Hacking, Hacker > Cracker

I look at hacking as your 2nd ammendment right to bear arms in the digital world. I think true hackers, and when I say true I mean grey and white hats, should take a more active role in society in helping to protect citizens and consumers. It seems more and more the general public cannot and willnot take the time to be educated as to the computer world. Just look at all the problems network admins deal with to see how little people understand("It says, I love you, how can it possibly be bad" :p)

Anyway, talking to people, the majority don't even realize the danger that they are in. For example almost knowone I know is aware of the fact that the federal government is requiring cell phone makers to be putting in a gps unit, that will track them as long as the phone is on. Also, the reality is that crackers, kiddies, and black hats are not going to go away, and as such we need to encourage hackers to find the weaknesses first so that none of our critial systems are compromised.

Also, with just looking for example, just think what if a hacker had found documents that could have prevented the Enron ordeal, terrorist attacks or anything of that nature.

Further, with the increased Homeland Security, someone has to keep the government honest, otherwise that system could quickly turn into a KGB type system where people disappear in the middle of the night.

Quote:

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bad programmer/person who broke into computers

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there is no implication here. you can be a "bad" ( or amateur, i.e. not trained ) programmer and never write anything to break into a computer ( a single computer, or a computer on a network ) and that includes anything from network programming to some sort of password breaking device.

and most importantly, you can break into computers and not be a programmer at all.

there are too many types of people doing various different things associated with computation devices. you can't use one word to describe them all. especially the one word that already means different things to each person. its like the word terrorism. the media focus on a word and it gets thrown around so much it loses all meaning.

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Main Entry: 1word
Pronunciation: 'w&rd
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English, from Old English; akin to Old High German wort word, Latin verbum, Greek eirein to say, speak, Hittite weriya- to call, name
Date: before 12th century

2 a (1) : a speech sound or series of speech sounds that symbolizes and communicates a meaning without being divisible into smaller units capable of independent use (2) : the entire set of linguistic forms produced by combining a single base with various inflectional elements without change in the part of speech elements
2 c : a number of bytes processed as a unit and conveying a quantum of information in communication and computer work.

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i would argue that before there were ``hackers'', there were people who would ``hack''.
so, if you hacked, you were a hacker. that is, if you performed the action the verb becomes a noun.

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Main Entry: hack (verb - that's an action)
Date: 13th century
1 a : to cut or sever with repeated irregular or unskillful blows
1 b : to cut or shape by or as if by crude or ruthless strokes

Main Entry: hack (noun)
Function: noun
Date: 14th century
1 : an implement for hacking
2 : NICK, NOTCH
3 : a short dry cough
4 : a hacking stroke or blow
5 : restriction to quarters as punishment for naval officers <under hack>

Main Entry: hack (noun - that's a person, place or thing)
Date: 18th century
a writer who aims solely for commercial success

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and who knows how many alternate, undocumented meanings people alive during the 13th and 14th centuries had for the word hack? (rhetoric)

so you are saying that words can have more than one meaning and that their meanings can change with time. yes. so what does hacker mean. i'm going to assume that you want to call yourself a hacker. yes. thats fine, all you have to do is advertise to others what you think it means in relation to what you do with computation devices and by association you become a hacker.

anyway, don't become too attached to this word, 'cause it'll probably mean completely different things to different people in a hundread years [i]anyway[/i. :D

"A hacker is still either someone who quickly produces code, or is a skilled
computer-security enthusiast. Someone should pick one!"

It's really a silent badge of respect given by other
Hackers not only for having decent/ high skills as a
computer programmer but for making many positive
contributions to the community your judged
according to your works and deeds and for
respecting the code and the culture :)

Why do so many people care so much about how some people use the term "hacker"?

hopefully thats not a rhetorical question.

the term hacker implies what it means to be a hacker. but its the meaning of the word hacker that people care about.

so when people deceide what the word hacker means, then i'll get back to you with what it means to be a hacker. :D

This is alot like the muslims getting off, because the vast majority of them are not bad. It's perfectly reasonable, in fact, essential. The term hacker could very well be associated with people who break into systems, the redeeming factor however, is that there are plenty who do it leagally, i.e. by breaking into thier own, or being contracted to do so.

The hackers who don't suck have every right to claim the name, call it thier own, and work on cleaning it up. bballad, I really don't understand your problem. The term hacker is certainly not sacred enough to only allow one group from years ago to keep it, and if you think the nature of such words is completely static you've got more problems than should be discussed here. The fact is a term, as controversial as hacker is destined to have a dynamic meaning, defined by society.

I for one, applaude the movement to clear the white hats of the stigma earned by what they quite rightly call crackers. Claiming the name hacker promises them the air of mistique generated by it's history and current meaning to the public.


Attempts to deter this movement are no doubt spawned from either selfish wannabe's or those who have not fully considered the issue. There IS NO downside to this separation of the good and the bad. The only shortcomming is that it may only be maintainable among the well informed, the 'elite',

THE TRUE HACKERS, to whom we all look up. would anyone else understand? should we care? hehe...

The term "Hacker" originated in MIT as a reference for people who were adept at programming and computers and were known for pushing computers beyond their the limits of how far they were expected to go.
However in my mind a Hacker is any white/grey/black hat who can break into computers.
a Cracker is a black hat or someone into breaking warez copy protection.

I have recently finished reading a book called "Snow Crash", very good book, would recommend it to you guys. Anyway the term hacker in this book refers to someone who creates programs that take advantage of other programs, an advanced programmer.

This is what i believe a hacker to be, someone who knows how to use software, someone who can squeeze that little bit extra out of a program.

A hacker is not someone who breaks into security system, and steals data, this is a thief, plain and simply.

BTW, the book was written around th 80's so none of this stupid cracker **** has influenced it, again, well worth a read

hey take it easy. the wannabe' have to have a place to belong too right??its not truly their fault for being imature, thoughtless, showoffs, ignorant, foolish, mislead, stupid, and gay. ryte??

How do u crack registration codes of softwares?