Saturday, December 28, 2019

Palenque Royal Tomb and Temple Inscriptions

The Temple of the Inscription at Palenque is probably one of the most famous monuments of the whole Maya area. The temple is located on the southern side of the main plaza of Palenque. It owes its name to the fact that its walls are covered with one of the longest carved inscription of the Maya area, including 617 glyphs. The construction of the temple began around AD 675, by the important king of Palenque K’inich Janaab’ Pakal or Pakal the Great and was completed by his son Kan Balam II to honor his father, who died in A.D. 683. The temple sits atop a stepped pyramid of eight superimposed levels that reach a height of 21 meters (ca 68 feet). On its back wall, the pyramid is adjoined to a natural hill. The temple itself is composed by two passageways divided by a series of pillars, covered by a vaulted roof. The temple has five doorways, and the pillars that form the doorways are decorated with stucco images of Palenque’s main gods, Pakal’s mother, Lady Sak K’uk’, and Pakal’s son Kan Balam II. The roof of the temple is decorated with a roof comb, a construction element typical of Palenque’s architecture. Both the temple and pyramid were covered by a thick layer of stucco and painted, most likely painted red, as was common for many Maya buildings. The Temple of the Inscriptions Today Archaeologists agree that the temple had at least three construction phases, and all of them are visible today. The eight levels of the stepped pyramid, the temple, and the narrow stairway at its center correspond to the earliest construction phase, whereas the wider eight steps at the base of the pyramid, along with the nearby balustrade and platform were built during to a later phase. In 1952, the Mexican archaeologist Alberto Ruz Lhuillier, who was in charge of the excavation work, noticed that one of the slabs that covered the floor of the temple presented one hole at each corner that could be used to lift the stone. Lhuillier and his crew lifted the stone and encountered a steep stairway filled with rubble and stones that went many meters down into the pyramid. Removing the backfill from the tunnel took almost two years, and, in the process, they encountered many offerings of jade, shell, and pottery that speak to the importance of the temple and pyramid. The Royal Tomb of Pakal the Great Lhuilliers stairway ended about 25 meters (82 feet) below the surface and at its end, the archaeologists found a large stone box with the bodies of six sacrificed individuals. On the wall next to the box on the left side of the room, a large triangular slab covered the access to the funerary chamber of K’inich Janaab’ Pakal, king of Palenque from AD 615 to 683. The funerary chamber is a vaulted room of about 9 x 4 meters (ca 29 x 13 feet). At its center sits the large stone sarcophagus made out of a single limestone slab. The surface of the stone block was carved to house the body of the king and it was then covered by a stone slab. Both the stone slab and the sides of the sarcophagus are covered with carved images portraying human figures emerging from trees. Pakals Sarcophagus The most famous part is the carved image represented on the top of the slab that covers the sarcophagus. Here, the three levels of the Maya world--the sky, the earth, and the underworld--are connected by a cross representing the tree of life, from which Pakal seems to emerge to new life. This image has often been dubbed â€Å"the astronaut† by pseudoscientists, who tried to prove that this individual was not the Maya king but an extraterrestrial who reached the Maya area and shared his knowledge with the ancient inhabitants and for this reason was considered a deity. A rich series of offerings accompanied the king in his travel to the afterlife. The sarcophagus lid was covered with jade and shell ornaments, elegant plates and vessels were disposed in front and around the walls of the chamber, and at its southern side was recovered the famous stucco head portraying Pakal. Within the sarcophagus, the body of the king was adorned with the famous jade mask, along with jade and shell earplugs, pendants, necklaces, bracelets, and rings. In his right hand, Pakal held a squared piece of jade and in his left one a sphere of the same material. Source Martin Simon and Nikolai Grube, 2000, Chronicle of the Maya Kings and Queens, Thames and Hudson, London

