Code as an Ode to Hackers

Over the last 40 years or so, it seems that society has become fascinated by the art hacking.  Of course, the nefarious kind is always of concern when it comes to security. But it’s not all bad. Many hackers use their skills to actually improve security and work on projects that are otherwise fun or beneficial to society.

Beyond what hackers do, we’re more intrigued by how they do it. Or, at least our perception of how they go about their work. Pop culture has certainly painted a picture of hacking that, realistic or not, brings a sense of glamour and hi-tech mayhem to mind.

In that same spirit, we have put together a collection of code snippets that pay homage to the hacking culture. So, put on your hoodie, turn off the lights and immerse yourself in this mysterious world.

Signal Jammer

Back in the 1980s and 90s, there were known incidents of television broadcasts being disrupted by hackers. To relive those days, enjoy some simulated “snow” on your screen.

Multitasking

Speaking of TV, many shows (and movies) over the years have portrayed the hacker UI as some sort of fast-paced, unintelligible series of command prompts. Therefore, the example below should look familiar to those of us who ravenously watched these programs. The fact that this interface is built in CSS is also quite hacker-worthy.

Outsmart the Hacker

Think you have the skills (or common sense) to avoid being hacked? This simple card game offers up several scenarios. It’s your job to choose the solution that provides you with the most protection, thus defeating the fictional hacker.

A Very Wrong Address

Landing on a 404 page is bad enough. But a quick glance of this hacker-inspired page is enough to put that little bit of doubt in your mind. The monochrome, flickering screen is a perfect compliment to the concept.

Random Characters

Part of the lore of hacking is the ability to generate things randomly. How many times have we seen a screen showing random bits of code or characters flashing by? This cool text lighting effect has a similar vibe, with characters wildly illuminating themselves.

The Mad Hacker

Imagine the ultimate hacker interface, then double it. That’s what we have in this snippet. There’s the obligatory command line, along with some far-out animations to take you back to the 80s. The only thing missing is a floppy disk.

The Future is Chaos

Enough longing for the past (even though it’s fun). What will the future hacker UI have to offer? According to this snippet, it’s faster, 3-D and even more chaotic. Anarchy will reign supreme!

Finally, a Challenge

Brute force attacks are one of the most popular methods of gaining access to a site that is, um, not yours. In our final example, you are responsible for attempting to “break in” to a server by selecting random characters as they whizz by. Can you do it?

The Mystery Remains

Hacking has gone from a pop curiosity to something that effects the mainstream culture at large. Yet, it still seems to be as shrouded in mystery and misconception as ever.

The downside of that is that we can have trouble separating the good from the bad. But on the upside, we get to use our imaginations to create things like the above examples. They’re not only fun, but they also help to continue our fascination with the subject.