

24 Year Old Hacks Way Into Harvard, Then Caught - nhangen
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/dec/17/student-conned-harvard-sorry

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chrisaycock
This isn't "hacking". He just lied on his application.

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nhangen
Oh I don't know, I tend to disagree. I think he found a way to get into a
college that he'd otherwise be unable to attend.

Did he go too far robbing other kids of scholarships because he lied? Perhaps,
but I don't think it's as black and white as "he lied."

Had he gone on to graduate, he'd be lauded as a hero.

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hkr
> I think he found a way to get into a college that he'd otherwise be unable
> to attend.

So, theft is technically "hacking" if you are unable to make a given amount of
money?

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nhangen
Title says hacked way into Harvard, not hacked way to scholarships. Then
again, it's not theft, it's fraud.

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nhangen
Are you implying that lying to get into Harvard is the same as stealing a car?

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maxharris
Yes, in the context that both are crimes, with demonstrable harm done to
others. Fraudlently filing an application devalues the degree for other people
that went to Harvard, and stealing a car deprives the rightful owner of his
property.

Incidentally, both crimes also hurt the perpetrator - had he graduated from
Harvard, he'd always have the fear of being discovered as a fraud. Someone who
steals a car has the same fear of being caught, and the same web of lies to
friends and acquaintances to explain how they got the (stolen) goods.

Obviously they are not the exact same crime; there are many particulars that
differ. So it is appropriate to punish each case with different sentences. But
the essentials outlined above are the same, and from that we may conclude that
neither is less criminal in nature than the other - they only differ (perhaps)
in severity.

