Prologue. Becoming a Hacker

“Stop clicking . . . stop beeping.”

In 1982, Time magazine named the personal computer Machine of the Year, marking the first time a non-human was awarded Man of the Year. It was a fascinating read, but like many nerdy kids across the country at the time, I’d already become captivated by computers.

My best friend Dave Crotty and our other best friend, Neal Fordham (collectively, the three …