Hacker ethics

CCC published a list of principles which is an extension of one by Steven Levy in his book Hackers: Heroes of the Computer Revolution:

• Access to computers - and anything which might teach you something about the way the world really works - should be unlimited and total. Always yield to the Hands-On Imperative!
• All information should be free.
• Mistrust authority - promote decentralization.
• Hackers should be judged by their acting, not bogus criteria such as degrees, age, race, or position.
• You can create art and beauty on a computer.
• Computers can change your life for the better.
• Don’t litter other people’s data.
• Make public data available, protect private data.

Many of the recent actions do not conform to these principles.