Nethack not Net-Hack-ing
Magnus Olsson
sh...@wam.umd.edu (Chris) writes:
>
> Is it possible that the name Nethack be change to something less
>questionable. I loaded the file into my directory on the system
>and my boss nearly had a fit. A user noticed me editing a file
>named nethack and was sure someone was breaking into the system
>and of course contacted the system administrator. He believed me
>when I stated it was just a game, but he was very worried that such
>a program would contain viruses. Needless to say he had me remove the
>files from the system. There will be no Nethack 3.1 for me. :(
Ghod, how clueless can people get? (I don't mean you, Chris, but the
other user and possibly your sysadmin, too).
It seems like the disinformation campaign ("Hacking" == "criminal
activity") by the media has poisoned peoples' minds to the extent that
everything containing the word "hack" is suspect. I suppose that soon
technicians won't be able to use hacksaws inside the computer rooms...
Furrfu.
Anyway, you could try renaming your copy of the game. Just renaming
the executable isn't enough, since it assumes some support files have
names starting with "nethack". If you can't get the sources and
recompile, you could always edit the binaries with a binary editor,
changing all occurences of the string "nethack" to, say, "foo_bar",
and then rename the files as well.
But, seriously speaking, if your sysadmin is concerned about viruses
in games, do you really think a renaming would help? Of course, with
another name, the game would be less conspicous, and maybe you could
hide it.
I suppose all organizations with multi-user systems have gone through
periods of "renaming wars", when the users try to hide a popular game
by giving it innocous-sounding names, and the operators do their best
to hunt them down. This brings the "rat penis data" story from "The
New Hacker's Dictionary" to mind...
And, to the dev team: IMAO, the name "hack" is a Sacred Institution of
hackerdom. Changing the name of the game to something more Politically
Correct would be nothing less than sacrilege. ;-)
Magnus Olsson | \e+ /_
Department of Theoretical Physics | \ Z / q
University of Lund, Sweden | >----<
mag...@thep.lu.se, the...@seldc52.bitnet | / \===== g
PGP key available via finger or on request | /e- \q
Andrew Bulhak
: Ghod, how clueless can people get? (I don't mean you, Chris, but the
: other user and possibly your sysadmin, too).
: It seems like the disinformation campaign ("Hacking" == "criminal
: activity") by the media has poisoned peoples' minds to the extent that
: everything containing the word "hack" is suspect. I suppose that soon
: technicians won't be able to use hacksaws inside the computer rooms...
: Furrfu.
Wouldn't it be nice if the word "hack" had it's original MIT meaning.
But, alas, that is not the way of the world. In the Real World, saying
"I'm a hacker and I am not a criminal" is like saying "I'm heterosexual
and I'm gay." It would have worked some years ago, but these days
you'll raise eyebrows at best and have FBI men pointing guns at your
head at worst.
(Note to the politically
correct^H^H^H^H^H^H^H^H^H^H^H^H^H^H^H^H^H^H^Hculturally sensitive: No
offence or homophobia intended in paragraph above, the example is merely
illustrative. Flames to /dev/null, please.)
Well, life's a bitch and it's in heat, as someone said. I think that the
word "Hacker" is lost. Once you take off your rose-coloured glasses, you
will find that changing the public opinion is like holding back an
avalanche with your bare hands. We need a new word, clean of negative
connotations, to replace "hack". Anyone have any ideas?
-acb
+---------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| Andrew Bulhak | "How do you know |
| sl...@yoyo.cc.monash.edu.au | that carrots don't scream |
| Monash Uni, Clayton, | when you pull them out of the ground?" |
| Victoria, Australia | |
+---------------------------------------------------------------------------+
James Kibo Parry
> We need a new word, clean of negative
>connotations, to replace "hack".
I humbly suggest "kiboze".
-- K.
Howard Berkey
Yes, but you can't spell "shack" like 'skiboze'.
--
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Howard Berkey how...@netcom.com
Tingler...Reactivated
... .. ... ... .. ... ... .. ... ... .. ... ... .. ... ... .. ...
Antony Cooper
> I think that the
>word "Hacker" is lost. Once you take off your rose-coloured glasses, you
>will find that changing the public opinion is like holding back an
>avalanche with your bare hands. We need a new word, clean of negative
>connotations, to replace "hack". Anyone have any ideas?
What about "unpx" and "unpxre"? OK, I know that they border on being
unpronouncable, but at least they retain the word "hack" and "hacker",
in a form that non-hackers would not pick up. I would guess that one
could pronounce them as "unpix" and "unpixer" (as in "metre"/"meter").
In case you are wondering at how I came up with these gems, try looking
at them through rot13-coloured glasses.
Antony
--
Antony Cooper | Voice: +27 12 841 4121
aco...@nuustak.csir.co.za | Fax: +27 12 841 3037
INFOTEK, CSIR, Box 395, Pretoria, 0001, South Africa | ICBM: 25 45S 28 16E
Lars R{der Clausen
[...]
>Well, life's a bitch and it's in heat, as someone said. I think that the
>word "Hacker" is lost. Once you take off your rose-coloured glasses, you
>will find that changing the public opinion is like holding back an
>avalanche with your bare hands. We need a new word, clean of negative
>connotations, to replace "hack". Anyone have any ideas?
