Thesis Statement help on Computer Hackers

i dont know how to word my thesis statement for my college writing class that im taking in high school. was wondering if i ould get some help. Im doing it on computer hackers. i want to show basically that hackers aren't criminals but just regular people who are interested in computers. i have 3000 words to do on it and also i basically want to be able to do a who what where when why and how style paper. any help would be great

Greetings!

It's true that a strong thesis is important. All you really need to do is take what you said in your post and make it a bit more formal. For example: "The image many people have of computer hackers as evil criminals out to destroy the world does not gibe with reality. The truth is that most hackers are just ordinary people with a real love of computers and perhaps a bit too much time on their hands."

The "who, what where, when and why" will probably become evident as you do your research. Begin by gathering as much information as you can on the subject. Use books, scholarly journals, magazine articles, even newspaper articles. Even if you are not allowed to cite magazines and newspapers and other nonscholarly sources (which will depend on your instructor), they can be invaluable for learning about your subject and get you pointed in the right direction.

I hope this helps!

Thanks,

Sarah, EssayForum.com

so would this be a strong thesis statement that would tell you what my paper is about? sorry im just not very good at thesis statements.

Hackers are characterized by what they know, what they do, and by the media. Most Americans are scared of hackers because they don't know what a hacker really is.

Greetings!

Here are a couple of things to remember when writing your thesis statement:

In formal writing, don't use contractions (like I just did ;-)) say "do not").

Remember that your thesis statement is essentially taking a position which the rest of your paper will then support. You might therefore want something a little more persuasive than "Americans are scared of hackers." Is your point that, if they understood hackers better, people would not feel afraid of them? Is the problem with the term "hacker"--perhaps because it is a broad term that includes people who would never commit a crime? Shouldn't people fear the type of hacker who would steal their identity or money out of bank accounts? If your point is that a "hacker" is not always a thief or virus creator, be sure your thesis includes the idea that the term is more all-inclusive than that.

The first sentence of your thesis statement is too vague to really contribute much. Compare that to the one I wrote, which is more specific. (You're free to use any part of mine you find helpful.) Also, when you start out with "what they know, what they do, and..." you must finish with "what they _______"; don't switch to a different type of phrase like "by the media."

I hope this helps!

Thanks,

Sarah, EssayForum.com