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A comment on The boy who stole Half Life 2 source code (2011). Parent comment

Re:The boy who stole Half Life 2 source code (2011) by icebraining on Monday June 02, 2014 @04:04AM (#7832386)
You probably didn't have access because you didn't look for it. A kid with the right mindset and a copy of the Anarchist Cookbook or similar could cause a lot of panic and draw a lot of attention.

The difference is not access, it's the inherently nonviolent nature of digital. It's easier to get a kid to care about not hurting others than about not hurting an abstract legal entity like a company.

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Re:The boy who stole Half Life 2 source code (2011) by CJefferson on Monday June 02, 2014 @08:26AM (#7833077)
Before the Internet, how would I ever had acquired a copy of the anarchists cookbook in rural England? I did know the book existed, and I am sure I would have tried some of it out if I could have got a copy.
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Re:The boy who stole Half Life 2 source code (2011) by jakejake on Friday June 06, 2014 @02:58AM (#7856529)
It's probably true there were ways to get yourself into real trouble before the Internet. I guess phone phreaking or calling in threats and such. Still it seems like there's a lot more temptation out there for a kid to cause mischief now that the entire world is wired together.
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