Thou infidel! Are you trying to make us something else that what we are???
You cannot seriously mean that. IMNSHO, giving in to the public meaning of
the glorious word 'hack' would mean the end of hackerdom (and not only the
word...) It would mean that Real Life (tm) is more important that what we
make ourselves? Is that what we've been trained to allow to happen? Is that
the only reward for those all-night hacking sessions, the bleary eyes, the
unnumbered cups of coffee, the sadness of the core dump, then woe be us!
THIS MUST NOT HAPPEN!
If this threatening behaviour continues, we must form The Users Front For
Preservation Of Hackerdom (As It is, Or Even Better, As It Was When I
Was A Real Hacker) (for short, TUFFPOH(AII,OEBAIWWIWARH))
I think I want to shoot something. Where's my Xpilot client?
Yours, Lars Clausen
--
The most dreaded comment:
This only works because...
bay...@nebula.ssd.lmsc.lockheed.com
>Well, life's a bitch and it's in heat, as someone said. I think that the
>word "Hacker" is lost. Once you take off your rose-coloured glasses, you
>will find that changing the public opinion is like holding back an
>avalanche with your bare hands. We need a new word, clean of negative
>connotations, to replace "hack". Anyone have any ideas?
Howabout Wizard? or Alchemist? I know the latter could be misleading
for a while, but it's got the right feel for the environment the
hackers work in. ;-)
Lennart Regebro
>>avalanche with your bare hands. We need a new word, clean of negative
>>connotations, to replace "hack". Anyone have any ideas?
>
>What about "unpx" and "unpxre"? OK, I know that they border on being
>unpronouncable, but at least they retain the word "hack" and "hacker",
>in a form that non-hackers would not pick up. I would guess that one
>could pronounce them as "unpix" and "unpixer" (as in "metre"/"meter").
Nah. That would make hackers 'un-pixers' wich can't do. But just 'pixer' would
be ok.
"Hi I'm a pxr! I px!" :-)
--
Lennart Regebro reg...@stacken.kth.se
Stacken Computer Club +46-8 649 18 51
Don`t call before calculating my local time, please. This is GMT +1.
Peter Gutmann
...thus making hackers kibozos?
Peter.
Eric S. Raymond
>Well, life's a bitch and it's in heat, as someone said. I think that the
>word "Hacker" is lost. Once you take off your rose-coloured glasses, you
>will find that changing the public opinion is like holding back an
>avalanche with your bare hands. We need a new word, clean of negative
>connotations, to replace "hack". Anyone have any ideas?
Wrong, punched-card-breath! :-)
When the Newsweek leader on Sterling's _The_Hacker_Crackdown_ starts "`Hacker'
used to be a pretty good word until the media got hold of it.", there is still
hope for the forces of light.
Why do you think I published TNHD, anyhow? We can still win this battle ---
and the frequency with which the true meaning of `hacker' is made a point of
in the reviews I get sent every month suggests that we may indeed be winning.
--
Eric S. Raymond <e...@snark.thyrsus.com>
Matthew Curtin
> Well, life's a bitch and it's in heat, as someone said. I think that the
> word "Hacker" is lost. Once you take off your rose-coloured glasses, you
> will find that changing the public opinion is like holding back an
> avalanche with your bare hands. We need a new word, clean of negative
> connotations, to replace "hack". Anyone have any ideas?
I've been hearing "guru" become the standard substandard replacement for
those whose ears have been tarnished by the computer illiterate media. (Is
it just me, or do they seem out to ruin everything?):
__________________________________________________________________________
| C. Matthew Curtin ! "But I am the enlightened one, they are |
| P.O. Box 27081 ! but mere sheep, following each other in |
| Columbus, OH 43227-0081 ! the name of compatibility." -B. Heineman |
| 614/365-3272 ! IRC:GS-Matt |
|_cmc...@bluemoon.use.com_____!___Apple_II_Forever!_GNO_your_AppleIIGS!__|
Magnus Olsson
>: Ghod, how clueless can people get? (I don't mean you, Chris, but the
>: other user and possibly your sysadmin, too).
>
>: It seems like the disinformation campaign ("Hacking" == "criminal
>: activity") by the media has poisoned peoples' minds to the extent that
>: everything containing the word "hack" is suspect. I suppose that soon
>: technicians won't be able to use hacksaws inside the computer rooms...
>: Furrfu.
>
>Wouldn't it be nice if the word "hack" had it's original MIT meaning.
I seem to detect some sarcasm here...
Actually, the word hack _does_ have it's original meaning (which was
not limited to MIT).
You seem to be implying that I want to keep the "old" meaning of
"hack" alive for sentimental reasons of nostalgia. Well, I'm really
too young to feel nostalgic for that era... And sentimental reasons
don't enter; it's just that I think "hack" and "hacker" are very good
words (in their old sense) and there aren't any good replacements
around. On the other hand, there _are_ replacements for "hacker" ==
"one who breaks into computers" - "cracker", for example.
>But, alas, that is not the way of the world. In the Real World, saying
>"I'm a hacker and I am not a criminal" is like saying "I'm heterosexual
>and I'm gay." It would have worked some years ago, but these days
>you'll raise eyebrows at best and have FBI men pointing guns at your
>head at worst.
