Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83; site pucc-h
Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!floyd!harpo!ulysses!mhuxl!ihnp4!inuxc!pur-ee!CS-Mordred!Pucc-H:aeq
From: aeq@pucc-h (Jeff Sargent)
Newsgroups: net.followup,net.misc
Subject: Re: Definition Paper on HACKERS... HELP!!!
Message-ID: <628@pucc-h>
Date: Thu, 29-Mar-84 02:58:10 EST
Article-I.D.: pucc-h.628
Posted: Thu Mar 29 02:58:10 1984
Date-Received: Fri, 30-Mar-84 02:34:43 EST
References: <487@psuvm.UUCP>
Organization: Purdue University Computing Center
Lines: 26

I tried to send this by mail, but our Usenet gateway refused to cooperate
(take note, Purdue ECN):

Herewith my definition/discussion of "hacker", in the original sense(s):

A "hacker" is one who is intensely interested in finding out esoteric details
of a computer system -- not necessarily in order to crash it (often the things
such a person learns are actually practically useless), but just for the
sensation of power that comes from knowing things others don't.  Frequently,
the term carries a somewhat pejorative connotation; it suggests that the
person is so into the computer that he (it's almost always "he", not "she")
has no interest in, or time for, other humans.  (In fact, people may become
hackers because they are socially inept and/or they have poor self-images --
they can relate to computers better than to people, because computers never
deliberately hurt you.  As one who came via this route and who still has some
tinge of hackerdom about me, I know whereof I speak.)

It is worthy of note that hackers may actually make rather poor programmers --
though you won't convince THEM of that.  Perhaps one might rather say that
they may not fit in too well in a programming organization.  (I have known
one case where a hacker-type was hired as a programmer; he held that job
perhaps 2 years before his boss suggested he look for another job....)
-- 
-- Jeff Sargent
{allegra|ihnp4|decvax|harpo|seismo|ucbvax}!pur-ee!pucc-h:aeq
Have you hugged your junk mail today?