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Where to Start |
daybreaker12
Member
Posts: 6
Location:
Joined: 23.10.08
Rank: Newbie |
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In all blunt honesty, I have no idea where to start with any hacking/coding issue at all. My question to you all is: is there a good source that you all would recommend for me to learn literally, "where to start?"
This is both a very noobish and very open question, and I'm quite sure it will be greatly mocked although I'm being completely serious. My only coding experience was about two years ago when I finished up writing very bad html/css scblockedripts. I've been reading through this forum along with a few hacking books and they recommend "high-level programming languages," such as PHP, Perl, C++, etc. Some sites recommend learning a mass of a little of all, others, such as this site, immensely stress learning all of one. In all blunt honesty I'm quite interested in PHP but then again, I really don't know the extents to what any programming language can do. For instance, and sorry if I'm off-the-charts incorrect, HTML is a web-based code used to merely place things in an order the browser can comprehend, while CSS makes things look pretty. Those are their extents, their uses, their functions. My question to you all also spans the topic of, "where or what can I use to find the use of each main programming language aside from Wikipedia/Google?"
I'm quite interested in the subject of hacking. It seems quite challenging and entertaining at once - it makes a game out of everything, and the game never ends it seems. It turns a tiny little crack into a door, then the door into a hallway, and so on and so forth. I love challenges and I have a strong love for manipulating programs to do as I want (of course this spanned more into the realm of photoshop and other graphics orientated programs, hence the reason why I have no idea where to begin - you can't exactly mess around with "the paint brush" in "hacking-start-land." Thus, I'd really appreciate your help in this matter.
Thanks in advance and sorry for the incredibly long speech of death. @_@ |
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RE: Where to Start |
ShadyTyrant
Member
Posts: 113
Location: United States Of America
Joined: 07.09.08
Rank: Hacker Level 3 |
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Never use Wikipedia! It is an unreliable source of information. Google is your friend.
http://www.criticalsecurity.net/index.php?showtopic=28161 - Start Here!
www.w3schools.com - HTML, CSS, Javascblockedript, PHP, and much more.
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RE: woo |
daybreaker12
Member
Posts: 6
Location:
Joined: 23.10.08
Rank: Newbie |
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Thanks! 
Now that I know what to look for, any good books on networking that someone would recommend? Hmm..
(In case you're wondering, I care not for using this in a malicious fashion - I merely want to PREVENT bad things from happening to my computer(s) by developing a deep understanding of the entire process.)
And by the way I'm loving this post - the deliberate errors make me happy.  |
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RE: Where to Start |
c4p_sl0ck
Member
Posts: 380
Location: Sweden
Joined: 17.09.06
Rank: God |
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ShadyTyrant wrote:
Never use Wikipedia! It is an unreliable source of information. Google is your friend.
And the pages found on Google are reliable?
I think Wikipedia is good if you want to get an overview over something. Most information there is corrected quite fast if it's wrong. You shouldn't trust your life with it, but it's worth a look.
As for learning, the documentation of the language is quite useful. I don't know how much PHP you know, but if you know some http://www.php.net/ is very useful for learning how to use different functions etc.
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RE: Where to Start |
DarkMantis
Member
Posts: 192
Location: Bringing Security To You!
Joined: 23.04.06
Rank: Elite |
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c4p_sl0ck wrote:
ShadyTyrant wrote:
Never use Wikipedia! It is an unreliable source of information. Google is your friend.
And the pages found on Google are reliable?
hahah Very true. Half of the stuff found by google has little or no relevance to what you want at all it just picks up the word 'and' or simular.
c4p_sl0ck wrote:
Most information there is corrected quite fast if it's wrong. You shouldn't trust your life with it, but it's worth a look.
Yeah definatly, if you don't need a too in depth view of something and its not a life or death situation its definatly worth a look at it. However, I have seen a few pages which were incorrect and didnt get changed for a couple of weeks.
Sorry about basically just rewritting what you said, just wanted to add those little bits in 
THE PEOPLE UNITED WILL NEVER BE DEFEATED!
don't care for money, and money's not for me,
the money fueled this empire and our racist history.
Although I'm forced to use it, the rules have all been set.
But life is not worth living when yer soul is in debt!
MONEY KILLS.
MONEY RAPES.
MONEY LIES.
MONEY HATES.
Edited by DarkMantis on 24-10-08 09:14 |
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RE: Where to Start |
Zephyr_Pure
Member
Posts: 2402
Location:
Joined: 15.09.06
Rank: God |
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ShadyTyrant wrote:
Never use Wikipedia! It is an unreliable source of information. Google is your friend.
c4p_sl0ck wrote:
And the pages found on Google are reliable?
I think Wikipedia is good if you want to get an overview over something. Most information there is corrected quite fast if it's wrong. You shouldn't trust your life with it, but it's worth a look.
