Johnny Long fundraiser

[aloishis89]

In case you didn't know, Johnny Long, who has been on the show before, is moving to Uganda to do missionary work. He is selling most of his stuff to raise money to get over there, so go buy some of it:

http://hackersforcharity.org/117/fundraiser-auction/

There is some really cool stuff and its great place for people who are new to hacking/pen testing to start.

It takes a lot of guts to leave everything and do what you feel is right. If you can spare a few bucks, help him out.

[VaKo]

Sorry, but I don't think its wise to fund yet more missionary work to Africa, its hardly done any good so far.

[metatron]

Sorry, but I don't think its wise to fund yet more missionary work to Africa, its hardly done any good so far.

Have to agree, after decades of huge amounts of money, equipment and people trying to help, you still see no foreseeable end to issues out there. Most money is wasted, equipment left to rust and people stay as long as it take for them to feel better about themselves.

Africa should be left alone with no help what so ever, no one of any intelligence should be given visas to work outside to stop the brain drain, from other countries taking their doctors/professionals and intelligent people. Every country have had a time where we were a third world country, but you pull yourself out of it over hundreds of years or your people die off and the world is a better place for it.

[digip]

Wow. The optimistic views...

I for one think what he is doing may make a difference, even if only on a small one to one basis, he at least is doing something that gives his life meaning and fulfillment. Isn't that one of the points of life? Fulfillment. Even if he only does this for a few years and moves on to some other project, its not about us, or him. Its about the people who he helps, not Africa as a whole, but those individuals whose lives are touched and helped. If something like this were to catch on in a bigger scale, not just there, but worldwide, humanity might be better off in the long run. Maybe there is home for man. Or maybe we will all destroy ourselves eventually anyway. The latter will probably happen, as I tend to be a realist and see no long tem future for humans in this planet. We destroy everything we touch and waste twice as much, but we have to make the best of what we have while were here.

I think if he is using his time to fill a void in his life and feel a sense of accomplishment while doing something commendable at the same time, what more can you ask for in life? Hmm. Maybe eating ice cream while getting a blow job, but thats just silly talk.

If anyone is in the market for a new soapbox, I could use a few donations to help pay for my next class. Its $2800.00 USD and I have about $200 to work with at the moment. If 2600 people give me $1.00, I'll be set! (No, this is not a joke either, I really do need the money for school. My first Cisco class starts tonight and all I can do is put a down payment for the book and registration. After that, its pay check to pay check so long as I can make the payments, I can stay in class until the funds run out).

[CrashOverride]

You know how much water pomps we allready donated

And every time they come ad my door step I give them 20,- Euros, But that's probably cus I am from Holland its a sicknes or something i think

[VaKo]

We shouldn't give them water pumps, medicine or mosquito nets, we need to help them setup the facilities to make their own. Giving people free shit has never been useful in anything other than a sudden disaster.

[CrashOverride]

true

[Neinsager]

Well i have done my share off work with out pay down in Africa (build up a satellite internet accesspoint and some WiFi short and long up and down links in the bush so 2 schools got Internet access)

All and all nice work but i still think we shut have done more than only bring them a internet connection a loads of spare hardware parts.

But hell thats just me.

Gerard

[shonen]

@Digio $2800.00 USD for a cisco course???? Self study comes to mind.

What course is it and what cisco cert do you get?

@Vako couldn't agree more on your last post!

[VaKo]

Well i have done my share off work with out pay down in Africa (build up a satellite internet accesspoint and some WiFi short and long up and down links in the bush so 2 schools got Internet access)

All and all nice work but i still think we shut have done more than only bring them a internet connection a loads of spare hardware parts.

But hell thats just me.

Gerard

Hopefully you spent a long time training the locals on how to use, maintain and expand these systems? Internet access is one of the few things we should be helping africa with, but not just people going in and setting it up/running it for them, they need to be provided with the building blocks like information and education that will enable them to build, maintain and operate the services and infrastructure required to provide long term viable solutions to there problems. Aid shippments and missionary work, especially of a religious nature, are short term solutions that keep people going but don't provide opurtunity for growth.

