quietly as possible. If you can see or hear trouble before it hears you, then retracing your steps should bring you to safety. Trouble tends to come from behind. Walking past someone may arouse suspicion (especially if you’re carrying something odd, like lots of rope), and by definition those people are behind you. Periodically check your back side. Enter and exit an area using different routes. Write your sign-in in places that you are proud to have reached, and include the date. This makes the order of re-discovery clear. Other hackers judge you by where they’ve seen your logo. Use it as a sign of approval and accomplishment. Always carry a flashlight, but don’t panic if you’re without one. The human eye is very sensitive if you give it time to adjust. In an emergency use your digital watch to light the way. General Advice Brute force is the last refuge of the incompetent. Carrying master keys is extremely stupid and unnecessary. Things are not always as they appear. This is true of locks, doors, walls, and people.