whitewig

[D. Hageman]

On Wed, 16 Mar 2005, Jack wrote:

> --- "D. Hageman" <dhageman at dracken.com> wrote:
>
>>
>> On another side note - If a person calls themselves
>> a hacker - they aren't
>> a hacker.  It is like a person calling themselves
>> sexy or the best thing
>> out there.  It is a term that has to be given to you
>> by another.  I just
>> put in this side note as I have had two people call
>> themselves that in the
>> past week in conversation with me.  Hubris.  Yuck.
> I disagree with this comment. While it's possible that
> anyone who calls themselves a hacker is not
> necessarily
> a hacker, it does not preclude a real hacker from
> calling oneself one. Hacking is the art of taking
> things apart (and putting them back together) to
> figure out how things work. That's all it means, there
> is no elite person that confers hacking status on
> someone. Hacking is an old term that never gained
> widespread public knowledge until relatively recently.
> I have been hacking cars, radios, computers, software,
> and all manner of electromechanical devices (not
> necessarily in that order) since I was 7 (that's
> before Woodstock '69). I take exception to your
> attempt to promote yourself as the giver of Hackdom.

Oh!  I am misunderstood again!  I guess this is yet another example of 
... well hell - read my post to Jonathan Hutchins.

I don't believe I stated anywhere in my original message that I am the 
giver of said title.  I didn't even say there is some elite person that 
'confers hacking status on someone'.  I do have some reverence for the 
title as it was given to people who had done a good hack.  You don't go 
around telling people that you were hacker ... as well ... that would just 
be bragging.

I love your definitions though ...  If you get a moment, stop by a book 
store and pick up a 2005 dictionary and see if the they agree with you. 
;-)  They are the language experts ... not me. :-)

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||  D. Hageman                    <dhageman at dracken.com>  ||
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