Friday, December 20, 2019

The Reality Of Abstinence Versus Sex Education - 1224 Words

Clarissa Jane Fender Mrs. Presley English 11 10 April 2017 The Reality of Abstinence Versus Sex Education Do you ever stop to wonder what goes through a teen’s mind? Maybe it s the late paper that wasn t turned in for English or the worry of coming home after school to family members being high as a kite, maybe it s the plans for their significant other later on or the so called special night they have planned together. Whether it be one of the topics mentioned or some far off random thought either way sex will be on a teen’s mind at some point now, some point soon, or some point in the future. Sex is a part of everyday life and it can not go unthought about and although abstinence would be one s best bet for preventing stds and teen†¦show more content†¦They would rather just tell them to abstain from sexual activity and refuse to get them to acknowledge the methods of sexual pleasure. Politicians have different opinions than of parents and teachers however, which has resulted in cutting of federal funding for sex education in schools (Dailard, Cynthia). Parents and teachers believe they should have more say seeing how they spend every day with the children. Most politicians are older males who don’t relate well to young people at all. The average age of people in the Senate is sixty-three and the average age of someone in the House of Representatives is fifty-seven. This is the oldest Congress to take office in 2009 (Palmer, Brian). Why do we expect older men to make these decisions about our children when we are the people who see what goes on in their lives everyday? Abstinence is not necessarily valuable for teens to acknowledge because â€Å"There is no evidence that an abstinence-only curriculum maintains abstinence any longer than the regular sex education curriculum taught in most schools. Morality needs to incorporate reality, and the reality is that young people are sexually active.† (Do abstinence-only sex education programs work? ). â€Å"Another method is 100 percent effective—not to mention, popular, en joyable, and free. It s non-intercourse lovemaking, genital massage, and oral sex. But even the most liberal programs never mention it. To do so would acknowledge sexualShow MoreRelatedSexual Education : A Comprehensive Sex Education969 Words   |  4 Pagescome with sexual education in the classroom is the first step in being a comprehensive sex education advocate. To this day, we see classrooms in middle and high schools preaching about abstinence, shaming children and not being able to give proper, thorough, and informative resources and guidelines on how to approach healthy, body-positive, accessible information about sexual activity. The ideal image abstinence curriculum advocates are hoping for is all adolescents will not have sex prior to marriageRead MoreComprehensive Sexual Education Of The United States1219 Words   |  5 PagesSmith refers to the inadequate sexual education of teenagers in the United States. Sexual education is the instruction on issues about bodily dev elopment, sex, sexuality, and relationships. Comprehensive sex education teaches about abstinence, condoms, and contraceptives to avoid sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and unplanned pregnancies. As well as, the skills needed to help young people explore their own values and options. Comprehensive sexual education should be taught in the United StatesRead MoreComprehensive Sexual Education Should Be Taught1240 Words   |  5 PagesWELL.† SMITH REFERS TO THE INADEQUATE SEXUAL EDUCATION OF TEENAGERS IN AMERICA. Sexual education is the instruction on issues about bodily development, sex, sexuality, and relationships. Comprehensive sex education teaches about abstinence, condoms, and contraceptives to avoid sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and unplanned pregnancies. As well as, the skills needed to help young people explore their own values and options. Comprehensive sexual education should be taught in public schools in theRead MoreShould Sex Education Be Taught?1124 Wo rds   |  5 PagesSex is always a touchy subject, adolescents feel embarrassed discussing it with their parents or teacher and adults feel awkward answering questions. When people discuss being pregnant or breastfeed it’s often referred to as a natural thing, but when discussing sex it is a natural thing that a lot of adults feel uncomfortable confronting. There can be number of problems that can occur in the area of adolescent sexuality, but it is important to keep in mind majority of adolescents have healthy sexualRead MoreTEEN PREGNANCY PREVENTION Essay1918 Words   |  8 Pagesfight for abstinence-only versus comprehensive sex education. Although proponents of both types of sex education aim to reduce teenage pregnancy and STIs, their approaches vary greatly (Block et al., 2005). Abstinence-only advocates believe that sex before marriage is immoral and harmful; they promote abstinence as the sole option to help young people avoid STIs and teen pregnancy, mentioning c ondoms and contraceptives only in terms of their failure rates (Block et al., 2005). Abstinence advocatesRead MoreShould Sex Education Be Taught?2918 Words   |  12 PagesCarley Siegel Position Paper Midterm 10/15/14 Sex Education in Schools Minnesota is ranked number six out of all states in teen birth rate. Minnesota is ranked number three in teen pregnancy rate. The average ages for all of these results are girls aged from fifteen to nineteen. With the most recent statics, in 2012 there were 3,295 teenage girls to give birth to a child and in 2010 there was 146 million spent on teenage childbearing. The last statistic I found was there were are 18.5 births perRead MoreSex Education Should Be Taught At School1916 Words   |  8 PagesSex education can be traced back to the beginning of the 20th century. â€Å"Chicago’s public schools introduced the Nation’s first formal sex education program† which has raised controversy throughout the years. Many believe that talking about sex in the classroom raises the initiation of such behavior. Others believe that ignoring the subject keeps teens in the dark which leads them to make unsafe decisions when they become sexually active. Whether it is at school or at home, teens must be taught aboutRead MoreTeen Pregnancy and Sex Education Essay1794 Words   |  8 Pageswoman and her family, but it also has a consequential impact on society. Reducing the number of adolescent pregnancies would promote child well-being and decrease child poverty statistics (â€Å"National Data†). Increasing the number of comprehensive sex education courses would help young people learn how to better protect themselves against premature pregnancy and STDs, and in turn curtail the number of teenage pregnancies. The Facts Among industrialized countries, the United States has the highest ratesRead MoreJohn Dewey and his Idea of Learning Essay1906 Words   |  8 Pages Experience and Education portrays John Dewey’s critical analysis of the traditional and progressive education system. He believed that people, no matter their age, did not have an empty mind, waiting to be filled with the knowledge schools offered. Alternatively, he pushed a method of learning where students organized information based on facts by expanding on previous knowledge; such a situation implies that teachers must create an environment as to foster such an experience. Thus, the challengeRead MoreProblems in the Inner City Schools Essay2022 Words   |  9 Pagesattention than other does. However, when schools have no academic problems then the attention should be focused elsewhere, particularly in the inner city schools. For many years, poor communities have failed at providing students with the best education. To add to this, the crime infested neighborhood is a distraction to most young people. Hearing sirens all night long could definitely keep students from staying awake in class. The best solution to this problem is to produce more jobs in these poor