I do realise that "hacker" == "computer criminal" has become common
usage. I also think that we'll have to accept that, at least within
certain limits. (My outburst about the "disinformation campaign" was a
case of hackish hyperbole, I guess.)
What I do *not* accept is that the words "hack" and "hacker" should be
so laden with negative connotations that they trigger idiotic knee-jerk
reactions like "if somebody is running a program called 'nethack', he
must be breaking into other peoples accounts". There is absolutely no
reason why it shouldn't be possible to educate at least _computer
professionals_ (which is what we're talking about here), and possibly
a large part of the educated public, that there are _several_ meanings
of the word "hack", not all of them negative.
Yes, I'm careful about calling myself a hacker (and even more about
calling other people hackers) when it's not clear from the context
what I mean. It even happens that I use the word "hacker" in the sense
of "cracker". But I do believe that the positive sense of "hacker"
can, and should be kept alive.
>Well, life's a bitch and it's in heat, as someone said. I think that the
>word "Hacker" is lost. Once you take off your rose-coloured glasses, you
>will find that changing the public opinion is like holding back an
>avalanche with your bare hands.
There's no need to adopt such a defaitist attitude. Public opinion
_can_ be changed. It has been changed in the past. It will be changed
in the future. In this case, it *should* be changed. The weapon is
called _education_. And I'm not alone in that struggle.
Steve Urich
--
|Stephen Urich| Internet:st...@zero.com | "Cattle mutilations |
|NIC: SU2 | UUCP:uunet!beyonet!steve | are up!" --Sneakers |
|ARS: WB3FTP | Packet:WB3FTP@WB3FTP.#EPA.PA.USA.NOAM | ax25<->PBBS<->IPGATE|
|Bensalem, PA |Radio:wb3...@wb3ftp.ampr.org[44.80.8.44]| TCP/IP-FTP-SMTP-UNIX|
Chris Herborth
Yah, but... "clean of negative connotations" goes out the window again...
I propose "slacking"; then we can play "NetSlack 3.2" when it's
released.
--
-------------------========================================-------------------
Chris Herborth
cher...@semprini.tdkcs.waterloo.on.ca
Steve Urich
>When the Newsweek leader on Sterling's _The_Hacker_Crackdown_ starts "`Hacker'
>used to be a pretty good word until the media got hold of it.", there is still
>hope for the forces of light.
to see if this version of game has any Computer Crime information in
it that will corrupt the american youth. :-) < Look a smiley!
>Why do you think I published TNHD, anyhow? We can still win this battle ---
Let me Guess, is it because you want to show all the people that con-
tributed to the ``JaRgOn fIlE'' how you can use free net information
and make it profitable using free TeX 3.0 software to edit and having it
published. Well guess what here, is your chance to make it all up with
the net communitity and TeX for using GNU software and the PD jargon
file and making it into a book. How? By sending in a substantial
donation to the UnixTeX group at the University of Washington.
``Everybody!'' Do you think Eric will donate to UnixTeX!?!?! NOT! :-)
-Forwarded post from comp.sys.3b1-
From: an...@cs.caltech.edu (Andy Fyfe)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.3b1
Subject: an unsolicited solicitation
Date: 4 Feb 1993 03:22:15 GMT
Organization: California Institute of Technology
Lines: 25
Distribution: world
Message-ID: <1kq257...@gap.caltech.edu>
NNTP-Posting-Host: kodiak.cs.caltech.edu
[That is, no one suggested I do this, but yes, I am asking for money.]
I recently read in comp.text.tex that the UnixTeX group at the
University of Washington may be forced to shut down due to lack
of funds.
They, like the Free Software Foundation, rely on the money they
charge to produce distribution tapes. Trouble is, most people use
anonymous ftp.
Now, from my persective as a 3b1 user, a tape, at about $200, is not
only fairly expensive, but is also of absolutely no use, since I can't
read it. However, a more modest sum, maybe $20, is quite different.
So here it is. If you use TeX/GNU software that you've picked up from
ftp.cs.caltech.edu (or anywhere for that matter), and you'd be so inclined,
send a contribution to UofW and/or FSF. Alternatively, I will collect
funds on behalf of the "AT&T 7300/3b1" community, and make a collective
contribution. It's not likely to solve the money problems, but I'm
sure it'll help.
Send me mail if you have comments -- I may be violating Usenet
guidelines as it is.
Andy Fyfe an...@cs.caltech.edu
>and the frequency with which the true meaning of `hacker' is made a point of
>in the reviews I get sent every month suggests that we may indeed be winning.
Not unless you donate money to the groups that share your vision and
the american way! Its like democracy if you don't donate to the people
that make up the free things that we get in life then sooner or later
those free things will be gone because nobody ever showed that they
``The FSF GNU software Hackers'' were indeed worthwhile efforts on
their part by giving donations of money and time to their cause.
I know if I had accomplished producing a product using FSF GNU or
UnixTeX software I would indeed reflect my fortune (and misfortune :-)
on those people that provided me with the means to do that said
product.