[Neinsager]

Hopefully you spent a long time training the locals on how to use, maintain and expand these systems? Internet access is one of the few things we should be helping africa with, but not just people going in and setting it up/running it for them, they need to be provided with the building blocks like information and education that will enable them to build, maintain and operate the services and infrastructure required to provide long term viable solutions to there problems. Aid shippments and missionary work, especially of a religious nature, are short term solutions that keep people going but don't provide opurtunity for growth.

Believe me, We have (and still do)

We all so let a hand full of the persons that we appointed to run the network and the (Linux (non windows)) computers over there come over to the Netherlands for study and training.

2 of those appointed persons are now so far that the are able to give support and training there in the bush to there own people.

Gerard

[digip]

@Digio $2800.00 USD for a cisco course???? Self study comes to mind.

What course is it and what cisco cert do you get?

@Vako couldn't agree more on your last post!

I could go the self taught route, but I have been doing that for the past year. Thats pretty much how I did the Network+ test. I have been studing A+, Net+, Security+, Server+, Linux+, CCNA and starting on the Microsoft courses, like Active Directory, etc.

ICND1 and 2 are what I am taking right now, and prepares me for the CCNA Cert. I already have my Network+ cert done(took the test last saturday and passed, 780 out of 900) and I want to work towards CWNA and MCSE. A guy at work is donating a bunch of cisco gear to me that he just has laying aorund and taking up space at his house. He rather give it to me than throw them out since they all still work. Pretty much what I will be working on in school, so that is really nice of him. All the cables(rollover, serial patches, etc) are included and IOS stuff, so I can pretty much do the labs at home without having to try and fit work and school labs in the same days since I work 8pm to 8am and leave directly from school to go to work. Its rough, but we have all had to go through the same stuff. Work, school, kids, life, etc. I'm pretty much burnt at this point and don't want to see another subnet question the rest of my life...I have been awake for like 48 hours straight now and ready to crash.

[VaKo]

@Gerard

So how would one get involved with a project like this?

[Neinsager]

@Gerard

So how would one get involved with a project like this?

For us it where very simple, where just a bunch off 45 (and up) old retaired friends that just to work in the IT/computer/network sector that wanted to set its mark with out any publicity, and so we just got our heads together and made a plan and then executed that plan.

I know that most of the hak5 visitors are still in there 10ens or there 20ties and are still going to school ore are still workingstifs so the best change for getting involved in these kind of projects is just to google for it and find one of the 3 world project in/on your side of the world, and just contact them on how to get involved in one of there projects.

Gerard

[shonen]

@digip Fuck you are a busy man indeed. Personally I would rather attend a class and have someone I can directly ask questions too, not everything is mentioned in books. That said it is rather pricey as you have just demonstrated.

that was a pretty good score on the cisco equipment and will surely save you time and money. Sure beats using packet tracer.

hahahahaha don't get me started on subnetting, I can understand that you have to know how it all works and all but in a working environment you would just use a bloody calculator for the crap.

[DingleBerries]

Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.

Although I think that is beyond a fact, I would still appoint my people to over look this kind of stuff. Money makes the world go round, not having it everything stops... but that's coming from a poor college student.

Also you cannot help these people if they are not willing to help them selves. I have read reports from Afghanistan where countries would donate fruit bearing trees, apple, orange, ect, to the local population in hopes that in the years to come they would harvest said fruits and sell them in order to expand their corps or to buy other things that they may need. Come winter however the locals would cut the trees down and use them as fire wood. I understand the need to stay warm, it gets COLD there, but I am sure that there are other things that could have been used as timber.

[h3%5kr3w]

I feel what they need is two things. Farming and Good Judgement.

Case in point: If they knew how to farm, be it even if they had to dig the holes and sow the seeds by hand with no tools, it could.. no wait it HAS been done.

If they knew good judgement, then they would do good for themselves. It's a bit of common sense to us, but then, if you never knew it, then how would you know?

The rest can stem from there. Ill be honest with you though, I dont think any mega internet connection is going to help them, because they still need good judgement. Point blank.

[Swathe]

I help my own people before others.

[shonen]

swathe hit the nail on the head, there are enough problems in one's own backyard. The only exception to this rule are natural or other devastating disasters that come once in a life time.

[Neinsager]

I help my own people before others.