Thursday, December 12, 2019

Dpe Paper free essay sample

That is why teachers know that individual needs, strengths and weaknesses must be considered to make the instructional process successful and geared to equip the student to achieve his optimum skills and abilities to meet the challenges of daily living. Students come with their own individual packages and no two of them are alike. Even though the curriculum is the same, no two students learn the same way. Teachers are challenged to meet the students’ â€Å"package† and to create an approach at instruction that take into consideration the students’ differing abilities, strengths and needs are satisfied. To compound the challenges of instruction, the intellectually disabled (ID) student presents additional dynamics that impact the art of teaching. This paper presents the diagnostic/prescriptive/evaluation (DPE) strategy of instruction for ID students. The DPE is not a concept. Educators have been using it for decades (Mann and Phillips, 1967). During the past 40 years it has been improved and refined (Ewing Brecht). The paper examines each of the components of DPE: diagnosis, prescription, and evaluation (Thomas, 1996). In conclusion it presents two applications of implementing the DPE with two students diagnosed with ID. The diagnostic process requires great skill and effort from the teacher. Alone the special educator cannot perform all the necessary functions of diagnosis. With the assistance of the other members of the Multidisciplinary Team (MDT) and other service personnel, they are able to determine the needs of individual learners and to specify instructional objectives that will help the student satisfy his educational needs (Eisele, 1967). During this phase the teacher is to determine the most demanding needs of the student. The entire diagnostic process depends upon the ccurate identification of these needs. The specialists on the MDT provide the teacher with the data, or means of acquiring the data, about the student that are necessary for determining the student’s needs. This takes the form of providing formal and informal testing services for testing students, supplying the data that has been acquired from the testing, and providing the testing batteries that could be used for thi s purpose (Eisele, 1967). This becomes the Present Levels of Performance (PLOP) of the Individualized Education Program (IEP). When the MDT has collected all of the significant data and determined the demanding needs of the student, then the teacher and the specialists develop the instructional goals and objectives appropriate for specific needs. These goals are selected from curriculum domains and the objectives can be selected from curriculum guides and resource units. Also the teacher and specialist can generate their own objectives. When talking to the teacher and specialists, I asked what type of instructional activities and materials they use for students with ID? The teacher and specialists stated that they prescribe instructional activities and materials suitable for the student to master his objectives. This constitutes the second step in the DPE process. Prescribed learning is based on short- and long-term goals that are established for the individual student and are based on the skills needed to be mastered. Within these goals are markers to establish where there are gaps in the learning process. Instruction that follows will teach only to what the student still needs to master to be successful. It capitalizes on the strength of the student to fill in the learning gaps. The prescriptive process can be applied to almost any subject area, academic and behavioral (Deschel, Susan, 2012). Three important teaching strategies for students diagnosed with ID: 1) tasks should be broken down into small component steps and learned in sequence, 2) teaching techniques should be experiential, concrete, visual and hands-on rather than cognitive, abstract and verbally delivered in lecture form, and 3) feedback should be immediate for the student to make a connection between his answer, behavior, or question and the teacher’s response. The third phase is the evaluation process. This is a two-pronged process for the teacher. First, evaluation is necessary to assess needs and, second, to evaluate the student’s progress toward achieving his objectives. Through the evaluation process teacher monitors the understanding and performance of students before teaching the lesson, while teaching, and after teaching the lesson. The evaluation process can inform the teacher of the effectiveness of his lessons with individuals, small groups of students, or whole classes, depending on the instruments used (Guskey, 2003). Instruction and evaluation are interactive. The teacher may evaluate student learning on the spot, or collect data at different points in time and compare progress over units of instruction. Moment-by-moment assessments allow the