DoN. Nichols
>sl...@yoyo.cc.monash.edu.au (Andrew Bulhak) writes:
>
>> Well, life's a bitch and it's in heat, as someone said. I think that the
>> word "Hacker" is lost. Once you take off your rose-coloured glasses, you
>> will find that changing the public opinion is like holding back an
>> avalanche with your bare hands. We need a new word, clean of negative
>> connotations, to replace "hack". Anyone have any ideas?
>
>I've been hearing "guru" become the standard substandard replacement for
>those whose ears have been tarnished by the computer illiterate media. (Is
>it just me, or do they seem out to ruin everything?):
Well, "guru" might work as a substitute for "hacker" (though I find
the connotations more restrictive), but what would replace "hack" in that
case, "grr"?
To me "guru" has the connotation that the individual is extremely
adept in a single facet, such as a single OS, or application, or hardware
platform. (Perhaps even one who can make a specific printer do things that
its maker never envisioned.) Hacker, without a modifier prefix, to me,
carries the connotation of a more wide-based or eclectic expertise. (He may
have gotten started in some particular sub-branch, but readily adapts to
other environments, and delves deeply into whatever is at hand to get the
most out of it.)
However, I suspect that the connotations of both terms vary widely
between individual hearers/readers, so it might be interesting to see what
kinds of connotations pop up around this newsgroup.
--
Email: <dnic...@d-and-d.com> | ...!uunet!ceilidh!dnichols
<dnic...@ceilidh.beartrack.com>
Donald Nichols (DoN.) | Voice (Days): (703) 704-2280 (Eves): (703) 938-4564
--- Black Holes are where God is dividing by zero ---
Eric S. Raymond
> Let me Guess, is it because you want to show all the people that con-
> tributed to the ``JaRgOn fIlE'' how you can use free net information
> and make it profitable using free TeX 3.0 software to edit and having it
> published. Well guess what here, is your chance to make it all up with
> the net communitity and TeX for using GNU software and the PD jargon
> file and making it into a book. How? By sending in a substantial
> donation to the UnixTeX group at the University of Washington.
>
> ``Everybody!'' Do you think Eric will donate to UnixTeX!?!?! NOT! :-)
Interesting ethical position to be taking, Steve, since you get a free mail
connect and net feed from me. I notice you haven't rushed forward with an
offer to subsidize my hardware.
We've been over this issue before. I *asked* a.f.c whether I ought to donate
royalties to charity, or spend the money to pay my bills so I could afford to
work on free software. I also asked RMS which he'd prefer.
RMS and the a.f.c people both said the same thing --- I should work on free
software and net.service stuff for as long as the money holds out. Which
I've been doing, to the edge of brokeness. Do *you* want to pay the $500
electric bill I've got sitting on my desk?
Michael Covington
but state universities (such as mine) are unable to *donate* anything
to anybody. (The state isn't allowed to make donations, unless the
legislature takes specific action.)
Another way such groups could raise money is by selling printed paper
copies of documentation. Lots of us would spend $20 to $50 to purchase
such things rather than print them out; and it's something a state
university can do.
--
:- Michael A. Covington internet mcov...@uga.cc.uga.edu : *****
:- Artificial Intelligence Programs phone 706 542-0358 : *********
:- The University of Georgia fax 706 542-0349 : * * *
:- Athens, Georgia 30602-7415 U.S.A. amateur radio N4TMI : ** *** **
Andrew Bulhak
we are hackers or kibozos or alchemists or unpxers or slackers.
IMHO, the "alchemy" metaphor is the best one, as it's incorruptible.
You cannot associate alchemy with fraud or theft or terrorism or
EvilDrugs or GoddamnCommies. (Human sacrifice, maybe. :) )
+---------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| Andrew Bulhak | "You see not the mystery, for an elephant |
| sl...@yoyo.cc.monash.edu.au | is a poem written in tons rather |
| Monash Uni, Clayton, | than words." |
| Victoria, Australia | |
+---------------------------------------------------------------------------+
Ross Smith
>
>> Well, life's a bitch and it's in heat, as someone said. I think that the
>> word "Hacker" is lost. Once you take off your rose-coloured glasses, you
>> will find that changing the public opinion is like holding back an
>> avalanche with your bare hands. We need a new word, clean of negative
>> connotations, to replace "hack". Anyone have any ideas?
>
>I've been hearing "guru" become the standard substandard replacement for
>those whose ears have been tarnished by the computer illiterate media. (Is
>it just me, or do they seem out to ruin everything?):
A word of friendly warning: never say 'guru' to an Amiga hacker...
:-)
--
...... Ross Smith (Wanganui, NZ) ...... al...@acheron.amigans.gen.nz ......
"I blame you for the moonlit sky and the dream that died with the Eagle's flight
I blame you for the moonlit nights when I wonder why are the seas still dry
Don't blame me, sleeping satellite" (Tasmin Archer)
--
Fergus Henderson
>sl...@yoyo.cc.monash.edu.au (Andrew Bulhak) writes:
>
>> Well, life's a bitch and it's in heat, as someone said. I think that the
>> word "Hacker" is lost. Once you take off your rose-coloured glasses, you
>> will find that changing the public opinion is like holding back an
>> avalanche with your bare hands. We need a new word, clean of negative
>> connotations, to replace "hack". Anyone have any ideas?