Wikipedia is not a reliable source of information... educational institutions will not accept Wiki sources in term papers because of the unstable nature and sometimes unverifiable sources. However, Google is obviously not any better in and of itself, as it returns Wiki pages, forum posts written by any Joe Blow, and even blogs written by complete morons on a particular subject. As with anything, use discretion when looking up information. Verify the credibility of your source before you start taking their word as fact; it's not like it takes more than a couple seconds to figure that out. In general, this would mean staying away from those items listed above.
c4p_sl0ck wrote:
As for learning, the documentation of the language is quite useful. I don't know how much PHP you know, but if you know some http://www.php.net/ is very useful for learning how to use different functions etc.
PHP is a beautiful language. It's also extended beyond server-side web developed through its uses in CLI and PHP-GTK. I use PHP almost exclusively now for... well, pretty much anything. Finished Timed 3-6 (if 6 ever gets fixed) using PHP and cURL. 
daybreaker12 wrote:
In all blunt honesty I'm quite interested in PHP but then again, I really don't know the extents to what any programming language can do.
There is documentation for each language... have a thumb through that and I'm sure you'll get an answer that you're happy with. There's no reason why you shouldn't learn PHP, but programming syntax and conventions tend to be the deciding factor. For that, it just takes a bit of experimenting. A lot of people start with VB or Python, since those are relatively easy to pick up and still potent. For the people that want to learn one and stay with it from the beginning, C / C++, Perl, or PHP are more likely. There are other languages, but those are your main players.
To sum up: Read about the language you want to learn and, if it can do what you need it to, learn it. The forums are good for coding questions, since there are a lot of proficient coders here.
I'm quite interested in the subject of hacking.
What do you think the challenges are for? They're surely not for show... they take the abstract and very broad "hacking" concept and break it down into component pieces that are easier to understand. Do some challenges, read on the buzzwords you learn, then ask specific questions. Sorry, but there's no magic guide to hacking; if there was, everyone would be good at it and there would be no mentor threads.
I still check PMs from time to time.
Our responses were moronic, why shouldn't he follow suit? - Futility |
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RE: Where to Start |
c4p_sl0ck
Member
Posts: 380
Location: Sweden
Joined: 17.09.06
Rank: God |
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Zephyr_Pure wrote:
Wikipedia is not a reliable source of information... educational institutions will not accept Wiki sources in term papers because of the unstable nature and sometimes unverifiable sources.
Of course they won't, because the sources can't be verified. But since it's not that official when you're just reading to get an idea you can use Wikipedia.
And if you want to read some fun stuff instead you can go to www.uncyclopedia.org instead. 
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RE: Where to Start |
Uber0n
Member
Posts: 1963
Location: Sweden
Joined: 13.06.06
Rank: God |
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c4p_sl0ck has a good point there ^^ (or two, if you include uncyclopedia )
http://uber0n.webs.com/ |
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RE: Where to Start |
Zephyr_Pure
Member
Posts: 2402
Location:
Joined: 15.09.06
Rank: God |
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c4p_sl0ck wrote:
But since it's not that official when you're just reading to get an idea you can use Wikipedia.
Agreed. Really, I agreed the whole time... I just forgot to put this part in my initial post.
I still check PMs from time to time.
Our responses were moronic, why shouldn't he follow suit? - Futility |
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RE: Where to Start |
ShadyTyrant
Member
Posts: 113
Location: United States Of America
Joined: 07.09.08
Rank: Hacker Level 3 |
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Ok I am not saying that Google does not turn up wiki and other unreliable sources but it will also turn up reliable sources and should be used to search for such information. Just do not believe every web site you find with Google. I disagree with the wiki subject but that's a matter of opinion. |
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RE: Where to Start |
c4p_sl0ck
Member
Posts: 380
Location: Sweden
Joined: 17.09.06
Rank: God |
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But wait a minute!!!
Does this mean not everything on the internet is true?!?! 
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RE: Where to Start |
spyware
Member
Posts: 4190
Location: The Netherlands
Joined: 14.04.07
Rank: God
Warn Level: 90
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c4p_sl0ck wrote:Does this mean not everything on the internet is true?!?!
Incorrect.
"The chowner of property." - Zeph Widespread intellectual and moral docility may be convenient for leaders in the short term,
but it is suicidal for nations in the long term. - Carl Sagan Since the grid is inescapable, what were the earlier lasers about? Does the corridor have a sense of humor? - Ebert |
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RE: ... |
daybreaker12
Member
Posts: 6
Location:
Joined: 23.10.08
Rank: Newbie |
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Zephyr_Pure wrote:
What do you think the challenges are for? They're surely not for show... they take the abstract and very broad "hacking" concept and break it down into component pieces that are easier to understand. Do some challenges, read on the buzzwords you learn, then ask specific questions. Sorry, but there's no magic guide to hacking; if there was, everyone would be good at it and there would be no mentor threads.
I know, I just couldn't think of a generic noun that "hacking" would fit in so I chose "subject." xD My bad.
