A delicious hack

[xwred1]

Why not have something that's both useful and aesthetically pleasing at the same time?

What about when people perform useless casemods that make their cases uglier? Like putting on the same cookie cutter windows that thousands of other people have or putting 7 lights inside the thing?

[Voltage Spike]

What about when people perform useless casemods that make their cases uglier?

People can use items in ways they weren't meant to be used to create something eye-catching. I would call this a hack (even if most "technical people" have a disdain for the field of decorating).

Using items in the way they weren't meant to be used is not a hack.

Like putting on the same cookie cutter windows that thousands of other people have or putting 7 lights inside the thing?

Here is a perfect example of these "cookie cutter window" pieces.

[xwred1]

I'm just saying copycat mods that are ugly and which recycle things people did 6 years ago, except x10, aren't that impressive to me. I'm not trying to goad you into a spiel about what it means to be a hacker or something.

[Samurai Drifter]

A computer's exterior isn't like your cubicle. It doesn't need to be fancy, or tell anyone about you. You don't do work with the box itself, and its largely unnecessary taht it performs any function besides that of its internal components... On the other hand, your computer desktop, settings, etc. not only reflect what you do but you actually do something with them regularly. If you want to change the settings for your mouse because you're tired of looking at it, thats fine. If you want to mod your case because you look at it too often, hide it under your workstation. It's not a showpiece. It performs the same functions if its next to your feet as it does next to your monitor.

Or, you know, maybe they just felt like changing their box for the hell of it. I don't see why someone should have the right to tell someone else that what they want to do isn't worth their time. If you change your box and are happy with the results, the more power to you I say. To me it's all about pleasing yourself, not about making other people think you're "a l33t h4x0rm45t3r, y0."

What about when people perform useless casemods that make their cases uglier? Like putting on the same cookie cutter windows that thousands of other people have or putting 7 lights inside the thing?

Hey, if they like the result, then good for them. Again, I don't see what right I have to tell them they shouldn't do it just because I think it's stupid.

Really, I can't see why some of you care so much if people want to mod their boxes.

[Deviant Ollam]

Hey, if they like the result, then good for them. Again, I don't see what right I have to tell them they shouldn't do it just because I think it's stupid. Really, I can't see why some of you care so much if people want to mod their boxes.

i think we got a bit off the original caveat... which was when i said that i didn't know if casemods "counted as hacking" or not. i'm never in a million years going to tell someone that they don't have the right to do whatever the fuck they want with money they've worked for and earned. invest in an education for yourself or your kids, put food on a table, buy concert tickets, trick out one's case with holes and neon, buy a fat ballon of heroin, blow all your cash at the dog track... it's a free country and it makes no difference to me what people do.

somehow a definition of what constitutes hacking evolved into some draconian "case modding is verboten!" discussion. i do hold the opinion, however, that the odds are pretty good that people with modded cases are less likely to be coding on important projects or configuring terrific networks and more likely to be downloading episodes of american idol and spending their evenings haxoring the gibson.

[Kai]

... downloading episodes of american idol and spending their evenings haxoring the gibson.

hahahaha

Yeah, but I do consider many of them to be artists. Some of those things are really damn cool, due to creativity and craftsmanship.

[TheCotMan]

About 10+ years ago, a friend of mine (I consider a hacker, old definition) modded a case to his Linux Box that might count as hacking...

We had identical boxes running identical Linux base systems, but the CPU on his system was overheating and he did not want to buy an extra fan for the case, so he just "modded" his case, by taking off the cover and that let it function as desired.

His box only had problems when the weather was warm, but with his, "case mod," the problems went away.

(The "hacking" here might come from diagnosing and understanding the problem, and use of non-conventional means to solve the problem.)

I don't see most case mods as examples of hacking, like I don't see "eye candy" for cars to be automotive hacking. People (like street racers) who re-time their engines, alter their cars engine, gear ratio, Nitro/oxygen/air intake and mixture, etc. using unconventional techniques and newly created (home-built) systems that are often, later adopted by part manufacturers to sell to other racers, seem (to me) to be more like automotive hackers.

In my opinion, "hacking" also exists in art, and there may be examples of artistic hacking with case mods. (One example of "artistic hacking" I saw at a local "Museum of Modern Art" included work done on a virtual canvas with different metals that oxidized at different rates to cause "coloring" of the art to change over time. The artist even projected the results over time to show what they believed the art would become.) However, even where "art" is considered, I would not consider most case mods to be "artistic hacking" either.

Just because I don't think a majority of case mods are examples of hacking does not mean I think these people should stop. No. Let 'em do what they want. It is their money.

[xwred1]

Hey, if they like the result, then good for them. Again, I don't see what right I have to tell them they shouldn't do it just because I think it's stupid.

Besides free speech, usually if I think something is stupid I don't mind telling someone what I think. Maybe I am unusual?

[robosycho]

Besides free speech, usually if I think something is stupid I don't mind telling someone what I think. Maybe I am unusual?

Conformists scare me. It is an unusual trait. Although many people say that they are vocal about their opinions, except for this or that insance. Which is why manipulating people is possible, because once you find the sweet spot you can push them any way you want. Just my two cents.

!E

[Samurai Drifter]

Besides free speech, usually if I think something is stupid I don't mind telling someone what I think. Maybe I am unusual?

But if they have the right to do it, they're happy with the results and it's not hurting you, I don't see what problem you could possibly have with it. Telling them its stupid is merely needless harassment.

Anyway, as Deviant Ollam said this has gotten kind of off track. Thus my part in this debate is over.

[Deviant Ollam]

Telling them its stupid is merely needless harassment.

it's all commerce in the marketplace of ideas. granted, anyone who just makes purely ad hominem criticisms or rants and raves with little rhyme and reason is roughly akin to a guy in said marketplace seated next to a blanket topped with little steaming balls of dogshit which he's marked with price tags. the first amendment affords him as much right as the next person to set up shop, but no one is compelled to buy from his store.

by the way, i'm not saying that anyone here in this thread fell to the level of our hypothetical merchant, i'm just making a point. always remember... no matter how different someone else's opinion is than yours, it's never more potent than a steaming plate of crap. they can wave it around all they like, and you might be put off by the odor it carries, but you're not obligated to take it from them.

[xwred1]

I don't know what to say. Its starting to becoming a discussion of semantics. I think criticism is criticism. There should be no sacred ground immune to criticism.

[big chopper]

Soundtrack

Who was on that soundtrack?
--BC,

[TheCotMan]

Who was on that soundtrack?
--BC,

Witness my google fu:
google:[lyrics "some people don't know don't know"]: ==> "CKY" (band) "Knee Deep" (title) "Volume 1" (album name)

A quick search of B&N and "listen now" to that same title on album "CKY, Vol. 1" seems to provide you a sample of the same song.

Google is pretty cool.

[Opt1kal]

I know that you all normally discuss computer hacks here. I will leave it to to the mods to determine if this constitutes a hack. I believe it does. 'Tis awesome. Enjoy, those of you who are into motorized vehicles!
http://www.streetracersonline.com/videos/b1.php

I think its a great hack, clever even