What is a hacker?
Alex McLean
Hi,
I'm wondering about what makes a hacker a hacker. Any opinions on the
following ideas?
Some people say that people who are anything to do with breaking into
computers and network exploration aren't hackers, but 'crackers'. - WRONG
- many of the original hackers at MIT were into lock picking and/or phone
phreaking.
Some say that 'hacker' is another word for 'experienced programmer'. -
WRONG - You can find experienced programmers in MicroSoft, but you won't
find any self-respecting hackers. The same goes for the 'computer
enthusiast' label - most enthusiasts aren't hackers either.
Some people say that any 'old' meaning for hacker has drifted into disuse,
and that 'hacker' now means 'computer criminal'. - WRONG - FreeBSD, Linux,
and much other *extremely* useful freeware is written by hackers. They
are not criminals - in fact, they contribute a lot to society.
So what makes the meaning of 'hacker' so difficult to pin down? It's
because hacking is not a hobby, like hang gliding or stamp collecting.
Hacking is a culture.
There are plenty of cultural elements amongst hackers:
Heroes: Loads of wierd people
Language: Hackerspeak. Get the 'hackers dictionary' from
ftp://src.doc.ic.ac.uk/gnu/jarg*
History: Very rich history, read Levy's 'Hackers', available from a
bookshop near you
Humour: Hackerly pranks, stories and jokes are unlike any other
Food: Chinese and junk food
Drugs: Caffiene mainly
Ethics: Strongly abided by but largely unwritten. Basically don't be
destructive, keep information free (including your own work) and don't buy
microsoft.
Music: Pretty wide-ranging, but mostly various shades of techno.
Interests: Programming, security, new technology, networks, etc
Home ground: The Internet, phones, and other networks
So if someone implies that all hackers are criminals, then they're not
only being niave, but also racist.. And if you're into network exploring,
and someone tells you that you're not a hacker, tell them to read up on
hackerly history.
Alex
--
I think I have been brainwashed.
http://area51.upsu.plym.ac.uk/~alex/
Taylor S. Harrell - Personal Account
In article <713490...@forestbk.demon.co.uk>,
Alex McLean <al...@area51.upsu.plym.ac.uk> wrote:
>Hi,
>
>I'm wondering about what makes a hacker a hacker. Any opinions on the
>following ideas?
>
What makes a hacker a hacker is the willingness to create programs.
Not just ordinary programs that anyone can do. The programs must
be creative. There has to be a drive to create. Its not something that
that can be taught. Its something that has to be lived. Its not
something anyone can claim because they want to be considered
a hacker, they actually have to create programs. It is
built into yourself from birth.You can't just wake
up one day and say "I think I want to be a hacker".
Always create programs, never stop. Never.
JamesP
Alex McLean <al...@forestbk.demon.co.uk> wrote:
>Hi,
>I'm wondering about what makes a hacker a hacker. Any opinions on the
>following ideas?
Yep, lots
>Some people say that people who are anything to do with breaking into
>computers and network exploration aren't hackers, but 'crackers'. - WRONG
No, right.
>- many of the original hackers at MIT were into lock picking and/or phone
>phreaking.
Well yes, but most of those non-computer-related hacking interests
were either just for the hell of it, or to gain skills/information
that no-one else you knew had, or to save on money (phreaking). None
of them thought "I know, I'll learn lock picking/phreaking/etc, so I
can rip off people an' make lots of money...". All of these interests
were about gaining new inforamtion or skills, and learning the
intricacies of the systems we use, (ie old-style hacking), except
that in this case the systems were locks or phones, not computer
systems.
>Some say that 'hacker' is another word for 'experienced programmer'. -
>WRONG - You can find experienced programmers in MicroSoft, but you won't
>find any self-respecting hackers. The same goes for the 'computer
>enthusiast' label - most enthusiasts aren't hackers either.
True - it would be more correct to say that hackers are a subset of
experienced programmers. However, not all hackers use computers
exclusively for their hacks (read the majority of ObHacks on
alt.hackers), so even the above definition is not totally correct.
