How to Become a Teen Hacker

What exactly is a "real" hacker, and how do I become one? Read on.

Step

1. Be a teen. That is the esssential part of being a "Teen Hacker"
2. Know the types of hats;
   • White Hat: hacks non-maliciously, for the greater good, mostly to test system protection and safety.
   • Grey Hat: about 50/50 white hat and black hat
   • Black Hat: hacks, and will step on others to get what they want, destructive if need be
   • Academic / Square Hat: Hacks proactively, studiously, to further the goals of the hacking community; creates for the common good
3. Define "real". In the context of computers, real can be defined as someone who makes computers do things they do not currently do, or perfects things they do poorly.
4. Limit your scope. Will you work primarily with Hardware or Software? Do not decide "both", because you will work with both no matter what, but the decision determines where you start to focus.
5. Learn how to use a computer. Learn every function, every component. This will teach you the arena in which you will work, and focus your attention.
6. Read everything you can find. Learn what has been done, and how. This will teach you what can be done, and refine your focus. You might even find something that interests you.
   • Duplicating what has been done before is a good first step in experimenting.
7. Begin to experiment with hardware and software to learn how to control a computer into directions you've never read about one going.
8. Learn a high-level language of your choice, I'd recommend C or C++, assembly for the x86 platform, and a scripting language such as Perl.

Tips

• Do not break the law. You will eventually be arrested.
• Do not do it for money. Greed stifles to create profit. Computer fraud gets you in jail!
• Do not do it to "change the world". The world changes itself. You'd love to change the world, but they won't give you its source code.
• Do it because it is a "neat hack".
• Learn everything. Try. You never can, but you should try.
• Focus your attention. Try. If you stop having fun, you might not be cut out to be a hacker.
• Listen to others. Have friends. Have fun. Girls and Boys can both be geeks.
• Question everything, especially what you know to be true.
• Remember the RFC's and keep them "Holy" (if you can get an RFC changed while you're a teenager, change it ruthlessly.
• Macintosh isn't ideal for hacking or computer tricks, since it can't run .exe format files.
• Google is your best friend.
• Linux, Firefox, Wikipedia, and wikiHow are also your best friends.