Campbell Robb, the Chief Executive of the homelessness charity Shelter, recently commented on the housing crisis in the UK, saying: “Astronomical house prices mean that millions of people are finding themselves trapped in our broken rental market with little chance of ever finding a stable place to call home.” As the government continues to slash benefits to those most in need and rent continues to rise more than earnings, 2014 will bring a wave of evictions across the UK and the whole of Europe, leading to thousands of vulnerable adults and children being forced into overcrowded hostels, temporary accommodation, friend’s sofas, and on to the streets. 18,000 people are evicted from social housing alone each year – the equivalent of the entire population of Stamford. In the UK, bailiffs are the guys who turn up to enforce those evictions. They are comparable to ‘repo men’ in the US. 

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The term “hacker” is frequently misunderstood, thanks to the images of cyber-criminals and Internet warfare perpetuated by the mainstream media and state agencies. The truth of the matter is that without hackers there would be no Internet. At the very least hackers may be the last line of defense preventing the Internet from suffering a quick, whimpering death. In recent years security minded tech-folk have been painted as paranoid at best and often equated with terrorism. This contemporary villainization of hackers has created a dangerous stew of ignorance and fear that keeps the majority of computer users blissfully ignoring the inner workings of state and corporate communication technology, never seeking out alternatives. However, I’ve recently discovered a light at the end of the tunnel.

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