The nearest I can find to a definition of "proper" hacking (ie not
cracking) is something like "the appropriate application of
ingenuity", so a hacker would be one who "appropriately applies
ingenuity" to any system, including the one we call everyday life
(hence the use of "a great hack" to also mean a cool practical joke, a
la MIT).
>Some people say that any 'old' meaning for hacker has drifted into disuse,
>and that 'hacker' now means 'computer criminal'. - WRONG -
Yes, it is wrong. "Hacker" used in a derogatory sense is only used by
media (stereotyping the "dark-side hacker" (read malignant cracker))
and people who want to appear to be technically knowledgeable whilst
not being so.
> FreeBSD, Linux,
>and much other *extremely* useful freeware is written by hackers. They
>are not criminals - in fact, they contribute a lot to society.
More than most. (Flame-retardant clothing on) in his early years Bill
Gates/Steve Jobs would have probably qualified for being called a
hacker, since the first home-made computer probably counts as the
greatest hack of all time (but now they should probably be classed as
siuts). BTW, I am *no* Bill G fan.
>So what makes the meaning of 'hacker' so difficult to pin down? It's
>because hacking is not a hobby, like hang gliding or stamp collecting.
>Hacking is a culture.
Right on. Hacking is not an activity, it's a state of mind. If you
are inquisitive, have the urge to learn new things and enjoy solving
problems just for the hell of it, you are a hacker (almost even if you
never actually *do* any of it)...
>There are plenty of cultural elements amongst hackers:
>Heroes: Loads of wierd people
>Language: Hackerspeak. Get the 'hackers dictionary' from
> ftp://src.doc.ic.ac.uk/gnu/jarg*
>History: Very rich history, read Levy's 'Hackers', available from a
> bookshop near you
>Humour: Hackerly pranks, stories and jokes are unlike any other
>Food: Chinese and junk food
>Drugs: Caffiene mainly
>Ethics: Strongly abided by but largely unwritten. Basically don't be
>destructive, keep information free (including your own work) and don't buy
>microsoft.
>Music: Pretty wide-ranging, but mostly various shades of techno.
Also thrash metal, rock, etc.
>Interests: Programming, security, new technology, networks, etc
And just knowing stuff that no-one else you know does.
>Home ground: The Internet, phones, and other networks
Anything with a microchip in it, though you find hackers pretty much
everywhere (see above).
>So if someone implies that all hackers are criminals, then they're not
>only being niave, but also racist..
Good point.
> And if you're into network exploring,
>and someone tells you that you're not a hacker, tell them to read up on
>hackerly history.
As long as you fulfill the qualifications above....
>Alex
>--
>I think I have been brainwashed.
>http://area51.upsu.plym.ac.uk/~alex/
JamesP
Hans Paaimans
In article <4sm8ea$g...@news.enterprise.net> oys...@enterprise.net (JamesP) writes:
...
>More than most. (Flame-retardant clothing on) in his early years Bill
>Gates/Steve Jobs would have probably qualified for being called a
>hacker, since the first home-made computer probably counts as the
>greatest hack of all time (but now they should probably be classed as
>siuts). BTW, I am *no* Bill G fan.
...
Ye Gods! Do I read what I think I read? Bill Gates as the inventor of
the first home-made computer? Please tell me that I misinterpreted
this!
Paai.
--
Hans Paijmans
KUB-University Tilburg, the Netherlands (+31) (0)13-4662693
Home: Elzenstraat 1, 5581 VS Waalre, the Netherlands (+31) (0)40-2213128
http://pi0959.kub.nl:2080/paai.html
Alex McLean
In article: <4sm8ea$g...@news.enterprise.net> oys...@enterprise.net (JamesP) writes:
> Alex McLean <al...@forestbk.demon.co.uk> wrote:
> >I'm wondering about what makes a hacker a hacker. Any opinions on the
> >following ideas?
>
> Yep, lots
Yay! At last..
> >Some people say that people who are anything to do with breaking into
> >computers and network exploration aren't hackers, but 'crackers'. - WRONG
> No, right.
It's true that the act of breaking into computers is cracking, which is what I
think are saying, but that act doesn't mean that you're not a hacker. This
assertion is false imho, just a backlash against the media backlash
against hackers. There's no group of people that I know of who refer to
themselves as 'crackers' either.
