Moreover, I see merit in his position to treat an offense according to the intent of the perpetrator and seriousness of the act, rather than according to the vulnerability of the victim. At the same time, system administrators who permit lax security are culpable for their own negligence. The fourth area of disagreement is how we should treat young people who break into systems or publish magazines like Phrack that allegedly promote criminal activity. Parker calls them our adversaries and suggests that I have given aid and comfort to our adversaries. I believe that it is our responsibility as adults to help bring young people into the community as responsible citizens.
Many young people break the law or encourage others to do so at some time in their lives.
Most of them grow up to become responsible adults. While we should not approve of all their actions, treating them as our adversaries is, in my view, likely to alienate them and push them into a lifestyle of crime.