On Wed, 16 Mar 2005, Jonathan Hutchins wrote:
On Wednesday 16 March 2005 03:02 pm, D. Hageman wrote:
On a side note - we pretty much have to accept the general media distorting the term hacker has modified the definition to the point that it has a new meaning that may not be a good one.
Nonsense. "Hacking" was inclusive of cracking until some self-righteous hackers decided they wanted to set themselves above and apart from those nasty "crackers", so they tried to patch the language by insisting their definition was correct. Never works. Language is what people mean, not what they're supposed to mean.
I understand what you are saying and indeed I would agree. The issue is intent. If you are playing a practical joke on someone - it is a hack. If you are malicious then you are cracker.
The meaning of a word or phrase in a language is what is understood. I am sure you have never gotten into trouble by someone misunderstanding what you were saying. ;-) The road to hell is paved with good intentions? I forget how the old adage goes . . .
On another side note - If a person calls themselves a hacker - they aren't a hacker.
Sure they are. The're someone who hacks stuff. Just as a writer can call themselves a hack. It may have a connotation of elite coolness to you, but that's just you.
Like I said before, the term and concept pre-date computers. I'm a hardware hacker, I can hack code if I have to, I have friends who have hacked other kinds of systems. True hacking is in the mind of the hacker.
The writer usually calls themselves a hack because in that connotation is means something else. It usually means they are a horrible writer. I may repair my own vehicles, but I won't call myself a mechanic. I may write some, but I won't call myself a writer. I only call myself a programmer since I have been paid to do this task for many years.
You are correct that the term pre-dates computers. It used to be a good hack was a good practical joke. As I stated before ... languages evolve. If they didn't - words and definitions wouldn't be added to the dictionary every year. ;-)
You know what happens if you don't evolve right? Wait ... n/m that is a debate for another day. :-)
//========================================================\ || D. Hageman [email protected] || \========================================================//