teacher to tap into student’s developing understandings about the objective and to enable the teacher to correct misconceptions immediately. Observations recorded over time allow the teacher to identify patterns of development and document learning gains (Guskey, 2003). This can be accomplished in many ways. Devices appropriate for the evaluating progress are data keeping, checklists, logs, standardized tests, and paper and pencil tests. Now we consider the practical applications of DPE in a classroom. Antoine is a 12 year old, sixth grader, who is diagnosed with ID and is in a special education classroom. His MDT has completed their assessments and has developed his IEP. One of his goals includes math readiness. His objective is to be able to match manipulatives to numbers expressed on cards with verbal prompting. The teacher has developed prescriptive lesson plans to enable Antoine develop the needed skills to match the manipulatives to the numbers. His first lesson is to match manipulatives to the number expressed on a picture communication symbol (PCS). He encounters difficulty in matching the manipulatives to the number on the PCS. His teacher notes the difficulty evaluating Antoine’s learning skill gap. She introduces PCS with a number of manipulatives on it equal to a number on the top of the PCS. Antoine begins to associate the manipulative with the number on the card. As he experiences success in matching the manipulatives to the number, the teacher replaces the PCS with two cards, one with the number and the other with the manipulatives. After collecting data indicating Antoine’s progress, the teacher removes the manipulative card. Antoine now begins to match the manipulatives to the number on the PCS. For the second example we meet John. John is a 15 year old with a diagnosis of ID and behavioral issues. He has recently developed the habit, when he becomes frustrated, of head butting objects and individuals. His MTD has met and analyzed the situation and has developed a plan to extinguish this behavior and have John express his frustration in positive behaviors. They have listed the times when John has become frustrated, the antecedent(s), and indicators that precede his head butting. The prescriptive element is to develop initially plans for John to identify his feeling of frustration and to express his emotion to the teacher. As the staff observes John during class times, they begin to note those antecedents that indicate John is becoming frustrated. They plan interventions with John to alleviate his build up of frustration. There is the constant interplay of the diagnostic, prescriptive and evaluation processes until John is able to identify the cause of his frustration and release it with positive behaviors. There are many specific techniques that can assist in teaching students with ID. They can be summarized into three, more, general strategies. First is to allow more time and practice for the students to successfully master the objective. Second is to embed the activities into daily living or functioning as much as possible. Third is to include the student both in the social and academic activities. Diagnostic/prescriptive/evaluation strategies have been employed in the classroom as an educational strategy to remedy learning deficits (Ewing Brecht, 1977). After speaking with a teacher about the roles and procedures that plays in the daily class, she shared with me that the diagnostic process helps the educational team define the student’s abilities and deficits. The prescriptive process provides a means to plan and teach the skills and concepts a student needs most. The evaluation process measures the learning increments of any magnitude. It enables the team to redefine the diagnostic and prescriptive as needed. The DPE strategy emphasizes and identifies a prioritized life goal curriculum planning approach to identify functional skills and concepts need by a student with ID to become as successful as possible in adult life. The DPE approach assesses each student’s abilities and progress toward those individual life goals (Thomas, 1996). References Dreschel, Susan. (2012). Prescriptive Learning. http://www. ehow. com. Eisele, James E. (1967). Diagnostic Teaching: Can the Curriculum Specialist Help? Educational Leadership, January 1967. Washington, DC. Ewing, Norma Brecht, Richard. (1977). Diagnostic/Prescriptive Instruction: A Reconsideration of Some Issues. Journal of Special Education, vol. 11. Los Angeles CA: Sage Publications. Guskey, T. R. (2003). Using Data to Improve Student Achievement. Educational Leadership. Kauffman, James M. Hung, Li-Yu. (2009). Special Education for Intellectual Disability: Current Trends and Perspectives. Philadelphia, PA: Lippincott Williams and Wilkins, Inc. Thomas, Glen E. (1996) Teaching Students with Mental Retardation: A Life Goal Curriculum Planning Approach. Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.

