An analogy about hackers -

This is something I thought of while reading a post on basil about why people hate hackers, and former hackers.

To those who either can't decide how they feel about hackers, or just don't care. Let me present you with a little scenario:

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Lets say there are two people. Each one has a million dollars.

Person A earned their money by working hard. This person sweated, and strained for a long time, saving money for months, years even. In the end, it was all worth it. They're rich, and now, they can relax, and take it easy.

Person B, however, got their money by robbing people. Taking other people's money through force. Hurting, or even killing people just to get their money. Unfortunately, this has attracted the attention of the authorities, so they have to lay low now, hiding, just to avoid getting caught and losing it all. Over time, it gets harder, and harder to avoid detection. Eventually, they'll slip up, get caught, and lose it all. Then they'll either have to start over, or quit.

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I know that this doesn't apply to every hacker, but I think it should give you a good idea of how they operate. You can say that this is just a game, but remember, kids play this game, and if they see others hacking (cheating), then they'll want to try it themselves. And things that they try, or learn, may transfer over into real life later on. So be a good role model for all the kids out there, and DON'T HACK!!