The Hacker Emblem
I want there to be an emblem synonymous with every white hat hacker, programmer, coder, and just generally anyone who is devoted to the protection of security and the freedom of information and the internet. The image is this:
It is called a glider, and is one of the most complex images and patterns in the world and was first seen in 'The Game of Life.' The Game of Life, created by John Conway, is an algorithm involving dots or 'cells.' If you think of the cells on a grid, they can survive, die, and multiply. It incorporates simple rules of life (note when i say simple, I do not mean the algorithm, which is extremely complicated) with these cells. If a cell is alone or wirthout a neighbor, it dies, almost out of loneliness, when a cell has two to three neighbors, lives, simulating reproduction and survival, and a cell with four or more neighbors dies, simulating overpopulation. If you would like an actual view of it in action, go to http://www.bitstorm.org/gameoflife/.
The actual hacker emblem is meant only for white hat hackers, and even coders or security analysts. One thing that we know may start happening is the use of the Glider by Black Hats and Script Kiddies. If this does happen, then these people will probably be rejected or maybe not, but its the same with most other emblems, like the Anarchy symbol for example, tons of people use it without having the slightest idea what Anarchy is. This emblem should also be important because of it's history. John Conways 'Game of Life' was first introduced and published in a Science magazine as a reference in 1970, the same time the internet was introduced, not to mention Unix. The white hat hackers and programmers helped cultivate the internet by analysing security, challenging the pentrability of websites and programs. Not only did they challenge the security, they helped to improve it. You don't even have to be a hacker to convey the emblem of the Glider, by conveying it you're saying that you support the 'securification' and penetration testing of the internet and it's resident websites and organised groups. For even more information (and give credit to) on the Glider, check out http://www.catb.org/hacker-emblem/index.html. -Consider using the emblem, Psycha
EDIT: The reason I posted this, most hackers jump at the opportunity to have an emblem that identifies them in such a general category. It's much better for every hacker to be able to convey a common and widely known emblem than just to be able to have an emblem that you got from a subtribe/subgroup that you like.