A General Guide
A General Guide
ghost | 10395 Reads | A small portion of the challenges ask for minimal knowledge and little research on the problem at hand. The rest of them require that the user present some sort of knowledge, and apply it to the situation. The latter is the majority. While the later problems of each section undoubtedly involve more skill, the earlier problems are building blocks which are(?) designed not only to test your knowledge of the basic skills involved, but to help teach you good habits. Several of the problems deal with very specific details of certain aspects of the subjects covered within, creating a hindrance that may prevent the user from actually understanding what the challenge is trying to teach, which in turn causes them to attempt to memorize and regurgitate the methods used.
Learning requires research, or studying. You aren't actually beating the challenges unless you understand the fundamentals behind them. The first challenge that comes to mind is the Basic user agent challenge. It's very simple to read an article telling you to download a user agent switcher, and possibly how to configure it. With that however, you aren't learning how to do the challenge. You're being told how, required to think very little, and entirely missing the point of the challenge. After doing that challenge, can you explain to someone how user agents work, or why they're used? If you don't pick up on, not specifically user agents, these fundamental concepts that make the system work, you will find that it is very difficult to apply that knowledge later on. Many of the ideas contained in the challenges are minimalistic compared to the scope of the broader subjects that encase them. And all of them can be applied to much larger projects, constructive and destructive, that are entirely inaccessible without the correct knowledge.
A much more common (and threatening) hindrance; points. An extremely large number of users seem to want solely to get points. It is very difficult to be successful with that in mind. Rather than actually learning the information, they would find what would seem to be the simplest and fastest way available to solve the challenges; bothering other members for answers, or finding the direct answers through Google. Those who use those methods are only hurting themselves. It is important that you strive to learn as much as possible, rather than attempting to just beat the challenges. Generally, just attempting to beat the challenges will leave you 'stranded' later on with the more difficult challenges. No one is expected to speed through them all and get them done in a day, or even weeks. Take your time, learn what the problem is about, understand why the answer is the correct answer. Question it, challenge it. Don't submit your answers without knowing how they work. Guessing is generally a bad idea as well. You aren't in school, you aren't being timed and you get no grade for submitting an answer as fast as you can. You should take your time and not rush the problems, but rather attempt to understand them.
In consideration of the challenges it is definitely not bad to ask questions, or to ask for help. There are issues that aren't necessarily in the scope of certain problems, at your current level of comprehension. But there is an explicit difference between asking for help and asking for answers. Asking for a point in the right direction can benefit you greatly. Asking for an answer is admitting that you want points, but aren't willing to work for it. “If one seeks knowledge, one must be willing to learn”
~Sqwertle
stealth- 14 years ago
Sorry, but this article seems really pointless to me. I like articles that teach things about hacking, philosophy, computers in general, math, etc. Lectures for skiddies and articles based upon things completely unrelated to hacking don't get good marks from me. Especially considering there is already an abundance of them and the skiddies aren't appearing to learn anything from them anyways. Articles like this make me think it was rushed together to earn points.
ghost 14 years ago
Ah, I see. Yes, I wrote an article about points being a deterrent to learning so I could get points.
stealth- 14 years ago
Wouldn't be the first time I've seen someone do that. ;) Besides, I didn't accuse your article of being just for points, I said articles like this in general give me that idea. But either way, my original point that articles like these are pointless still stands.
ghost 14 years ago
Seen it before, and it had more purpose before. Now, it's just crap.
Shouldn't have been accepted in the first place, as active members previously determined that this type of advice would be ignored until it was a required read prior to posting in the forums.
ghost 14 years ago
yea man i like this, i have to say , uber keen and fresh i was doing this at first, but i soon realised i wasnt actually learning so i slowed down, went back over hts and started looking up the stuff i didnt understand on wiki, then i discoverd a few other good sorce`s, then i realised, its not about trying to find hacks or super tips in places like this, its about sniffing for leads on good info,
so i was wondering mate..
i got wiki millworm hts here google, sketchy old youtube infinity exists, and others,
but you got any good sorce`s?? im not into asking for hacks n shit, im learning html, css javascript atw3schools and when i finish im going to let myself go on to web hosting, sql and php.
but im finding it hard to find a start piont of the info tree for like what i call server stuff, i wiki`d i.p packets and proxy servers but its a bit of a mess, you know of any really good tutorials??
.. oh
just on the side i want to run a linux on my spare computer to try it out , its an old windows m.e fella, any tips which to run on it, im thinking putting it on the hard drive, not duel booting.
ok ok i asked direct questions there, haha peace man.
bahpomet1105 8 years ago
Exactly korg I'll be honest I was once a skid but through this site and HTS as well as a handful of other ones I've gotten past my stupidity