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Path: utzoo!dciem!ntt
From: ntt@dciem.UUCP (Mark Brader)
Newsgroups: net.misc,net.nlang
Subject: Re: Changing meaning of term "hacker"
Message-ID: <374@dciem.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 14-Sep-83 10:48:24 EDT
Article-I.D.: dciem.374
Posted: Wed Sep 14 10:48:24 1983
Date-Received: Wed, 14-Sep-83 15:46:37 EDT
References: <2084@tekecs.UUCP>
Organization: NTT Systems Inc., Toronto, Canada
Lines: 18


David Levine complains about the use of "hacker" to refer to computer break-in
artists.  This usage was repeated in Newsweek's cover story on the topic a
couple of weeks ago, and the fact that I'm usually a rabid Newsweek fan
just makes it seem all the worse to me.

Incidentally, at the University of Waterloo, the term was "hack", not
"hacker".  One spoke of "UNIX hacks", "TSS hacks", and so on (naturally
the sets intersected).  This made sense to me because there are other
professions where one speaks of "hacks", being people who are too immersed
in the profession to have a, um, fully rounded world view.  (For instance,
politics and business.)  Are there other places where there are "hacks"
instead of "hackers"?  Are there places where both terms are used?
Followups to this paragraph to net.nlang only, not net.misc, please.
Or mail to me, as appropriate.

Mark Brader, NTT Systems Inc., Toronto, Canada
decvax!utzoo!dciem!ntt