>
>I've been hearing "guru" become the standard substandard replacement for
>those whose ears have been tarnished by the computer illiterate media. (Is
>it just me, or do they seem out to ruin everything?):
"guru" might replace "hacker", but it's not going to do to much good at
replacing "hack" or "hacking". I'm sorry, but we need a verb.
Steve Urich
>> ``Everybody!'' Do you think Eric will donate to UnixTeX!?!?! NOT! :-)
>Interesting ethical position to be taking, Steve, since you get a free mail
>connect and net feed from me. I notice you haven't rushed forward with an
>offer to subsidize my hardware.
Since I don't charge you for the connection and the news and mail that
I have sent you in the past. I don't see you donating money to help
keep up my hardware either. :-)
>I've been doing, to the edge of brokeness. Do *you* want to pay the $500
>electric bill I've got sitting on my desk?
Sure if you pay the $1000 dollar insurance bill I have it pay so I
can keep my vehicles on the road.
So now all that we have said and done UnixTeX is still the loser of
the ``free stuff'' game. I know I know you advertised that you used
TeX 3.0 in your book and they are lucky that you didn't charge them
for advertisement. :-)
Steve Urich
>Making donations to the U. of Washington, etc., sounds like a good idea,
>but state universities (such as mine) are unable to *donate* anything
>to anybody. (The state isn't allowed to make donations, unless the
>legislature takes specific action.)
and that would hamper monetary donations for sure. How about that.
Maybe thats why they say the ftping the software is really hurting
them since most all of the universities are on the internet and
that would be much more advantageous to FTP instead of sending away
for tapes like an inhouse company without FTP services would do.
>Another way such groups could raise money is by selling printed paper
>copies of documentation. Lots of us would spend $20 to $50 to purchase
>such things rather than print them out; and it's something a state
>university can do.
This is a great Idea! Thats why I like MIT press and some of the
other universities which publish documentation. I think more edus
should network thier projects in that fashion. Bring the hackers
spirit back into the free domain. TNHD was a great buy for the
money for what you get and the volume it has compared to the
meager books that others have done and how much they wanted to
charge... Big Bucks!!! TNHD should have been around $20 IMHO...
Josef Moellers
>sl...@yoyo.cc.monash.edu.au (Andrew Bulhak) writes:
>> Well, life's a bitch and it's in heat, as someone said. I think that the
>> word "Hacker" is lost. Once you take off your rose-coloured glasses, you
>> will find that changing the public opinion is like holding back an
>> avalanche with your bare hands. We need a new word, clean of negative
>> connotations, to replace "hack". Anyone have any ideas?
>I've been hearing "guru" become the standard substandard replacement for
>those whose ears have been tarnished by the computer illiterate media. (Is
>it just me, or do they seem out to ruin everything?):
I stick to "hacker"! I'm proud of it! And I'm old-fashioned!
When people look strange, I tell them that I'm _not_ a "cracker"!
Well, sometimes I'm even gay!
--
| Josef Moellers | c/o Siemens Nixdorf Informationssysteme AG |
| USA: molle...@sni-usa.com | Abt. STO-XS 113 | Riemekestrasse |
| !USA: molle...@sni.de | Phone: (+49) 5251 835124 | D-4790 Paderborn |
bay...@nebula.ssd.lmsc.lockheed.com
f...@cs.mu.OZ.AU (Fergus Henderson) writes:
>cmcu...@bluemoon.use.com (Matthew Curtin) writes:
>
>>I've been hearing "guru" become the standard substandard replacement for
>>those whose ears have been tarnished by the computer illiterate media. (Is
>>it just me, or do they seem out to ruin everything?):
>
>"guru" might replace "hacker", but it's not going to do to much good at
>replacing "hack" or "hacking". I'm sorry, but we need a verb.
>
who may not know much more than you do, but is willing to help
outside the regular channels (which tend to take longer).
Sam Wilson
> IMHO, the "alchemy" metaphor is the best one, as it's incorruptible.
> You cannot associate alchemy with fraud or theft or terrorism or
> EvilDrugs or GoddamnCommies. (Human sacrifice, maybe. :) )
It's probably not free of the avarice association, but I guess that's
not a problem in the Land of the Fee. Most hacker's jobs involve
turning bits into gold, even if it's not for themselves.
Sam
Matthew Curtin
> cmcu...@bluemoon.use.com (Matthew Curtin) writes:
>
> >I've been hearing "guru" become the standard substandard replacement for
> >those whose ears have been tarnished by the computer illiterate media. (Is
> >it just me, or do they seem out to ruin everything?):
>
> "guru" might replace "hacker", but it's not going to do to much good at
> replacing "hack" or "hacking". I'm sorry, but we need a verb.
I agree. My sysadmin and I talked about this. I tend to think that we
should just continue to call ourselves hackers, and just roll our eyes
whenever some moron gets the wrong idea...
Andrew Bulhak
: cmcu...@bluemoon.use.com (Matthew Curtin) writes:
: >I've been hearing "guru" become the standard substandard replacement for
: >those whose ears have been tarnished by the computer illiterate media. (Is
: >it just me, or do they seem out to ruin everything?):
: "guru" might replace "hacker", but it's not going to do to much good at
: replacing "hack" or "hacking". I'm sorry, but we need a verb.
