StarDestroyer.Net BBS

Take the computer skills test at http://www.zionmainframe.net/main/hack/ ... ktest.html

First of all do not blame me for visiting a Matrix site, especialy one with a section on hacking. Everyone knows the Matrix has little to do with real world computer technology.

However this is a very interesting page created by someone with real knowledge rather than a Matrix fanboy. Note you have to be realy good to score well in this test. Even though I am a programmer with years of experience I find this test an actual challenge.

evilcat4000 wrote:Note you have to be realy good to score well in this test.

Actually, I think you'd have to be a bit of an idiot to stay online for 32 hours straight.

Uh, hexadecimal scoring? Whoo.

Alright, my score is 0x0DC, so that means I'm a hacker. Nice.

I guess only 1337 hax0rs can tolerate the dark green text on the black and green background.

Durandal wrote:I guess only 1337 hax0rs can tolerate the dark green text on the black and green background.

I propose a new addition to the test:

Can you sit in front of an Apple ][e green monitor...
... for more than 4 hours?
... for more than 8 hours?
... for more than 16 hours?

I can understand the start of the test, but I dont understand the scoring, does that mean im a noob?

This is a rather old test that I've had for quite a while, just with a neat interface to wrap it. The original test is from 1989, according to the file I've had since about '97.

I wrote a QBasic wrapper for it to ask the questions and get your answer and do the scoring automatically. (Why bother to keep count when I can have the computer can do it for me?)

And, yes, I've gone back and tried to increase my score several times...

Ace Pace wrote:I can understand the start of the test, but I dont understand the scoring, does that mean im a noob?

It's Hexidecimal

Crayz9000 wrote:

Durandal wrote:I guess only 1337 hax0rs can tolerate the dark green text on the black and green background.

I propose a new addition to the test:

Can you sit in front of an Apple ][e green monitor...
... for more than 4 hours?
... for more than 8 hours?
... for more than 16 hours?

I've done it for four hours, no more ...

Note: The Jargon Lexicon is required reading before taking this test. Better: Read it and Grok it.

I got 50 in that test which i'm betting translates as comuter illeterate.

In decimal the scoring is:
0-16 Computer illiterate
17-64 User
64-128 Operator
129-192 Nerd
193-256 Hacker
257-384 Guru
385-512 Wizard

Just multiply the ones place by one, the sixteens place by sixteen and the 256s place by 256 and add it all together.

I'm somewhere between User and Operator at sixty-something. I lost count partway through the test.

Raxmei wrote: I'm somewhere between User and Operator at sixty-something. I lost count partway through the test.

DC is 220 in decimal, which cements it. I'm no wizard, but I'm up there.

wait a moment how many people use "Grok" who have NEVER read Heinline?

I have no idea how to understand the scoring of that.

Gandalf wrote:I have no idea how to understand the scoring of that.

Count up 1 point for every item that applies to you. Use the scoring table.

It's in base 16, aka hexadecimal. Digits go like this:
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
A = 10
B = 11
C = 12
D = 13
E = 14
F = 15

The 0x at the left of every number just tells you it's in hexadecimal.

The rightmost digit is the one's place, just like in base ten. The next digit is the sixteens place, which is analogous to the tens place. And so on.
The number 1234 in hexadecimal is equal to
(4 * 1) + (3 * 16) + (2 * 256) + (1 * 4096)
whereas in decimal it is
(4 * 1) + (3 * 10) + (2 * 100) + (1 * 1000)

Using hexadecimal is convenient because, 16 being a power of 2, can be used as a more convenient altenative to binary. Every 4 binary digits can be replaced by a single hexadecimal digit.

0x081 and 0x0C0 -> a Nerd

Ok, I got 32

0x032

User

Gandalf wrote:Ok, I got 32

0x032

User

No, imagine it like numbers on a clock, only the clock goes to 16 instead of 12 or 24. 32 hours would equal = 1 day 8 hours, or 18 in a base 24 system.

In hex, divide the number by 16, keep the whole number (you'll need it later). If the whole number is greater than 16, repeat this step (keeping track, mind you). Then multiply the original decimal by 16 to get the "ones" place. Remember that computers start counting at 0, not 1.

0x00F = 15
0x010 = 16
0x01F = 31
0x020 = 32
0x032 = 50

Gandalf wrote:Ok, I got 32

0x032

User

Nope 32 is 0x020

If it's hard just fire up the calculator in windows. calc.exe

And in the view menu select Scientific, there is an easy conversion tool there.

0x05D myself

2000AD wrote:I got 50 in that test which i'm betting translates as comuter illeterate.

Raxmei wrote:In decimal the scoring is:
0-16 Computer illiterate
17-64 User
64-128 Operator
129-192 Nerd
193-256 Hacker
257-384 Guru
385-512 Wizard

So i'm a user instead? Score!

Durandal wrote:I guess only 1337 hax0rs can tolerate the dark green text on the black and green background.

dark green on black was common about 12-15 years ago. I once spent nearly
24 hours before one.

0x073..so pissed I'm not a nerd...

Faram wrote:

Gandalf wrote:Ok, I got 32

0x032

User

Nope 32 is 0x020

If it's hard just fire up the calculator in windows. calc.exe

And in the view menu select Scientific, there is an easy conversion tool there.

Thanks for that, thankfully I'm still a user.