Wednesday, December 4, 2019

Jobs In World Wide Web Essay Example For Students

Jobs In World Wide Web Essay In todays fast-paced world, the high-tech computer industry offers a unique opportunity for high-paying jobs. Many people start their careers much younger than I have, so consequently I have to search for a career in a field that will offer me adequate financial rewards in a limited amount of time. I started working with computers four years ago, upgrading systems, and increasing modem speeds to enable me access to the World Wide Web. I find programming to be the most interesting area of Computer Science; there is a subculture within this area that call themselves hackers. There seems to be a negative connotation with the word hacker. This is a misunderstanding because these programmers, who consider themselves to be hackers, are not the evildoers that the media portrays them as. Some misguided souls do attack systems for profit and pleasure, but these are usually the wannabe hackers; they are referred to as crackers or cyberpunks. True hackers do not waste their time with these type s of antics. It is similar to an artist who, instead of painting a beautiful picture, sprays profanity on a city wall. There are many misconceptions surrounding the artform of hacking. Computers have made our world and lives much easier. In the past, many jobs were done by hand. Computers have replaced calculators. Word processing is now much faster and more conveienent than it was when we had to use typewriters. Not only can we type and correct errors much quicker since it can be done on a computer, but we dont even have to type at all as a result of dictation software, which allows us to speak to our computers. Computers revolutionized our world. We can communicate through e-mail with friends around the world. Research on any form or type of information is readily and easily accessible through the Internet. Computers have opened doors to people all over the world that just twenty years ago were not even dreamed of. Through all this innovation computers are, nevertheless, electronic components. They can only do what man tells them to do. This is how Alan Gauld, a computer programmer, explains computers: The logical thinking comes into play because computers are in trinsically stupid. They cant really do anything except add single digits together and move bytes from one place to another. Luckily for us some talented programmers have written lots of programs to hide this basic stupidity. But of course as a programmer you may well get into a new situation where you have to face that stupidity in its raw state. At that point you have to think for the computer. You have to figure out exactly what needs to be done to your data and when (Gauld). Who are programmers? They are people who write the software, which runs the hardware in your computer. Without the software, computer systems would be electronic components incapable of performing any useful operations. There are types of programmers, who are called ?hackers?. In the early 1960s, university facilities with huge mainframe computers, (like MITs artificial intelligence lab) became staging grounds for hackers. At first, a ?hacker? was a positive term that described a person with a mastery skill of computers who could push programs beyond what they were designed to do. Todays ?hacker?, however, comes with a negative connotation. Eric S. Raymond reveals this about hackers:There are a bunch of definitions of the term ?hacker?, Most having to do with technical adept nests and a delight in solving problems in overcoming limits? There is a community, a shared culture, of expert programmers and networking wizards that traces its history back to the decades to the first time-sha ring minicomputers and the earliest ARPAnet experiments. The members of this culture originated the term ?hacker?. Hackers built the Internet. Hackers made the UNIX operating system what it is today. Hackers run Usenet. Hackers make the World Wide Web work. If you are part of this culture, if you have contributed to it and other people in it know who you are in call you a hacker, youre a hacker. .ufa31b41a7be4d7bf5fbf07062583f676 , .ufa31b41a7be4d7bf5fbf07062583f676 .postImageUrl , .ufa31b41a7be4d7bf5fbf07062583f676 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .ufa31b41a7be4d7bf5fbf07062583f676 , .ufa31b41a7be4d7bf5fbf07062583f676:hover , .ufa31b41a7be4d7bf5fbf07062583f676:visited , .ufa31b41a7be4d7bf5fbf07062583f676:active { border:0!important; } .ufa31b41a7be4d7bf5fbf07062583f676 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .ufa31b41a7be4d7bf5fbf07062583f676 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .ufa31b41a7be4d7bf5fbf07062583f676:active , .ufa31b41a7be4d7bf5fbf07062583f676:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .ufa31b41a7be4d7bf5fbf07062583f676 