__&__
 /     \
|       |
^^ (o)(o)
C   ,---_)
 | |,___|   "I am Homer of Borg.  You will be assimilated.  Resistance
 |  \__/     is futile.  Preparation is irrel...MMMmmm...doughnut!"
 /_____\
/_____/ \  



                .------..                            _------__--___.__.
             /            \_   Hey Beavis          _/           `  `    \
           /                \   let's learn Unix! |.                     \
          /                   \                   \                       |
         /    .--._    .---.   |     Yea,yea!      \                      |
         |  /      -__-     \   |   Then we can      ~-/--`-`-`-\         |
         | |                 |  |  FINGER people!!    |          \        |
          ||                  ||                     |            |       |
          ||     ,_   _.      ||     Yea, and        |            |       |
          ||      e   e       ||    MOUNT things!     |   _--    |       |
           ||     _  |_      ||                      _| =-.    |.-.    |
          @|     (o\_/o)     |@      Yea,yea and      o|/o/       _.   |
            |     _____     |       STRIP things!     /  ~          \ |
             \ ( /uuuuu\ ) /                        (/___@)  ___~    |
              \  `====='  /      Yea...that would      |_===~~~.`    |
               \  -___-  /           be cool!       _______.--~     |
                |       |            //             \________       |
                /-_____-\       .  _//_                      \      |
              /           \     \\/////                    __/-___-- -__
            /               \    \   /                    /


       _____
       |_ _|
  n    (O O)    n
  H   _|\_/|_   H    BITE ME!
 nHnn/ \___/ \nnHn

 \__\/|     |\/__/


 @@@@@@@^^~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~^^@@@@@@@@
 @@@@@@^     ~^  @  @@ @ @ @ I  ~^@@@@@@
 @@@@@            ~ ~~ ~I          @@@@@
 @@@@'                  '  _,w@<    @@@@
 @@@@     @@@@@@@@w___,w@@@@@@@@  @  @@@
 @@@@     @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@  I  @@@
 @@@@     @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@*@[ i  @@@
 @@@@     @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@[][ | ]@@@
 @@@@     ~_,,_ ~@@@@@@@~ ____~ @    @@@
 @@@@    _~ ,  ,  `@@@~  _  _`@ ]L  J@@@
 @@@@  , @@w@ww+   @@@ww``,,@w@ ][  @@@@
 @@@@,  @@@@www@@@ @@@@@@@ww@@@@@[  @@@@
 @@@@@_|| @@@@@@P' @@P@@@@@@@@@@@[|c@@@@
 @@@@@@w| '@@P~  P]@@@-~, ~Y@@^'],@@@@@@
 @@@@@@@[   _        _J@@Tk     ]]@@@@@@
 @@@@@@@@,@ @@, c,,,,,,,y ,w@@[ ,@@@@@@@
 @@@@@@@@@ i @w   ====--_@@@@@  @@@@@@@@
 @@@@@@@@@@`,P~ _ ~^^^^Y@@@@@  @@@@@@@@@
 @@@@^^=^@@^   ^' ,ww,w@@@@@ _@@@@@@@@@@
 @@@_xJ~ ~   ,    @@@@@@@P~_@@@@@@@@@@@@
 @@   @,   ,@@@,_____   _,J@@@@@@@@@@@@@
 @@L  `' ,@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@
 @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@
 

                 __
              __/o \_
              \_,__  \
                  /   \
            __   //\   \
         __/o \-//--\   \_/
         \_,__  ___  \  |
              ||   \ |\ |
             _||   _||_||