"All nouns can be verbed".
i.e., I'm guruing MS-Windows now, and a bit of UNIX. What do you guru?
(This word would be especially significant on Amoebas :) )
+---------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| Andrew Bulhak | ____/| TIDDLES?!? |
| sl...@yoyo.cc.monash.edu.au | \ o O| |
| Monash Uni, Clayton, | =(_)= ACK, PFFT! |
| Victoria, Australia | U |
+---------------------------------------------------------------------------+
Magnus Olsson
>Fergus Henderson (f...@cs.mu.OZ.AU) wrote:
>: "guru" might replace "hacker", but it's not going to do to much good at
>: replacing "hack" or "hacking". I'm sorry, but we need a verb.
>
>"All nouns can be verbed".
>
>i.e., I'm guruing MS-Windows now, and a bit of UNIX. What do you guru?
>(This word would be especially significant on Amoebas :) )
I'm not at all happy about the idea of replacing the word 'hacker' to
start with, but if it really _has_ to be done, I don't think 'guru'
would be a good replacement.
To me, applying the word 'guru' to someone implies that this person
has some profound and arcane knowledge, that we ordinary mortals lack.
Calling someone a 'hacker' does of course imply some knowledge, but to
me it says more about the person's _attitude_ to things. And a guru
needn't really be a hacker.
And the verb 'to guru' gives me associations of somebody
pontificating, or spreading his profound wisdom. So, for example,
Thompson holding a talk about Unix design would be 'guruing', but he
was hacking when he wrote it.
All this IMHO, of course.
Magnus Olsson | \e+ /_
Department of Theoretical Physics | \ Z / q
University of Lund, Sweden | >----<
mag...@thep.lu.se, the...@selund.bitnet | / \===== g
Lon Stowell
>
>"guru" might replace "hacker", but it's not going to do to much good at
>replacing "hack" or "hacking". I'm sorry, but we need a verb.
Gu, ru, or gur come immediately to mind. Or for the cutesy Unix
shell programmer types, how about 'urug' which would be the
epitaph for deceased or terminated gurus.
Billy D'Augustine
>
>
>i.e., I'm guruing MS-Windows now, and a bit of UNIX. What do you guru?
>(This word would be especially significant on Amoebas :) )
>
The verbage is ok, but the example leaves some to be desired. 'guruing
MS-Windows'? Perhaps 'lobotomizing with MS-Windows' ...
--
Billy D'Augustine az...@spatula.rent.com
I see the world - old! I see the world - dead!
Bob Kupiec
>In article <930401...@mulga.cs.mu.OZ.AU> f...@cs.mu.OZ.AU (Fergus Henderson) writes:
>>"guru" might replace "hacker", but it's not going to do to much good at
>>replacing "hack" or "hacking".
>
> shell programmer types, how about 'urug' which would be the
> epitaph for deceased or terminated gurus.
Ever heard of a fugu? Fooled UNIX Gurus U??? (I read that one somewhere a
long time ago.)
--
\/\ Bob Kupiec - Amateur Radio Packet: N3MML @ wb3ftp.#epa.pa.usa.noam /\/\
/\/\ Internet: kup...@hp800.lasalle.edu (or) (UUCP site is temp down) /\/\/
\/\/\ LaSalle University, 20th St. & Olney Ave., Philadelphia, PA /\/\/\
/\/\/\ Top 10 uses for your Intel CPU: Number 10: Test hammers /\/\/\/
Martin Pauley
but trying to generate a new politically correct name is offensive to
me, and others I'm sure.
Here's a situation which is similar in some respects:
At home I have some friends who are deaf and I have learnt quite a bit
about the Deaf community. The politically-correct have decided to call
them `hearing impaired', without asking anyone who actually belongs to
the Deaf community of course! They are NOT hearing impaired; they are,
and will proudly claim to be, Deaf (with a capital `D')!
In our situation, people are trying to politically-correctify the Hacker
community. TREASON!
There is a problem with the general public's misunderstanding of
`hackers' caused by the popular media. The *only* solution to this is to
`debug' the media (or run fsck). This can be done by writing a polite
letter (maybe refering to, or including a bit from, the Jargon file) to
whom it may concern (Newspaper Editor, TV News people, etc) every time
someone makes the mistake. If *everyone* does this (not to spam the
media but to show them that we are a large community and not just a pack
of fanatical nuts) then *they* will change!
Go for it!
Now, to lighter and brighter topics...
In article <110...@netnews.upenn.edu>, kup...@hp800.lasalle.edu
(Bob Kupiec) writes:
>Ever heard of a fugu? Fooled UNIX Gurus U??? (I read that one
>somewhere along time ago.)
I've heard of a fugu; I've seen a fugu! I haven't eaten a fugu yet
because they're quite expensive. Their liver and ovaries contain one of
the deadliest natural toxins known and so they are considered a delicasy
in Japan! I'm told that a restaurant needs a license from the
government before they are allowed to serve fugu, and the chefs are
specially trained to ensure they remove all of the deadly bits.