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .ufa31b41a7be4d7bf5fbf07062583f676 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .ufa31b41a7be4d7bf5fbf07062583f676 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .ufa31b41a7be4d7bf5fbf07062583f676 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .ufa31b41a7be4d7bf5fbf07062583f676:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .ufa31b41a7be4d7bf5fbf07062583f676 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .ufa31b41a7be4d7bf5fbf07062583f676 .ufa31b41a7be4d7bf5fbf07062583f676-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .ufa31b41a7be4d7bf5fbf07062583f676:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Human Rights EssayKim Kamondo elegantly explains it this way:The computer-cracking culture can be broken down into four basic groups. To the general public, the term hacker has come to mean someone who gains illegal access to a computer system. However, in geekspeak, the term has a very different definition. To insiders, a hacker is merely an avid computer enthusiast. These types often do gain access to systems theyre not supposed to, but they dont do it with ill intentions. Instead, the goal of the hacker is mental stimulation, much like fiddling with a Rubics Cube. The bigger the hack, the greater the bragging rights The most obvious troublemakers in this culture are ter med crackers. These are generally misguided people with some sort of anarchist bent. They delight in breaking into systems and fouling things up. Perhaps the most dangerous contingent of the hacker corps is the one you never hear about. These people arent interested in fame or intellectual stimulation. Theyre simply in it for the money. They hack into the computer systems at financial institutions, transfer money to different accounts and then vanish. Sound interesting? So why do we seldom, if ever, read of such exploits? The answer is simple: security. Financial institutions are very tight-lipped about such breaches, fearing that any publicity will only encourage copycat offenders. Theyd rather take the hit and deal with the matter internally than trigger a potential feeding frenzy among the hacker community. THE GOOD THINGS HACKERS DO.This may be a rather long quote but its difficult to explain the good things hackers do. I can say that hackers helped created the World Wide Web, o r I could go on to say that they test financial institutions systems for the safety of our funds.But to say they hacker has gone outafter pedophilesin the better many of the Internet needs to be quoted directly from the passage for the reader to understand. Some hackers have chosen to use their skills for the betterment of society. Theirs is a higher cause. Case in point: Christian Valor, a k a Se7en. Valor spent 17 years in the hacker underground, and for most of that time he dismissed reports of online kiddie porn as exaggerated claims by overzealous lawmakers. His suspicions were reinforced when in 1996, he spent eight weeks combing the Web for child pornography and came up empty-handed. Then he discovered chat channels and newsgroups that catered to pedophiles and other perverts. That was a rude awakening for Valor. In 1997, after discovering just how low his fellow Netizens could stoop, Valor made a vow to disrupt the online activities of kiddie porn peddlers in any way that he couldlegal or not. Of course, its highly unlikely that any child pornographer would cry foul to the authorities. And if someone were stupid enough to turn this Robin Hood-like figure in to the police, Valor says hes been assured by the Secret Service that theyd probably decline to take action on the matter. Valors first target in his new crusade was an employee of Southwestern Bell. Although the perpetrator took numerous steps to cover his tracks, Valor was able to determine that this fellow was using his employers computers as home base for his kiddie porn operation. Valor claims that several days after e-mailing the evidence to the president and network administrators at Southwestern Bell, he received a message back that the pornographer was no longer employed there. Valors crusade has led other hackers to join the fight. In fact, theres even a Hackers Against Child Pornography site that encourages others to take up their keyboards and modems against online kiddie porn peddlers. Combined with a couple of large-scale multinational child pornography busts that took place in 1998, maybe these cyberspace sexual misfits will think twice about their chosen lifestyle. In the battle against child pornography, one of the authorities best allies turns out to be hackers, the ultimate haters of authority. Although police wont acknowledge them publicly, some hacking groups informally assist law enforcement agencies in both technical training and evidence gathering. Computers and Internet Essays