And as I said earlier, the question was EXTREMELY open and I'm quite sorry for it being so. Though, due to everyone's help and a mass of reading on google, this forum, a few msn convos and miscellaneous books, I think I'll shoot for a bit of C++ and a ton of PHP and concentrate on network security stuff.
I also have been working my way through the challenges - I just wanted a little bit more of a forum insight on the matter of choosing what concept to look more into. :3
I can't thank you all enough for helping me out here and not beating me with the "JOO R A N00B" hammer o' death. XD Now to buy all the textbooks.. x.x
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RE: Where to Start |
yours31f
Second to one
Posts: 1678
Location: Dallas Texas
Joined: 27.04.07
Rank: Satan |
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Just to help you out, because it seems like your making an effort, Google e-books.
Debugging is what programmers do to beta software to make it take up more room on your hard drive if it is running too efficiently.
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RE: Where to Start |
c4p_sl0ck
Member
Posts: 380
Location: Sweden
Joined: 17.09.06
Rank: God |
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yours31f wrote:
Just to help you out, because it seems like your making an effort, Google e-books.
E-books are a blessing. Especially as computer books cost a small fortune. 
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RE: Where to Start |
Uber0n
Member
Posts: 1963
Location: Sweden
Joined: 13.06.06
Rank: God |
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c4p_sl0ck wrote:
E-books are a blessing. Especially as computer books cost a small fortune.
Yeah ^^ if only beer and pasta could be downloaded as well; then being a poor student wouldn't be se tough
http://uber0n.webs.com/ |
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RE: ... |
daybreaker12
Member
Posts: 6
Location:
Joined: 23.10.08
Rank: Newbie |
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Ah, e-books end up costing something on google and tough financial times are limiting me to saving about 50-60% of each of my paychecks whilst the rest go to my family or random school crap. Woo.
But I have discovered google + actual names of books + free torrent = a beautiful thing. To properly acknowledge my lack of expertise in any aspect of computer code/network/etc., I currently own a vast collection of "For Dummies" books.
This is a ton of reading. Zomg. 
http://www.dummies.com/WileyCDA/Section/Programming-All-Articles.id-100120.html
BRING IT ON. roflmao  |
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RE: Where to Start |
maug
Member
Posts: 612
Location:
Joined: 20.07.08
Rank: Monster |
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try google operator "format:"
my fav tech book ebook archive: http://www.51cnnet.net/
just imagine that this hacking thing is a huge school project that you actually care about. If you want to aim for certifications, you should be able to get some bank too.
I pwn kittens. |
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RE: Where to Start |
daybreaker12
Member
Posts: 6
Location:
Joined: 23.10.08
Rank: Newbie |
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maug wrote:
just imagine that this hacking thing is a huge school project that you actually care about. If you want to aim for certifications, you should be able to get some bank too.
If I wanted a certification I'd be in a college and not a hacking website - I just want to prevent people from doing it to me. xD (and maybe pull some lovely pranks along the way)
Although those books do look pretty darn spiffy, not gonna lie. Thanks for showing me - I'll try and download them too. :3
Besides, for those who actually have worked up the money to buy all these, my guess is that you probably don't live in America. The Patriot Act is a beautiful thing and allows the American government to get into virtually every bit of your personal information. (also takes away 3/4 of your "obligated freedoms" - or so my coffee cup shows me when I pour coffee in it rofl) Something is telling me that 50+ purchases on my credit card of advanced computer codes and hacking books would not lead to a good outcome. 'Tis just a guess though. |
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RE: Where to Start |
Zephyr_Pure
Member
Posts: 2402
Location:
Joined: 15.09.06
Rank: God |
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daybreaker12 wrote:
If I wanted a certification I'd be in a college and not a hacking website - I just want to prevent people from doing it to me. xD (and maybe pull some lovely pranks along the way)
Learning doesn't require being in an institution for it to happen. Hacking requires having intermediate knowledge on a number of topics. More certifications than you'd expect are obtainable via the application of just intermediate knowledge.
Besides, for those who actually have worked up the money to buy all these, my guess is that you probably don't live in America. The Patriot Act is a beautiful thing and allows the American government to get into virtually every bit of your personal information. (also takes away 3/4 of your "obligated freedoms" - or so my coffee cup shows me when I pour coffee in it rofl) Something is telling me that 50+ purchases on my credit card of advanced computer codes and hacking books would not lead to a good outcome. 'Tis just a guess though.
Conspiracy theory has no place in a real discussion. Everyone knows that I live in America, and I manage to purchase at least 5 computer or "hacking" books every month or two. They're not going to come knocking at my door to ask why I bought computer or hacking books... because they don't care what books I or anyone else is buying. It's also my career of choice and I'm using them to gain knowledge. "Hacking" knowledge doesn't imply harmful intent; it's all what you do with it.
I still check PMs from time to time.
Our responses were moronic, why shouldn't he follow suit? - Futility
Edited by Zephyr_Pure on 26-10-08 23:17 |
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