Newsweek says that Mitnick was fired from at least one computer-security job after his criminal background came to light. The way they tell the story, he was not dismissed for misbehavior (hacking) but for character (being a hacker) -- though I admit that I don't have the facts, and there may have been other things involved.
Taking the story on its face, we might conclude that Mitnick was and is being shunned -- something small, close-knit communities do to former initiates who break the most important rules -- or question the power structure.
Kevin Mitnick is not a criminal. He is a heretic.
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