Date: Mon, 11 Sep 2000 18:24:52 -0400 From: The Classiest Man Alive <ksmm@threespace.com> To: FreeBSD Chat <chat@freebsd.org> Subject: Fwd: A.Word.A.Day--hacker Message-ID: <4.3.2.7.2.20000911182359.00cb24d0@mail.threespace.com>
next in thread | raw e-mail | index | archive | help
Glad to see that somebody is finally trying to get it right. >Date: Mon, 11 Sep 2000 00:03:42 -0400 >From: Wordsmith <wsmith@wordsmith.org> >To: linguaphile@wordsmith.org >Subject: A.Word.A.Day--hacker >X-RCPT-TO: <ksmm@threespace.com> > >hacker (HACK-uhr) noun > > 1. A person who enjoys exploring the details of programmable systems > and how to stretch their capabilities, as opposed to most users, who > prefer to learn only the minimum necessary. > > 2. One who programs enthusiastically (even obsessively) or who enjoys > programming rather than just theorizing about programming. > > 3. A person capable of appreciating hack value. > > 4. A person who is good at programming quickly. > > 5. An expert at a particular program, or one who frequently does work > using it or on it; as in `a Unix hacker'. > (Definitions 1 through 5 are correlated, and people who fit them > congregate.) > > 6. An expert or enthusiast of any kind. One might be an astronomy > hacker, for example. > > 7. One who enjoys the intellectual challenge of creatively overcoming > or circumventing limitations. > > 8. [deprecated] A malicious meddler who tries to discover sensitive > information by poking around. Hence `password hacker', `network > hacker'. The correct term for this sense is cracker. > >[Originally, someone who makes furniture with an axe.] > > "When Emmanuel Goldstein, who runs a hacker magazine called 2600, posted > Johanssen's software on a website, eight media companies (including Time > Warner, parent company of TIME) sued Goldstein ...." > Lev Grossman, Digital Divisiveness, Time, Aug 28, 2000. > >With the growing popularity of computers, the spread of the Internet and Web, >and the success of Linux, terms from hacker jargon are increasingly going >mainstream, though not always in the correct perspective. > >The New Hacker's Dictionary is a fascinating compendium of words from the >worlds of computing, computer networks, and the people who inhabit them. >Last week's citation of Murphy's Law brought enthusiastic responses with >requests for more examples from this book which is available at >http://www.fwi.uva.nl/~mes/jargon . > >This week we have terms from this lexicon that give us glimpses of the hacker >culture. Enjoy this geek-week and remember - hackers, though often maligned, >are good guys, they are not crackers. -Anu > >............................................................................. >It is not enough to have a good mind. The main thing is to use it well. -Rene >Descartes, "Le Discours de la Methode," 1637 > >Send your comments about words to anu@wordsmith.org. To subscribe or >unsubscribe A.Word.A.Day, send a message to wsmith@wordsmith.org with >"Subject:" line as "subscribe <Your Name>" or "unsubscribe". Archives, >FAQ, gift subscription form, and more at: http://wordsmith.org/awad/ > >Pronunciation: >http://wordsmith.org/words/hacker.wav >http://wordsmith.org/words/hacker.ram To Unsubscribe: send mail to majordomo@FreeBSD.org with "unsubscribe freebsd-chat" in the body of the message
Want to link to this message? Use this URL: <https://mail-archive.FreeBSD.org/cgi/mid.cgi?4.3.2.7.2.20000911182359.00cb24d0>