These MIT students – along with other early hackers – were interested only in exploring, improving and testing the limits of existing programs. They later moved on from toy trains to computers, using the elusive and expensive IBM 704’s at MIT to innovate, explore, create new paradigms, and try to expand the tasks that computers could accomplish. Rather, it originated with MIT’s Tech Model Railroad Club way back in 1961 when club members hacked their high-tech train sets in order to modify their functions.
Interestingly, the term “hack” did not originate from computers.
It wasn’t until decades later – with the birth of viruses and cyber crime – that traditional hackers got lumped together with those of malicious intent and the public vilification of hacking began.Ĭurious as to how this evolution came to be? We were too, which is why we decided to go digging into the history of hacking. In fact, computer hackers were originally viewed by society as technology enthusiasts who wanted nothing more than to optimize, customize and tinker. Nowadays, the word “hacker” carries an overwhelmingly negative connotation, conjuring up images of digital thieves intent on stealing identities and letting disruptive viruses loose into cyberspace.
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