Cross-cultural communication is where the tectonic plates of culture meet. We watch it happen! Whatever makes cross-cultural communication work or not is good to post. Got examples, comments, brickbats or bouquets? Send them along!
December 9, 2004
Summary of my final project for JOMC 223
You can see my final project here: http://www.unc.edu/~huiliu55/liu.essay.pdf
In summary, my work is my take on the state and direction of crime online. My final project outlines some details about two case studies. which illustrate the importance of developing the science of profiling. Also, I take a few shots at how crime online is depicted and hyped to the public. What fun!
In the first case, I introduce Kevin Mitnick to anyone who does not know him. There has even been a movie made about this famous Internet hacker. I do not think he would mind me writing that he is a hacker. He would object to being called a cracker, or someone with selfish or malicious intent.
I think that Mitnick's case is important. So much has been written about him that one can get an impression about his psychological make-up. I try to avoid going into his psychoanalysis, because I am unqualified. Yet, making judgments seems a very human thing to do. For this reason, I think that marrying the science of psychology with profiling is very important. Psychological profiling can contribute much to crime prevention and detection.
The second case study is about hackers in Brazil. Besides the influence of a person's psychological make-up, a person's environment has a great impact. In Brazil, there are many hackers and, soon, a second generation of hackers will arrive. What with one's parents and friends doing it, there is a deep-rooting of hacking activities in Brazil. This sociological influence must also be considered.
This is not to say that all children, like Mitnick, of divorced parents are a certain way or that loners do certain things. Ten children under similar or “worse” conditions turn out ten different ways. Nor do I want to caste Brazilians in a bad light. It is just that these factors must be considered in a unemotional, reasoned way.
People in the know, professionals, should and are pursuing these studies. At the same time, people are taking advantage of the situation to make money. I believe there is a story about "Chicken Little". If he had sold Sky-falling insurance, I would have been critical of him. It seems that the public is not getting a clear idea of the risks involved.
A helpless, uninformed public is more likely to 'turn off' discussions about Internet security. It occurs to me, that when toilets flush, people have no idea where their waste goes. Well, those things will not come back to hurt us. Online, they can.
I hope that my final project makes people more knowledgable about the risks and gives alarmists data enough to relax. It is a hard path to stay on. Let the discussions begin!
Hui.
In summary, my work is my take on the state and direction of crime online. My final project outlines some details about two case studies. which illustrate the importance of developing the science of profiling. Also, I take a few shots at how crime online is depicted and hyped to the public. What fun!
In the first case, I introduce Kevin Mitnick to anyone who does not know him. There has even been a movie made about this famous Internet hacker. I do not think he would mind me writing that he is a hacker. He would object to being called a cracker, or someone with selfish or malicious intent.
I think that Mitnick's case is important. So much has been written about him that one can get an impression about his psychological make-up. I try to avoid going into his psychoanalysis, because I am unqualified. Yet, making judgments seems a very human thing to do. For this reason, I think that marrying the science of psychology with profiling is very important. Psychological profiling can contribute much to crime prevention and detection.
The second case study is about hackers in Brazil. Besides the influence of a person's psychological make-up, a person's environment has a great impact. In Brazil, there are many hackers and, soon, a second generation of hackers will arrive. What with one's parents and friends doing it, there is a deep-rooting of hacking activities in Brazil. This sociological influence must also be considered.
This is not to say that all children, like Mitnick, of divorced parents are a certain way or that loners do certain things. Ten children under similar or “worse” conditions turn out ten different ways. Nor do I want to caste Brazilians in a bad light. It is just that these factors must be considered in a unemotional, reasoned way.
People in the know, professionals, should and are pursuing these studies. At the same time, people are taking advantage of the situation to make money. I believe there is a story about "Chicken Little". If he had sold Sky-falling insurance, I would have been critical of him. It seems that the public is not getting a clear idea of the risks involved.
A helpless, uninformed public is more likely to 'turn off' discussions about Internet security. It occurs to me, that when toilets flush, people have no idea where their waste goes. Well, those things will not come back to hurt us. Online, they can.
I hope that my final project makes people more knowledgable about the risks and gives alarmists data enough to relax. It is a hard path to stay on. Let the discussions begin!
Hui.
