Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!ames!oliveb!sun!sordid!mms
From: mms@sordid.Sun.COM (Michael Silverstein)
Newsgroups: comp.binaries.ibm.pc.d
Subject: Hackers, origin of term
Summary: originally a derisive
Keywords: hacker
Message-ID: <98299@sun.Eng.Sun.COM>
Date: 10 Apr 89 22:21:03 GMT
References: <2115NU113738@NDSUVM1>
Sender: news@sun.Eng.Sun.COM
Reply-To: mms@sun.UUCP (Michael Silverstein)
Organization: Sun Microsystems, Mountain View
Lines: 23

In article <2115NU113738@NDSUVM1> NU113738@NDSUVM1.BITNET writes:
*> 
*> Anyone, correct me if I'm wrong, but the term "hacker" was actually conned
*> by the original group of students at MIT who where the first to be
*> exposed to computers.  They used to "hack" as they called it, programs ...
*> Jeff Bakke

At the cost of admitting how long ago I was an undergraduate, I can
recall that in the 50's "hacker" was a widely used term of derision.
It applied to students who worked very hard, but showed little insight,
imagination, or elegance.

As round-the-clock bouts in the basements of computer labs replaced
other activities, "hacker" became one of the missiles of choice in
the verbal food fights which invariably occured. The popular media,
hearing it applied so often by students to one another, assumed it
was a sign of respect, homage, etc., which is by now probably an
irreversible misconception.

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