How Smart Are These Kids?

<p>My child will be a freshman this year at Swarthmore. They were all told of their room assignment something like a week ago. Tonight he got an email or facebook thing telling him that someone figured out who everyone's roommate is and told him who his roommate was. He sat there with a huge smile on his face when he found out his roommate (he was already facebook friends with) and I told him how smart the kid must be who figured this out. We both realized that Swarthmore really does recruit the best and brightest (although my kid has trouble putting the socks in the hamper). I thought this was really cool that some kid somehow figured the whole roommate thing out. I feel so lucky my child is going there! I really am not looking for an answer, just wanted to share a fun story.</p>

<p>i’m happy that you found that parlor trick to be so impressive, let’s just hope that your son’s new roommate doesn’t lock your son out of the room while he’s in the shower.</p>

<p>Last year, freshmen-to-be on facebook managed to do that too, and there was an article on the Daily Gazette, the daily online newsletter, about it. I thought this year the administration made it so that people couldn’t “hack” into it this year, but I guess people found a way through it.</p>

<p>Not sure how he did it, I just thought it was pretty cool and didn’t realize it was a “parlor trick”. I thought it was just a fun story to share, nothing more.</p>

<p>Nobody hacked anything this time; students were given their room numbers and worked things out from there on Facebook, posting their assignments and in some cases creating groups for the various dorms. Just some friendly, cooperative information sharing.</p>

<p>I’m glad to hear that your son is happy with his roommate-to-be, CollegeDadX3.</p>

<p>Last years class did something similar. Although it was said that they “hacked” in, really they used the directions posted on ITS’s website on how to gain VPN (virtual private network) access to the college network. (totally legal) From there, they were able to match up the phone numbers that were posted on their MySwat page with the campus directory. The directory listed what phone numbers went with each dorm. Several students on Facebook shared the info and looked up information for other students who had trouble connecting via the VPN. Once they knew their dorm, they figured out their roommates. They were called the “Swat Hackers”, but really they only used the information that was posted and a little ingenuity.</p>

<p>[Freshman:</a> “Swat Hackers” :: The Daily Gazette](<a href=“http://daily.swarthmore.edu/2008/8/19/freshman-the-swat-hackers/]Freshman:”>http://daily.swarthmore.edu/2008/8/19/freshman-the-swat-hackers/)</p>

<p>Hacking does not mean being smart!! Just because I am good at soccer does not mean I am smart, or then Zidane would have been a very smart dude! It is rather talent that is wrongly defined in social terminology as smart. I truely believe smartness is very much the same as dedication. That hacker’s smartness, was his desire toward his gift, or rather intelligence, which was hacking. I do not mean to be offensive, but I find it impertinent or rather ludicrous of a Swarthmore fan to make fun of Swarthmore! Just felt like sharing.</p>

<p>CollegeDadx3 is referring to one of the Swarthmore '13 classmates who put together a database and allowed us to search for our roommates.
Indeed, we were already given our roommate assignments through our MySwarthmore accounts, but many people did not know who their roommate was and could not find them through Facebook. This particular classmate somehow found the entire directory, probably using the method which Swatmom explained, and was able to compile the information into a complete database, allowing those who did not know their roommate to type in their Swarthmore email and then find out who they would be rooming with.</p>

<p>Some may argue that you don’t need to be “smart” to hack, but he does have a knack for doing so. I guess a more correct word would be “talented” or “motivated”. One does have to be talented and motivated to be good at soccer at least, bluepurple.</p>

<p>collegedad, who is your son?
if i remember correctly, your son was accepted ED I, right?</p>

<p>hahhaha sure dandylion!</p>

<p>Yes he was and is really excited to start Swarthmore!</p>