Thank you, hackers.
Thank you, hackers. You have truly shaped the way the Internet is in today’s world. Starting from the days of Napster, to present day activities like data leaking, society would be completely different it weren’t for you. Let’s start with media sharing. In recent years, almost all types of media can be found online and downloaded illegally. This ranges from TV shows, to movies, to textbooks, to music. Anything goes. Obviously, getting free media is something some of us are thankful for, even though it is illegal. But let’s get a little deeper into this. What has resulted because of these activities? How has the media industry changed because so much media is available for instant illegal download? Check out this article that talks about how Netflix is changing TV: http://www.businessinsider.com/afp-netflix-the-revolution-that-changed-the-us-tv-landscape-2014-9 Since so many shows and movies are available to download via illegal methods, producers need to find ways to combat this. I know from personal experience that one reason people download illegal movies and TV shows is to avoid commercials. They also don’t want to wait for the next episode to come out. Netflix is truly starting to change the way major networks are making TV. They simply produce an entire season, and make it ALL available in one shot. And better yet, its all streamable. You don’t need a TV. You don’t need to be there at a certain time to watch it. It’s just readily available to watch whenever you want. People are more willing to pay for a service that gives them everything they are asking for, compared to those who cause so many struggles. The next activity hackers should be thanked for is data. Nothing is private anymore. As soon as something hits the web, it is public for everyone to see, for the rest of eternity. Not to long ago, we were only given information from major networks and news companies. But now, hackers have made it possible for private details to become public to the masses. Why does this matter though? What has it caused? People are now becoming more and more concerned with privacy and security. Since anyone can be hacked, and anyone’s data can be potentially become public, people are more careful about what they post online. But even more relevant in today’s world, people are more careful with their financials too. With all these credit card hackings, nobody knows whom to trust anymore. Thankfully new innovate solutions are coming out to prevent this from happening in the future. Apple Pay, for example, moves away from the traditional model of swiping a card, to a more secure model, of using a temporary digital payment number, and not even disclosing your name to the merchant. All the information is stored on your device, and can only be accessed with your fingerprint! Check out the following article for more info on that: https://www.apple.com/apple-pay/ The last activity I would like to thank hackers for is more of a characteristic than an activity. Even though hacking itself is usually bad, and illegal in most cases, it has brought about so much innovation in the field of technology. Hackers are truly responsible for sparking creativity within large companies, and finding new ways to make things secure and simple for the end consumer. But as companies find new ways to combat hacking, hackers strive to find new ways to cheat the system. This never ending battle is extremely healthy for the industry, and I think we should all thank hackers for their determination, and ability to push companies to their innovative limits.
