Step in the Hacking World:
A step in the hacking world takes a lot of courage, an intelligent approach, and a passion for technology and knowledge. It isn’t easy to be unique and test your boundaries and make it big as a hacking professional.
One of the top-notch hackers the world has witnessed includes two prominent names Loyd Blankenship and Patrick K. Kroupa.
Loyd Blankenship stepped into the world in the 1970s when the hacking culture was escalating and growing in popularity. His association and membership in hacking groups, including Extassy Elite and Legion of Doom, gained him fame.
Patrick K. Kroupa is another eminent name in hacking history. The first time he was exposed to Cray supercomputers was at National Atmospheric Research NCAR. He was taught how to program in Fortran and feed the cray. Another event that changed his perception about technology and opened new vistas for him was TAP or counter-culture/Yippie meetings. During this time, Kroupa became a member of the Cracking crew known as The Apple Mafia. He was also associated with several other hacking groups, including Knights of Shadow.
Connection with the Legion of Doom:
Loyd Blankenship and Patrick K. Kroupa shared a mutual connection with the infamous hacking Legion of Doom. It is one of the most vigorous and influential hacking groups.
Loyd Blankenship joined the group in its early days. He joined it in 1988. He was known as The Mentor. He was among the second generation of the hacking group.
Loyd Blankenship contributed a lot to the hacking group. In 1989, Loyd was hired by Steven Jackson Games. He was the penman of the sourcebook called GURPS Cyberpunk. However, its manuscript was gripped by the US Secret Service and resulted in a raid. This also led to the subsequent arrest of Loyd Blankenship.
On the other hand, Legion of Doom was the last association of Patrick K. Kroupa. He joined Legion of Doom after Knight of Shadow broke after a series of arrests and raids. The remaining members decided to opt for Legions of Doom.
Writing Journey:
Another common aspect of the journey of both the hackers was their association with writing.
Loyd Blankenship gained the motivation to write and express his thoughts during his arrest. While experiencing hacking withdrawal and feeling empathy for his fellow hackers who also had to encounter similar situations, Loyd decided to express his thoughts. He felt the need to change the world’s perception of hacking. That’s when he wrote, The Hacker Manifesto. Initially, his work was published in Phrack ezine. Later on, it gained immense popularity and was found on various websites. It is considered a bedrock in the hacking culture and a guideline for new hackers.
Patrick K. Kroupa was also drawn towards writing during a low time in the history of computer underground due to the constant raids by the FBI. It was the same time when several members of Legion of Doom were arrested. Kroupa wrote Voices in my Head. It was considered the “Golden Age” of Cyberspace.
Patrick has written various magazines like The Akashic Records of Cyberspace, Memoirs of a Cybernaut, and other medical journals.
In Media Culture:
Loyd Blankenship’s article has been viral in the media. It has been featured in various movies like Hackers, The Social Network.
It has also been published in Edward Snowden’s autobiography Permanent Record.
Patrick and his campaign and fight against Heroin addiction made him famous. He has been featured in over 100 books, Television programs, and even films. Patrick has been featured in a particular documentary film called Ibogaine: Rite of Passage.