It was this very time of the year … The year was 2007 … B.Tech 1st semester … My attendance was just next to the optimum … I had scored heavily in the sessionals … My assignments were as good as it could have possible been … Yet I was anxious … Yet I was apprehensive … Yet I was skeptical about my internal marks …

And 3 years later … right now as I sit at my desk writing this blog … I have less than 15 percent of attendance this semester , to support my cause … Neither have I created an awesome impression in front of the faculty members … Bunking the final internal viva didn’t help either … My name being listed in the defaulters’ list , one of the “Mr. I know it all” faculty has already announced a mind boggling zero out of twenty for few of us … Plus I have almost forgot what the word “assignment” exactly mean …

But still .. I don’t give a damn about how many marks they are going to give me … I really wish to check if the guy does rate us zero … I really wish to see how low can I really go in terms of internals …

After a successful R and D analysis , I have come out with a few interesting facts supporting this acute transition … When I entered this thing called B.Tech , I was under the illusion that marks are something that represents the only parameter to rate your knowledge ( Don’t blame me for this … This is what we are taught in 10+2 in our schools ) … Don’t worry .. I am not going gaga about our education system once again … Have already done that a zillion number of times .. … But with time many of us realized that this is not something which is going to be the key factor in the long run … And for the few unlucky ones who still date the books 24 x 7 … I feel really very very sorry ( No offence intended ) …

Another reason for my abnormal behavior in the first semester was the fact that I desperately needed a branch change … Computer Science was the thing I aimed at , all the way … And did I achieve the same .. Yes I surely did … And with time I knew how lucky I was to jump from Electronics to Computers … Not because the amateur hacker who used to hack orkut accounts for some time pass was turning into a professional hacker … Not because the budding web designer was becoming the next big thing … With time I found out that the course I was pursuing ( UPTU + CSE ) was the perfect platform for any kind of preparation … Minimum input , maximum output …

Pre semester exams have commenced from today … I have already bunked today’s exam … The only thing that is crossing my mind every now and then is FMS ( and not the semesters or pre semesters …  accompanied by one or two trivial matters that maintain a permanent residence in a corner of my brain   ) , which is scheduled to be held on sunday …

And here I am .. sitting at my work desk writing this blog .. looking back at the way things were .. and the transition it has undergone to come to this .. And I am sure that the things will further change when I start with my MBA or PGDM or whatever it might be … in which direction , I can’t predict as of now .. Because I have learnt that the one thing that never changes … is the change itself …

Yesterday I was browsing through all the directories of my laptop to delete all the unnecessary files in order to free up the disk space . In the process I encountered a number of files , the existence of whom I was not aware of . One of these files was ” Diary Of A Hacker.docx ” . The title itself was enough to interest me . I started reading it without wasting any time ………

Diary of a Hacker

What I am about to write about happened in October of 1988,
right after I had turned 16.

Yes, I had a Computer.
Yes, I was a hacker.
Yes, this is my story.

This story is all true. The events in the story are as real
as the noses on your faces. Any attempt to change this story
would be boring, and unnescessary……..

………I Loved the feeling of flying through the ‘Net, talking to the
other Hackers like me, always trying to impress one another.
They came in all fashions of Handles: The Ax Murderer, Psycho,
The Hacker Kid, Phobia, Etc…the list is nearly endless. And
each with an utterly unique personality, so far advanced from
the Morons we all remember at high school. I loved talking to
these “Wanderers of the Wunderland” so much, I would call all
over the united states just to do that………….

…………Knowledge IS power. I never did good in High
School. Knowledge is not there, it was in the ‘Net! THAT
was where I was a King. That was where I was a God. ANYONE
who has truely roamed the ‘Net or been in that type of world
could tell you that, (Right, King Blotto?) hands down.
I loved running home, or taking the bus, right into my
basement! Homework? Bah! What a waste of time it was,
compared to the thrill of Hacking? Homework was little more
than review. I sat down and got onto my Computer and began to
type. I called a rather large BBS in which, Hackers frequented.
Nowadays they are considered “Wandering” Boards. They appear to
wander because they change phone numbers all the time…………..

……… One guy, I will call Harlock,
offered me something none of the others could. The ability
to USE At&t all I wanted for free. He said he would teach me
how to use their LOOP Numbers and not get caught, also teach me
to call other places, drop to their dos shells, and make hidden
directories where I could put my “borrowed” Wares. All for a
Password.
I accepted……….

……..I was at home watching some christmas shopping commercials and
drinking a Jolt, when I recieved a phone call from my buddy
Dr.Antristo. He told me that Argonne had gotten the project and
that someone I knew was the project manager. The Password was
Anti-RX…?!? I sighed and said what the hell, why not. Lets
see what our wonderful government is up to now………..

The document contained a lot more about this hacker’s activities . I found it very interesting and was glad that I came across it by accident . If you liked these few lines of the diary and have got some time at your disposal , you can download the entire diary from HERE .

Second sessionals are going on . Having not appeared for the first sessionals , its really important for me to score good marks in DBMS this time around . But here I am . Instead of struggling with SQL , I am spending my time here , chatting , blogging , and blah-blah-ing at twitter .

You know what I used to be two years back in intermediate ??? I was like , say , even if there was an exam next week , its time to spend some a lot of  time with the books ????  No television , no time pass , no nothing … and excuse me , what is Internet ?? A classic example of a study bug … a mugger . Had it not been the desk rotation policy in classes , I guess I would have been a first bencher all the way . And guess what … I secured 100% attendance in High School and was also awarded “Most Disciplined Student” ( Disciplined ??? ahemm ahemm…).  Elected as a captain twice in a row ,  92.8% in Xth , 94% in XIIth , my teachers still set my case as an example for the juniors .

And now , two years from then , I have totally turned into a study repellant creature . What has got into me ?? Is this the transition from school to college ?? Can’ be . I still find the existence of a number of muggers here. They study , study , study , study and study ( just like I used to do ) . And when I tag them “book worms” I realize that two years back , someone would have tagged me with the same title too . Is that the reason ( the fear of being mocked at ) that has transformed a mugger ?? Or is this caused due to the lack of parent’s supervision in hostel ?? God only Knows !!!

Now as exams approach , everyone seems to be reminding me a few things again and again …..

• Semesters are approaching . Start studying now . ( As if studying would delay the semesters )

• Books are supposed to be your best friend ( I thought Dog was my best friend ) .

• Don’t construct any destructive plans of cheating in theory exams ( cheats are only to be used in practicals ) .

• Put a halt to your online activities for some time . No one will hack your account during your absence . ( Me and my hackophobia )

• No Counter Strike . No NFS . No AOE for few days . ( That’s just a game . You don’t need to escape a hot pursuit . Neither are the terrorists planting a bomb under your nose )

• Facebook is your enemy . Twitter is monstrous . Orkut is banned anyway .

• Stop posting nonsense on your blog for few days . There is no need to reveal your insanity to the whole world .

3……

2……

1……

Go…Go…Go !!!!!!!