I don't know the statistics but you can consider fugu the equivalent of
Russian Roulette for dinner. I imagine there would be quite an
adrenaline rush caused by knowing that you could be holding your life
between your chopsticks! :-)
--------------------------------
.Marty.!
Lost in Space! (or is it Japan?)
<pau...@tai.jkj.sii.co.jp>
Shyamal Prasad
>There is a problem with the general public's misunderstanding of
>`hackers' caused by the popular media. The *only* solution to this is to
>`debug' the media (or run fsck). This can be done by writing a polite
>letter (maybe refering to, or including a bit from, the Jargon file) to
>whom it may concern (Newspaper Editor, TV News people, etc) every time
>someone makes the mistake. If *everyone* does this (not to spam the
>media but to show them that we are a large community and not just a pack
>of fanatical nuts) then *they* will change!
>
>Go for it!
I buy that! Sure hope every one else does :-)
Shyamal
--
Shyamal Prasad, Department of Computer Science
Southern Methodist University, Dallas TX 72275
Jeff Randall
>Yeah, somebody should do something about Steve Jackson Games who have
>a game called "Hacker" on the market. The game should probably be called
>"Cracker" as it does not simulate any Hacking at all. Maybe we can
>even get someone like the Secret Service to pay them a visit and get
>them to cease and desist with this misuse of the term. If they get
>their computers impounded, maybe that will teach them a lesson. :-)
Um... I donno if that last was intended 'tounge-in-cheek' but Steve
Jackson Games has already had their computers impounded by the FBI
(aka Secret Service to some) once during the development if the game
'Hacker'
Damn near put them out of business and delayed the release of the game
by nearly a year. Seems that some 'known crackers' were users on the
company's BBS which was being used to gather stories and such to be used
in the game. The FBI caught wind of it and impounded *EVERY* computer in
the office. The BBS, the workstations for employees, all of the floppies
they could find, etc.
All of their current and future plans for projects as well as their
financial information was (IMHO wrongly) impounded. I believe that
Steve Jackson Games still has lawsuits pending against the FBI for
Illegal seisure, etc...
I read about it in Time about 2 years ago.. in the issue they did about
'hacking' as they called it... or cracking as it should be called.
--
Jeff-R...@uiuc.edu (ASCII mail) THIS IS _NOT_ CCSO'S OPINION!!!
jar4...@sumter.cso.uiuc.edu (NeXT mail) If It were, It would've had a
wi....@n7kbt.rain.com (anon) more important name on it. =)
Alex R.N. Wetmore
"Hack" was Re:.. by William Logan Lee@extro.
> a game called "Hacker" on the market. The game should probably be called
> "Cracker" as it does not simulate any Hacking at all. Maybe we can
> even get someone like the Secret Service to pay them a visit and get
> them to cease and desist with this misuse of the term. If they get
> their computers impounded, maybe that will teach them a lesson. :-)
Steve Jackson games has already been visited by the SS and had all of
the computers (plus everything else related to computers) taken from
their office (in a rather illegal move from the SS). Read any of the
EFF boards for info, or look through old copies of cud (found on
ftp.eff.org in /pub/cud/cud).
I personally see myself as a hacker under the older term, but the I
don't think that people who break into computers aren't hackers. A lot
of times they are just nterested in learning the systems, but have no
access to them (because most high schools don't have multiuser
systems). I have a feeling that if these systems were available to
younger people interested in computers that the number of system
breakins would drop a lot, and that we would get people out of high
school who had a somewhat better understanding of multiuser systems and
networks.
alex
William W. Hughes
A few corrections...
(Jeff Randall) writes:
>Um... I donno if that last was intended 'tounge-in-cheek' but Steve
>Jackson Games has already had their computers impounded by the FBI
>(aka Secret Service to some) once during the development if the game
>'Hacker'
It was _not_ the FBI; it _was_ the Secret Service (they are _not_ the same
organisation). And the name of the game is "GURPS Cyberpunk". "Hacker"
is acompute game released in 1985 by ActiVision (catalog number
90-3063).
>Damn near put them out of business and delayed the release of the game
>by nearly a year. Seems that some 'known crackers' were users on the
>company's BBS which was being used to gather stories and such to be used
>in the game. The FBI caught wind of it and impounded *EVERY* computer in
>the office. The BBS, the workstations for employees, all of the floppies
>they could find, etc.
"Alleged", not "known".
>All of their current and future plans for projects as well as their
>financial information was (IMHO wrongly) impounded. I believe that
>Steve Jackson Games still has lawsuits pending against the FBI for
>Illegal seisure, etc...
The suit was heard before a judge two weeks ago. A decision is pending.
>I read about it in Time about 2 years ago.. in the issue they did about
>'hacking' as they called it... or cracking as it should be called.
"2 years ago"? No wonder your info is in error. Uh, you do realise that
the Steve Jackson Games case has been a continuing subject of
discussion on Internet, FidoNet, and other computer networks for quite
some time...
--
St. Dismas' Infirmary for the Incurably Informed
[Disclaimer: UTSA doesn't know what I said -- don't blame them!]
[[Message copyright 1993, William W. Hughes]]
Taki Kogoma
>
>A few corrections...
And one more...