    .... NO! ...                  ... MNO! ...
   ..... MNO!! ...................... MNNOO! ...
 ..... MMNO! ......................... MNNOO!! .
.... MNOONNOO!   MMMMMMMMMMPPPOII!   MNNO!!!! .
 ... !O! NNO! MMMMMMMMMMMMMPPPOOOII!! NO! ....
    ...... ! MMMMMMMMMMMMMPPPPOOOOIII! ! ...
   ........ MMMMMMMMMMMMPPPPPOOOOOOII!! .....        
   ........ MMMMMOOOOOOPPPPPPPPOOOOMII! ...      
    ....... MMMMM..    OPPMMP    .,OMI! ...          
     ...... MMMM::   o.,OPMP,.o   ::I!! ..     
         .... NNM:::.,,OOPM!P,.::::!! ...   
          .. MMNNNNNOOOOPMO!!IIPPO!!O! .....      
         ... MMMMMNNNNOO:!!:!!IPPPPOO! ....       
           .. MMMMMNNOOMMNNIIIPPPOO!! ......     
          ...... MMMONNMMNNNIIIOO!..........    
       ....... MN MOMMMNNNIIIIIO! OO ........
    ......... MNO! IiiiiiiiiiiiI OOOO .........  
  ...... NNN.MNO! . O!!!!!!!!!O . OONO NO! .......           
   .... MNNNNNO! ...OOOOOOOOOOO .  MMNNON!........               
   ...... MNNNNO! .. PPPPPPPPP .. MMNON!........
      ...... OO! ................. ON! .......
         ...............................


           ____
          / __ \    _______ __
         /_/  \ \  (______ /  \__
             / /       (__(_/\
            |_|        (__)    __
             _          (_)__.'
            |_|


           __  _-==-=_,-.
          /--`' \_@-@.--<
          `__'\ \   <___/.
               \ \\   " /
                >=\\_/`<
    ____       /= |  \_/|
  _'    `\   _/=== \___/
  `___/ //\./=/~\====\
      \   // /   | ===:
       |  ._/_,__|_ ==:
        \/    \\ \\`--|       / \\
         |    _     \\:      /==:-\
         `.__' `-____/       |--|==:
            \    \ ===\      :==:`-'
            _>    \ ===\    /==/
           /==\   |  ===\__/--/
          <=== \  /  === \ \\/
          _`--  \/  === \/--'
         |.      \ ==== |
           `------/`--' /
                  \___-'


          ___
         /. .\  -- Who's afraid of Linux?
 /--uuuu---U---uuuu-------------------------\
 |                                          |






...

hack mode: n. 1. What one is in when hacking, of course.  2.
   More specifically, a Zen-like state of total focus on The Problem
   which may be achieved when one is hacking (this is why every good
   hacker is part mystic).  Ability to enter such concentration at
   will correlates strongly with wizardliness; it is one of the most
   important skills learned during {larval stage}.  Sometimes
   amplified as `deep hack mode'.

   Being yanked out of hack mode (see {priority interrupt}) may be
   experienced as an physical shock, and the sensation of being in it
   is more than a little habituating.  The intensity of this
   experience is probably by itself sufficient explanation for the
   existence of hackers, and explains why many resist being promoted
   out of positions where they can code.  See also {cyberspace}
   (sense #2).
   Some aspects of hackish etiquette will appear quite odd to an
   observer unaware of the high value placed on hack mode.  For
   example, if someone appears at your door, it is perfectly okay to
   hold up a hand (without turning one's eyes away from the screen) to
   avoid being interrupted.  One may read, type, and interact with the
   computer for quite some time before further acknowledging the
   other's presence (of course, he or she is reciprocally free to
   leave without a word).  The understanding is that you might be in
   {hack mode} with a lot of delicate {state} (sense #2) in your
   head, and you dare not {swap} that context out until you have
   reached a good point to pause.


----

The sky above the port was the color of television, tuned to a dead channel.

"It's not like I'm using," Case heard someone say, as he shouldered his way 
through the crowd around the door of the Chat. "It's like my body's developed 
this massive drug deficiency." It was a Sprawl voice and a Sprawl joke. 
The Chatsubo was a bar for professional expatriates; you could drink there
for a week and never hear two words in Japanese.

----


By stark contrast, the Internet, a noncommercial entity which officially
did not even exist, had no advertising budget at all.  And yet,
almost below the level of governmental and corporate awareness,
the Internet was stealthily devouring everything in its path,
growing at a rate that defied comprehension.  Kids who might
have been eager computer-intruders a mere five years earlier
were now surfing the Internet, where their natural urge to
explore led them into cyberspace landscapes of such
mindboggling vastness that the very idea of hacking
passwords seemed rather a waste of time.

----

Education, in all its phases, is the attempt to so inform and cultivate the
mind and will of a citizen that he shall have the wisdom, the independence,
and, therefore, the dignity of a governing citizen.  Freedom of education is,
thus, as we all recognize, a basic postulate in the planning of a free society.

                         - Alexander Meiklejohn