> >- many of the original hackers at MIT were into lock picking and/or phone
> >phreaking.
>
> Well yes, but most of those non-computer-related hacking interests
> were either just for the hell of it, or to gain skills/information
> that no-one else you knew had, or to save on money (phreaking).
Phreakers always say that they don't do what they do to save money, they do
it to explore and learn. This is a very hackerly state of mind - they're
doing it for the same reasons as the MIT hacker-phreakers did.
> None
> of them thought "I know, I'll learn lock picking/phreaking/etc, so I
> can rip off people an' make lots of money...". All of these interests
> were about gaining new inforamtion or skills, and learning the
> intricacies of the systems we use, (ie old-style hacking), except
> that in this case the systems were locks or phones, not computer
> systems.
Exactly, and phreaking is done for these same reasons same reasons today.
> True - it would be more correct to say that hackers are a subset of
> experienced programmers. However, not all hackers use computers
> exclusively for their hacks (read the majority of ObHacks on
> alt.hackers), so even the above definition is not totally correct.
Yup!
> The nearest I can find to a definition of "proper" hacking (ie not
> cracking) ..
Well I believe there are some pretty ingenious 'crackers' about,
who don't cause any harm to anyone. Many hackers need to know about
security.
> > FreeBSD, Linux,
> >and much other *extremely* useful freeware is written by hackers. They
> >are not criminals - in fact, they contribute a lot to society.
>
> More than most. (Flame-retardant clothing on) in his early years Bill
> Gates/Steve Jobs would have probably qualified for being called a
> hacker, since the first home-made computer probably counts as the
> greatest hack of all time (but now they should probably be classed as
> siuts). BTW, I am *no* Bill G fan.
Bill Gates contributed very little in those days. Then, all software was
free - people gave away source code so that it could be improved by
others. Gates came along, wrote a buggy version of basic for the altair,
and got very angry when people gave their debugged version away for free.
This changed the whole tone of the industry. Bill Gates is a poor
programmer, and is definately not a hacker. He's a managing director.
> Right on. Hacking is not an activity, it's a state of mind.
Yep! You can't define hackers in terms of what they do, they're just a
group of like minded people with their own culture and ethics.
> >There are plenty of cultural elements amongst hackers:
[snip]
> >Music: Pretty wide-ranging, but mostly various shades of techno.
>
> Also thrash metal, rock, etc.
Yeah, maybe that 'mostly various shades of techno' bit was wrong.
> >Interests: Programming, security, new technology, networks, etc
>
> And just knowing stuff that no-one else you know does.
Sounds pretty accurate to me :)
> >Home ground: The Internet, phones, and other networks
>
> Anything with a microchip in it, though you find hackers pretty much
> everywhere (see above).
Yep, apparently there *are* one or two at Micro$oft, although Gates isn't
one of them. He's a geek, not a hacker -- there is a difference!
Sean Stuart
On 19 Jul 1996 10:32:43 GMT, pa...@kub.nl (Hans Paaimans) wrote:
->In article <4sm8ea$g...@news.enterprise.net> oys...@enterprise.net (JamesP) writes:
->
->...
->
->>More than most. (Flame-retardant clothing on) in his early years Bill
->>Gates/Steve Jobs would have probably qualified for being called a
->>hacker, since the first home-made computer probably counts as the
->>greatest hack of all time (but now they should probably be classed as
->>siuts). BTW, I am *no* Bill G fan.
->
->...
->
->Ye Gods! Do I read what I think I read? Bill Gates as the inventor of
->the first home-made computer? Please tell me that I misinterpreted
->this!
->
->
->
->
->
->Paai.
->
->
->--
->Hans Paijmans
->KUB-University Tilburg, the Netherlands (+31) (0)13-4662693
->Home: Elzenstraat 1, 5581 VS Waalre, the Netherlands (+31) (0)40-2213128
->http://pi0959.kub.nl:2080/paai.html
Actually, neither one would really count as a hacker, being as Bill
Gates merely bought and recompiled a cheap version of CP/M to create DOS 1.0
and Steve Jobs was more into the marketing of the Apple I. The person who
actually built the Apple was Steve Wozniak (sp?), and he still counts as a
hacker in my opinion. After all, how many other people do you see fired from
the company they started?