>(Jeff Randall) writes:
>>Um... I donno if that last was intended 'tounge-in-cheek' but Steve
>>Jackson Games has already had their computers impounded by the FBI
>>(aka Secret Service to some) once during the development if the game
>>'Hacker'
>
>It was _not_ the FBI; it _was_ the Secret Service (they are _not_ the same
>organisation). And the name of the game is "GURPS Cyberpunk". "Hacker"
>is acompute game released in 1985 by ActiVision (catalog number
>90-3063).
Steve Jackson Games released a card game entitled "Hacker!" last
November or so. To quote part of the introduction:
"But since the day of the raid, gamers have been asking us '*When are
you going to make a game about it?*'
"Okay. We give up. Here it is. Have fun."
I take it that SJG has given up the struggle to keep the word 'hacker'
decriminalized...alas...
--
Capt. Gym Z. Quirk (Known to some as Taki Kogoma) kog...@triton.unm.edu
I'll get a life when someone demonstrates that it would be superior to
what I have now...
William W. Hughes
(Taki Kogoma) writes:
>(William W. Hughes) writes:
>>A few corrections...
>And one more...
Well, I never claimed to be perfect. :-)
>>(Jeff Randall) writes:
>>>Um... I donno if that last was intended 'tounge-in-cheek' but Steve
>>>Jackson Games has already had their computers impounded by the FBI
>>>(aka Secret Service to some) once during the development if the game
>>>'Hacker'
>>It was _not_ the FBI; it _was_ the Secret Service (they are _not_ the same
>>organisation). And the name of the game is "GURPS Cyberpunk". "Hacker"
>>is acompute game released in 1985 by ActiVision (catalog number
>>90-3063).
>Steve Jackson Games released a card game entitled "Hacker!" last
>November or so. To quote part of the introduction:
Obviously, I missed that one. Been out of active gaming for several
years...
>
>"But since the day of the raid, gamers have been asking us '*When are
>you going to make a game about it?*'
>"Okay. We give up. Here it is. Have fun."
>I take it that SJG has given up the struggle to keep the word 'hacker'
>decriminalized...alas...
If I know Steve (and I do), he probably is disgusted with the whole thing.
Ross Smith
>
>A few corrections...
A few more :-)
>(Jeff Randall) writes:
>>Um... I donno if that last was intended 'tounge-in-cheek' but Steve
>>Jackson Games has already had their computers impounded by the FBI
>>(aka Secret Service to some) once during the development if the game
>>'Hacker'
>
>It was _not_ the FBI; it _was_ the Secret Service (they are _not_ the same
>organisation). And the name of the game is "GURPS Cyberpunk". "Hacker"
>is acompute game released in 1985 by ActiVision (catalog number
>90-3063).
SJG also released a card game called "Hacker", shortly after their, er,
experience. They've been cashing in on the SS's blunder by using it in their
advertising for GURPS Cyberpunk ("The game that was siezed by the Secret
Service!") and "Hacker".
>>Damn near put them out of business and delayed the release of the game
>>by nearly a year. Seems that some 'known crackers' were users on the
>>company's BBS which was being used to gather stories and such to be used
>>in the game. The FBI caught wind of it and impounded *EVERY* computer in
>>the office. The BBS, the workstations for employees, all of the floppies
>>they could find, etc.
>
>"Alleged", not "known".
>
>>All of their current and future plans for projects as well as their
>>financial information was (IMHO wrongly) impounded. I believe that
>>Steve Jackson Games still has lawsuits pending against the FBI for
>>Illegal seisure, etc...
>
>The suit was heard before a judge two weeks ago. A decision is pending.
Can you let us know what happens?
>>I read about it in Time about 2 years ago.. in the issue they did about
>>'hacking' as they called it... or cracking as it should be called.
>
>"2 years ago"? No wonder your info is in error. Uh, you do realise that
>the Steve Jackson Games case has been a continuing subject of
>discussion on Internet, FidoNet, and other computer networks for quite
>some time...
--
...... Ross Smith (Wanganui, NZ) ...... al...@acheron.amigans.gen.nz ......
"The current state of knowledge can be summarised thus: In the beginning
there was nothing, which exploded." (Terry Pratchett)
--
Christopher Francis Anderson
>bi...@extro.ucc.su.OZ.AU (William Logan Lee) writes:
>>Yeah, somebody should do something about Steve Jackson Games who have
>>a game called "Hacker" on the market. The game should probably be called
>>"Cracker" as it does not simulate any Hacking at all. Maybe we can
>>even get someone like the Secret Service to pay them a visit and get
>>them to cease and desist with this misuse of the term. If they get
>>their computers impounded, maybe that will teach them a lesson. :-)
>Um... I donno if that last was intended 'tounge-in-cheek' but Steve
>Jackson Games has already had their computers impounded by the FBI
>(aka Secret Service to some) once during the development if the game
>'Hacker'
I thought the raid was during the development of the GURPS Cyberpunk
supplement, and the 'Hacker' game was made as a sort of parody of
the whole thing (at least, that's what I can remember from the 'Hacker'
docs...I could be wrong, y'know)
--
ThunderKat (a.k.a. Chris Anderson) s90...@minyos.xx.rmit.oz.au
"I vote we take off and nuke the entire site from orbit. It's the only way to
be sure."