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From: g7ahn@cc.imperial.ac.UK (The Necromancer)
Newsgroups: alt.hackers
Subject: Meaning of "hacker"
Message-ID: <6766.9005282225@sund.cc.ic.ac.uk>
Date: 28 May 90 22:20:10 GMT
Sender: nobody@rutgers.rutgers.edu
Organization: Imperial College Hackers Society, London, UK
Lines: 66
Approved: nobody@rutgers.rutgers.edu

There is a discussion going on in
alt.security about what "hacker" means and what doesn't. An example
message (one of the best) follows. Have fun!


>From: michael@xanadu.com (Michael McClary)
Newsgroups: alt.security,news.sysadmin
Subject: Re: A survey about hacking
Message-ID: <1990May28.121735.23840@xanadu.com>
Date: 28 May 90 12:17:35 GMT
Organization: Xanadu Operating Company, Palo Alto, CA
Lines: 53

To the many comments likely to arise from the "survey about hacking" post,
I will add mine:

Regardless of what half-informed media hacks would have you believe...

 - A "(computer) hacker" is a gifted programmer, capable of substituting
   skill and persistence for quality software tools.  Calling someone
   a "hacker" is a compliment.

 - A "(computer) cracker" is a person who defeats system security measures,
   for whatever reason.  Some cracking is done for legitimate reasons, such
   as testing system security or honing programming skills.  Much more is
   done to obtain unauthorized access.  Therefore calling someone a "cracker"
   is usually not a compliment.

 - A "(computer) vandal" is a person who uses his computer access, however
   obtained, to damage other people's data, programs, or computer access.
   Calling someone a "vandal" is normally an insult.
   
 - A "(computer/software/data) pirate" is a person who obtains improper
   financial reward for someone else's data or programs, regardless of how
   he obtained them.  Calling someone a "pirate" is normally an insult.

The author(s) of nearly any operating system, compiler, or major system
tool you can name is a "hacker".

The author of a software virus is both a "hacker" and a "vandal".

Someone who sells illegitimate copies of proprietary software is a
"pirate".  If he himself defeated a copy-protection system to do this,
he is also a "hacker".

A system-security-breaking KGB spy is a "cracker", probably a "hacker",
and (if paid for his work) a "pirate" as well.

Saying "hacker" when you mean "cracker", "vandal" or "pirate" is like saying
"cowboy" when you mean "cattle rustler".  Just as nearly all cattle rustlers
are cowboys but few cowboys are cattle rustlers, nearly all crackers are
hackers but few hackers are crackers.

Here at Xanadu Operating Company we have odd job titles.  Most of us have
chosen our own, but one of us was >awarded< his.  A more mundane corporation
would probably have called him "System Architect", but here he is the
"Hacker".

This means the rest of us have voluntarily refrained from using the word
"hacker" in our own job titles.  I trust everyone who either already knew
the meaning of "hacker" or knew the sort of people collected to work on
this project will understand the singular honor we have bestowed.

=	=	=	=	=	=	=	=	=	=
And before you ask:  My title is "Systems Rationalizer"
=	=	=	=	=	=	=	=	=	=