Why do hackers like to wear a beard?

There are many legends about bearded hackers. Is a long beard a symbol of success in the hacker's field, or is it a challenge to society? On this score, there are several opinions, but everything began with this.

In 1969, a scientist from the Bell laboratory named Ken Thompson was faced with a problem: he could not use his computer to play his favorite game - "Space Journey", where he had to fly a rocket on the solar system, giving certain commands. There were problems with the code. When Bell executives turned down Thompson's request to buy the DEC-10 computer, he took one of the neighboring laboratories and decided that he would rewrite the Space Travel code himself from scratch. A scientist from the same laboratory, Dennis Ritchie, the well-known inventor of C programming language, liked Thompson's project very much, and they began to cooperate. As a result, the family of Unix operating systems was developed - powerful, multitasking, portable (that is, it can be used regardless of specific hardware), which began to develop further and eventually became the progenitor of the world famous Apple iOS firmware.

Fruitful union

Thompson and Ritchie made a huge pioneering contribution to modern computing. One of their inventions solved the problem of computer security by incorporating new functions, such as encrypted passwords in UNIX and publishing master hacks of the very systems that they helped create. In the circle of connoisseurs of computer equipment Thompson and Ritchie are still considered experts of the highest category.

They both had beards. Thick, ruffled, hiding his face beards.
Coincidence? Some hackers categorically disagree. And, thus, the legend of Unix Beard was born.

Ideal accessory for a hacker

The myth that the hacker's abilities correspond to the thickness of his beard was actually tested in 2004 by Tamir Hason, who now occupies the position of development manager at General Motors in Israel. Hason's research consists in the analysis of programming languages developed by bearded employees and their smooth-shaven competitors. There were no significant differences.

However, beards have long been associated with wisdom (Socrates is also referred to as the "Bearded Master"), fanaticism (the Taliban prohibit a beard shorter than 4 inches) and the anarchic views of pirates and technicians. Historically, the facial hair has also been used as a convenient means of camouflage, the master of espionage is still using this technique. All this makes the beard an ideal hacker accessory.

Most women, naturally, do not have the ability to grow a beard to use this symbol of wisdom for their own good. What is the female equivalent of Unix Beard? Head of hair? Overgrown eyebrows? No. On the contrary. Over the past 20 years, hairy and bald people have long been balanced in the eyes of society. Thanks to Mark Zuckerberg and Elliot Alderson, hairless robots have long ago replaced hairy hackers in their functions. Because the beard is less and less associated with computer geniuses.

In a narrow group of hackers, however, Unix Beard is popular today. A large number of people took part in the annual beard and mustache competition this year.

But did Unix Beard retain its original meaning or become something more modern? It turns out that in the world of computer technology, where people rarely use their real names, hackers with a beard feel more protected. Obviously, modern face recognition systems will not be misled by even overgrown individuals, but the fact remains. Figuratively speaking, a beard is a kind of security code for a hacker.

Non-scientific research

Perhaps it was a coincidence, but one day a bearded man caught the eye of a curious explorer at the airport in Massachusetts. He did not go to DefCon, as many thought, but turned out to be a software developer for bioinformatics and was wearing a T-shirt from the Hackers Association. He was asked if he felt safer with a beard. His response was: "No. Usually, we tend to rely on more reliable protection, but I decided to start growing my beard back in high school." It seemed to me that people would trust me more. " He also admitted that a beard is a certain style of a hacker, not his defense.

Another version

There is another legend, which says that the longer the beard of a hacker, the more systems he hacked. However, she was told that she was a long-bearded man, who, perhaps, just wanted to embellish his achievements.

Cult of the beard

For most hackers, a beard is an indicator of work experience. Over a two-week period, the facial hair will not grow long. It is also an indicator of corporate culture - people with beards are considered to be more friendly and sociable than shaved ones. But, in addition, this adornment of a man's face can be a sign of problems in his personal life. Most men just stop caring, shaving and even disinfecting the skin if they do not have a second half. If the computer genius has a wife or a girlfriend, she will make him shave. A recent analysis of the programmers gathered at the conference confirmed this hypothesis: most of the participants were shaved and wore engagement rings. Those who did not wish to shave were more often than not bachelors.

Match Winner

In the competition, which was mentioned above, this year Mr. N won. On his shirt there was an inscription: "Bro, and you thought about security?" Mr. N had a very long beard. He could well have got into Dumbledore's Order, passed for the twin of the wizard Gandalf, or to become a backup of Captain Hook, who had the habit of braiding his beard in a braid. However, for the winner himself, this is just a tribute to the traditions, despite the fact that this competition symbolizes the latest achievements in the world of computer development.

A symbol of generosity and kindness

Well, maybe not just that. We can say that the longer the beard a person has, the more nobility in him, because the winner of the competition, Mr. N, donated $ 300 to the fund for the development of electronic systems and a bottle of whiskey. Such gesture became an example for other bearded men, who now can be considered not only brutal and smart, but also generous. Nevertheless, to be noble, it is not necessary to wear a beard. Good deeds are done by the will of the heart, and not by the stroke of the beard.