Hacking to stardom

REMEMBER the “don’t touch my junk” guy? How about the JetBlue attendant who quit his job via the emergency chute? Both become instant “folk heroes” thanks to the media. Now we’re hearing about a new breed of computer hackers who launch cyber counterattacks against Mastercard and Visa supposedly in support of WikiLeaks. “The 'hacktivists' are a new breed of online protesters ready to engage in acts of cyber-disobedience against corporations, politicians and religious institutions in the name of defending their ideals,” writes the Los Angeles Times. Really? Hacktivists? Why do I get the sinking feeling the media are about to turn these cyber punks into reality stars? Okay, I’m probably overreacting. But forgive me for distrusting the folks who brought us “Balloon Boy.”