And with your one you mean just only white people?

there are enough problems in one's own backyard. The only exception to this rule are natural or other devastating disasters that come once in a life time.

So whats stopping you or any one to do something by helping those people in your own backyard?

Because next to helping the people in your own backyard all together you are able to help those far away from your own back yard so why only help those in need only when there stroke by a devastating disasters ?

Gerard

[VaKo]

Nationalism is such a petty ideal, you people do realize that we're all stuck on this ball of rock together, and as such our individual fates are intertwined?

[shonen]

Nope, I think I can speak for myself and swathe when on this one. When we mean "OUR" own, were referring to our fellow country men/women "Australian's", Color is not an issue!

FYI I didn't mention weather I did or didn't help people in my own backyard. You sure do like to assume everything and know absolutely nothing aye mate?

Excuse me while I hop on my magical carpet and fly off to the gum drop land of make believe, where everyone is generous and the female population have choc chip nipples!

.

[metatron]

Nationalism is such a petty ideal, you people do realize that we're all stuck on this ball of rock together, and as such our individual fates are intertwined?

How so?. If all life was wiped out in say Africa, it would not matter to us besides fewer diamonds, oil, some fruits and a few other bits. We would soon find a new source or just go over there and get it ourself.

Africa is not really much of a player in the world market outside of some natural materials, which could be found elsewhere if needed.

The place just needs to be left alone for a long time, let them kill each other off until someone comes into power that has a clue.

Look at Robert Mugabe, he turned what was know as the bread basket of Africa, due to its land and farming, into a shit hole where people are dyeing of starvation. I really don't think farming as some people on here have said will help as they know how to do it well. Its bad leadership, which can only be resolved through wars that will at somepoint lead to one person or group of people that control an area where both food and materials can be in massive supplies, plus wiping out a seizable number of people allowing for less demand on resources. I think China is a good example for what Africa could become, in a hundred or so years.

[digip]

Africa is sucha large continent. It's not just a bunch of AID's infested, dying tribes and ghettos, although there is the reality of that. A large part of the continent is predominantly white. They have a lot of the same things we have all over the world, except they have LARGER gettos and deserts that cover more land than the states of Texas and Alaska combined, and they have(as Metatron put it) horrible leaders in different countries throughout the continent. But there is also a rich history and many diverse cultures in each area of the continent. Egypt alone offers us the chance to look back into the origins of science and medicine. Technology and innovation during a time that still baffles scientists today. The problem with Africa is we tend to think of it as one entity,instead of the many that are within it. With many diverse cultures, and key areas of the continent at war with itself, lawlessness runs rampant, but there are people who want and need help, they just don't have the means to do anything about it. If someone is going over there to teach them more modern things(like computers) and help educate them, at least they will then have a fighting chance for a better future. I'm not saying its going to save the world, but if one life is saved at the hands of a volunteer willing to sacrifice their time for someone elses needs, that is a pretty noble thing in my mind. I don't think everyone could do what Johnny Long is doing. Not that they couldn't, so much as they wouldn't want to, because we all probably have the skills to help, we lack the will or selflessness it requires. People are often too selfish and wrapped up in their own life to take time for someone elses.

[Zimmer]

Africa has leaders who are unstable. Cu's (<-- spell that right ?) that violate human rights. HIV and AIDS, which cause death and less people, less people is not good (education, meds, etc our needed). They need to learn to fish not be given it (ok give them them bait and fishing rod and line etc) to go along with the saying and also they need to help themselves and get a stable government and education system. and here is a qoute from Benjamin Franklin...

God helps those who help themselves

For the comment on about helping those in your own backyard... I agree before we help Africa we need to help those in our own backyard. This is one reason why I think that the One Laptop per Child project should mark it up in the US computers are becoming more and more important and this would allow access in our country to expand tech jobs.

Not that they couldn't, so much as they wouldn't want to, because we all probably have the skills to help, we lack the will or selflessness it requires.

Agree Totally agree! and for what Johnny Long is doing congrats I couldn't do that.

In the end if helping Africa becomes something considered by the US to tax I will be steadfastly opposed not all think they we should go help Africa and so they should be forced by taxes to help Africa, some think they need to help themselves and not be given it. An example would be government funds for research that some, including me, believe our immoral and alternatives are available.