4th Page

FROM THE PAGES…

FATHER FORGETS

Page-4

TECH TACKLE

W. Livingstone Larned

Udit Sharma (B.E. Ist year, C.S.E.)

Listen, Son: I am saying this as you lie asleep, one little paw crumpled under your cheek and the blonde curls stickily wet on your damp forehead. I have stolen into your room alone. Just a few minutes ago, as I sat reading my paper in the library, a stifling wave of remorse swept over me. Guiltily, I came to your bed side. These are the things I was thinking, Son: I had been cross to you. I scolded you as you were dressing for school because you gave your face merely a dab with the towel. I took you to task for not cleaning your shoes. I called out angrily when you threw some of your things on the floor. At breakfast, I found fault, too. You spilled things. You gulped down your food. You put your elbows on the table. You spread butter too thick on your bread and as you started off to play and I made for my train, you turned and waved a hand and called, “Good Bye, Daddy!” and I frowned, and said in reply, ”Hold your shoulders back!”. Then it began all over again in the late afternoon. As I came up the road, I spied you, down on your knees, playing marbles. There were holes in your stockings. I humiliated you before your friends by marching you ahead of me to the house. The stockings were expensive-and if you had to buy them, you would be more careful! Imagine that, Son, from a father! Do you remember, later, when I was reading in the library, how you came in timidly, with a sort of hurt look in your eyes? When I glanced up over my paper, impatient at the interruption, you hesitated at the door. “What is it you want?” .I snapped. You said nothing, but ran across in one tempestuous plunge, and threw your arms around my neck and kissed me, and your small arms tightened with affection that god had set blooming in your heart and which even neglect could not wither. And then you were gone, pattering up the stairs. Well, Son, it was shortly afterwards that my papers slipped from my hands and a terrible sickening fear came over me. What has habit being doing to me? The habit of finding fault, of reprimanding-this was my reward to you for being a boy. It was not that I did not love you; it was that I expected too much of youth. I was measuring you by the yardstick of my own years. And there was so much that was good and fine and true in your character. The little heart of you was as big as the dawn itself over the wide hills. This was shown by your spontaneous impulse to rush and kiss me good night. Nothing else matters tonight, Son. I have come to your bedside in the darkness, and I have knelt there, ashamed! It is a feeble atonement; I know you would not understand these things if I told them to you during your waking hours. But tomorrow, I will be a real Daddy! I will chum with you and suffer when you suffer, and laugh when you laugh. I will bite my tongue when impatient words come. I will keep saying as if it were a ritual: “He is nothing but a boy-a little boy!” I am afraid I have visualized you as a man. Yet as I see you now, Son, crumpled and weary in your cot, I see that you are still a baby. Yesterday, you were in your mother’s arms, your head on her shoulder. I have asked too much, too much.

Hello Friends, This series of articles deals with Computer Security and Ethical Computer hacking, which is a very important aspect of computing digital world. Now the first question that arises in our mind is “What is computer security?” Well, this is a way to protect our systems from malicious users, crackers, Trojans, key loggers, computer worms and viruses etc. Now another question arises that “Who is a hacker?” and “Who is a Cracker?” “What is hacking?” and what is the relation between hacking and computer security? Well, I only say that hacking is a major part of computer security. In the following text, I will tell you more about the tips & tricks of computer hacking, so just read on friends. Next question arises that “What are the different tricks used by hackers and crackers to hack our computer systems?” So I am very ready to answer these questions one by one. So “Who is a hacker?” The answer is that a hacker is a person who creates and modifies computer software and computer hardware, including computer programming, administration, and security-related items. The term usually bears strong connotations, but may be either positive or negative depending on cultural context. In computer programming, a hacker is a good programmer who hacks or reaches a goal by employing a series of modifications to exploit or extend existing code or resources. For some, hacker has a negative connotation and refers to a person who "hacks" or uses kludges to accomplish programming tasks that are ugly, inelegant, and inefficient. This negative form of the noun "hack" which according to me is a “cracker” is even used among users of the positive sense of "hacker". In computer security, a hacker is a kind person who specializes in work with the security mechanisms for computer and network systems. While including those who endeavor to strengthen such mechanisms, it more often is used to refer to those who seek access despite them. In hacker culture, a hacker is a very kind person who has attained a certain social status and is recognized among members of the culture for commitment to the culture's values and a certain amount of technical knowledge. In one sense it's silly to argue about the ``true'' meaning of the word. The word means whatever people use it to mean. I am not the Academic Franchise, so I can't force media to use the word ``hacker'' according to my official definition. Still, understanding the etymological history of the word ``hacker'' may help in understanding the current social situation. A ``computer hacker,'' is someone who lives and breathes computers, who knows all about computers, who can get a computer to do anything. Equally important, though, is the hacker's attitude. Computer programming must be a hobby, something done for fun, not out of a sense of duty or for the money. A hacker is an aesthete. So I think answer is very clear to you and I also think that you are in state to differentiate between “a cracker” who are the bad ones and “a hacker” who are the good ones.

(There are certain emotions which can’t be described through words but can only be felt from the depth of the heart. The above passage was such an example. Hopefully, you must have got an idea about what is being talked about here after reading the above passage…. )

(Reliance Certified Ethical Hacker)

-To be continued….

Book Review-Five Point Someone A Novel by Chetan Bhagat So IIT scholars proved one more point; these guys in addition to being cerebral and earning millions in the US or Hong Kong can write novels also! Chetan Bhagat, an alumni of Delhi IIT had successfully churned out a quite an engaging novel ‘Five Point Someone’. The ambience is IIT campus of ‘Delhi’ with three ‘bright’ guys who enter the most prestigious institution to found actually they are not that ‘bright’ to be the front liners. So they secure the GPA five points something, which are pretty low. But the narrator Hari, his friends Ryan and Alok try their luck to improve their grade in different ways only to end up every time in a mess. Of the three, the story is narrated in first person by Hari, who is not that attractive, but smart enough guy to befriend the Head of the Department’s daughter. Ryan Oberoi the handsome dude, though full of creativity, wealth, style and ideas seldom has any romantic liaison. Alok is a fatso and glutton and positively irritating.

It is more of reminiscences than a story. There are incidents that reveal the characters and for the sake of climax the trio indulge in a sort of dare devil and idiotic theft of the major question paper from the HOD’s room where they are caught red handed. As expected all ends well with a few more minor twists and turns as anticipated. The romantic angle is provided by Hari’s friendship to Neha, the HOD’s daughter. Neha also belongs to the new era liberated female and does not mind getting personal with her boyfriend. Mind that her dad is averse to even talking to boys. The novel closes with an open ending. But one cannot be sure whether the student life is for ‘enjoyment of freedom’ or ‘labor for academics’. Even the oration of Professor Cherian at the convocation on how one should lead a student life turns out to be the dream of Hari. So it could only be a dream! Probably symbolism! It is also a moot point that whether enjoyment in student life is related to smoking pot, drinking vodka or listening to Pink Floyd. The novel stands out because the ambience is unusual, characters are close to genuine and incidents oscillate between real and absurd. Bhagat intelligently takes every engineering student down the memory lane. Situations might not have been the same for every one; nevertheless, like Hari wishes to be Ryan, even for the nine pointers the narrated lives of five point someone would have been a wish unfulfilled.

A must read for every engineering student!!! -Kunal Batra (B.E. Ist Year, Civil)