Just my $.02
Sean Stuart
Hans Paaimans
In article <31f0cf12...@library.airnews.net> Se...@HiWAAY.net writes:
>On 19 Jul 1996 10:32:43 GMT, pa...@kub.nl (Hans Paaimans) wrote:
>->In article <4sm8ea$g...@news.enterprise.net> oys...@enterprise.net (JamesP) writes:
>->
>->...
>->
>->>Gates/Steve Jobs would have probably qualified for being called a
>->>hacker, since the first home-made computer probably counts as the
>->>greatest hack of all time (but now they should probably be classed as
>->>siuts). BTW, I am *no* Bill G fan.
...
> Actually, neither one would really count as a hacker, being as Bill
>Gates merely bought and recompiled a cheap version of CP/M to create DOS 1.0
And then he spawned a corrupted version of Unix (from MS-DOS 2.0
onwards). But actually I was horrified by the fact that a contributor
to alt.hackers (of all groups!) seemed to think that Bill Gates
invented the Personal Computer. So I asked around a bit and to my
distress found that many people, if they know the name 'Bill Gates' at
all, they think that he indeed was the actual inventor of the concept
of personal computing.
Talk about the integrity of history.
Paai
--
Hans Paijmans
KUB-University Tilburg, the Netherlands (+31) (0)13-4662693
Home: Elzenstraat 1, 5581 VS Waalre, the Netherlands (+31) (0)40-2213128
Shaun Tancheff
oys...@enterprise.net (JamesP) wrote:
>Alex McLean <al...@forestbk.demon.co.uk> wrote:
{lots of good stuff snipped}
>> FreeBSD, Linux,
>>and much other *extremely* useful freeware is written by hackers. They
>>are not criminals - in fact, they contribute a lot to society.
>More than most. (Flame-retardant clothing on) in his early years Bill
>Gates/Steve Jobs would have probably qualified for being called a
>hacker, since the first home-made computer probably counts as the
>greatest hack of all time (but now they should probably be classed as
>siuts). BTW, I am *no* Bill G fan.
Sorry, but i gotta clear the air here ...
The Altair was the first 'home brew' computer which started the
'home brew' compunter club, from which spring the too shy Wozniak
who was taken under the wing of Steve Jobs ... the hack steve jobs
had was of getting the venture captital to start Apple, Woz did
all the technical wizardry to prove the worth of the apple, Mr. Bill
has *no* claim to fame other that being as asshole, and the owner of
most pirated BASIC interpreter [in history?]. Bill is nothing like
or close to a hacker -- Mr Bill has always been in it for the $$$$.
Every bit of code, and business/lawyering that Bill has done has
been dedicated to the bottom line.
{more cutting, but i had to second this!}
>>Music: Pretty wide-ranging, but mostly various shades of techno.
>Also thrash metal, rock, etc.
A definate second!
{ and yet more cutting, sorry :( - read the original :) }
JamesP
se...@hiwaay.net (Sean Stuart) wrote:
>On 19 Jul 1996 10:32:43 GMT, pa...@kub.nl (Hans Paaimans) wrote:
>->In article <4sm8ea$g...@news.enterprise.net> oys...@enterprise.net (JamesP) writes:
>->
>->...
>->
>->>More than most. (Flame-retardant clothing on) in his early years Bill
>->>Gates/Steve Jobs would have probably qualified for being called a
>->>hacker, since the first home-made computer probably counts as the
>->>greatest hack of all time (but now they should probably be classed as
>->>siuts). BTW, I am *no* Bill G fan.
>->
>->...
>->
>->Ye Gods! Do I read what I think I read? Bill Gates as the inventor of
>->the first home-made computer? Please tell me that I misinterpreted
>->this!
>->
>->Paai.
Sorry, I got my history a bit confused there.....
You're all right, of course, and I feel a complete dickhead for
writing such crap (can I plead temporary insanity?).
JamesP
wo...@msfc.masa.gov
>Sorry, I got my history a bit confused there.....
>
>You're all right, of course, and I feel a complete dickhead for
>writing such crap (can I plead temporary insanity?).
If you truly feel you must...
>
>JamesP