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Showing Original Post only (View all)Beto O'Rourke's secret membership in America's oldest hacking group -- I like this! [View all]
While a teenager, ORourke acknowledged in an exclusive interview, he belonged to the oldest group of computer hackers in U.S. history.
The hugely influential Cult of the Dead Cow, jokingly named after an abandoned Texas slaughterhouse, is notorious for releasing tools that allowed ordinary people to hack computers running Microsofts Windows. Its also known for inventing the word hacktivism to describe human-rights-driven security work.
There is no indication that ORourke ever engaged in the edgiest sorts of hacking activity, such as breaking into computers or writing code that enabled others to do so. But his membership in the group could explain his approach to politics better than anything on his resume. His background in hacking circles has repeatedly informed his strategy as he explored and subverted established procedures in technology, the media and government.
Theres just this profound value in being able to be apart from the system and look at it critically and have fun while youre doing it, ORourke said. I think of the Cult of the Dead Cow as a great example of that.
An ex-hacker running for national office would have been unimaginable just a few years ago. But that was before two national elections sent people from other nontraditional backgrounds to the White House and Congress, many of them vowing to blow up the status quo.
The hugely influential Cult of the Dead Cow, jokingly named after an abandoned Texas slaughterhouse, is notorious for releasing tools that allowed ordinary people to hack computers running Microsofts Windows. Its also known for inventing the word hacktivism to describe human-rights-driven security work.
There is no indication that ORourke ever engaged in the edgiest sorts of hacking activity, such as breaking into computers or writing code that enabled others to do so. But his membership in the group could explain his approach to politics better than anything on his resume. His background in hacking circles has repeatedly informed his strategy as he explored and subverted established procedures in technology, the media and government.
Theres just this profound value in being able to be apart from the system and look at it critically and have fun while youre doing it, ORourke said. I think of the Cult of the Dead Cow as a great example of that.
An ex-hacker running for national office would have been unimaginable just a few years ago. But that was before two national elections sent people from other nontraditional backgrounds to the White House and Congress, many of them vowing to blow up the status quo.
Much more at:
[link:https://www.reuters.com/investigates/special-report/usa-politics-beto-orourke/
Good read. There's actually some real positives in this sort of background from my perspective. Personally, I believe this is more likely to help than hurt him. Beto certainly has a good chance. I like him, but still have some reservations about his purported views re: economic issues. But he is in the running as far as I'm concerned.
If I were to vote in a presidential
primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
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Beto O'Rourke's secret membership in America's oldest hacking group -- I like this! [View all]
KPN
Mar 2019
OP
This morning I learned that Beto is a nerd, an empathetic writer and well-read
Politicub
Mar 2019
#2
We have a Nazi in the White House. I will never care about anything like this.
EveHammond13
Mar 2019
#3