What is your definition of a "hacker"?

Well, looks like my first post inevitably lead to the second...
In my introductory post, i mentioned that i wanted to learn how to hack or in other words learn common security exploitations and how to continue to find others in order to correct them. This did not seem to go over to well for some reason and illicited way too many negative responses. Though i remember when the word "hacker" didn't mean what it meant in high-budget Hollywood films, but just someone who was apt at computers and programming and the ilk. When i searched for "definition hacker" this is the first site that was on the list and the very first excerpt i took:
"hacker Last modified: February 5, 2002



A slang term for a computer enthusiast, i.e., a person who enjoys learning programming languages and computer systems and can often be considered an expert on the subject(s). Among professional programmers, depending on how it used, the term can be either complimentary or derogatory, although it is developing an increasingly derogatory connotation. The pejorative sense of hacker is becoming more prominent largely because the popular press has coopted the term to refer to individuals who gain unauthorized access to computer systems for the purpose of stealing and corrupting data. Hackers, themselves, maintain that the proper term for such individuals is cracker."

With that in mind, i am just curious as to what everyone elses definition of the word "hacker" is?

(hopefully i don't get flamed too much :D )

read my sig and you we see what my defintion of a hacker is.
It was a quote by Kevin Mitnick.

still in the process of learning Joey...which is why i'm on this board...
I know several programming languages and many other things. But i don't think it is possible to know too much. And i never came and asked the question "How do I hack"? Because that is just retarded. I just mentioned in my introductory post that my main reason for joining the board was to learn. As far as getting a degree in comp science is concerned, my college time is going towards other ambitions. And its almost pointless with the all the wealth of info on the internet, and in the library for that matter ;) .

one day you will know what hacker was .........
if you belive you are hacker u wiil find it yourself

I see hackers as explorer but instead of traveling by water to get to eldarodo or one of the seven cities of gold, we use the internet or any other electronic medium to travel sure we risk being captured by the natives but that part of the fun :)

I guess I try not to be like cortes or pizzarro who left many deep footprints across the americas in search of the gold

I see a hacker as a person with a good understanding of computer security and uses that knowledge for either good or evil. But I also know that the media almost always uses the word hacker in a negative sense and therefore the general public views hackers as being bad people who do bad things. Witch is something you have to keep in mind when you’re using the word hacker.

When I think of the term "HACKER" I think of other things like innovation, exploration, & a will to learn.

The meaning of words change with popular usage. To argue with this is IMHO pointless. Just because I wake up early on bright sun-shiny Saturday morning, feeling exceptionally filled with lighthearted excitement, I do not declare to the world that I feel gay.

Words change. If I don’t like the way a word has changed, I’ll use another. So rather than be shunned or looked down upon by the people I see day in and day out I say my interests are in computer security. They call me a hacker anyway.

Well, I guess I'd better throw in on this one.

I just recently started studying Buddhism, a funny little school of religious thought in that you really dont have to DO anything to be a Buddhist.. you simply must BE one. Until you can fully feel and know yourself as a Buddha ("the one who sees" roughly translated), you will never be one. Before you can ever know what a Buddha is, you have to experience it for yourself.

This of course, is different things to different people. Some take the translations of the Dharma (the largest Buddhist text) literally and follow them to the letter, and for that they are, of course, Buddhist. Others take the texts and use them only as a basis for their lives, and they as well are Buddhists, in a truer and more practical, modern sense. However, there are those who read something, and try to find a very simple way to expediate their knowledge into the world of the Buddha without ever having to TRY. These, of course, are not Buddhists by any means, but only a Buddhist can tell you that.

And I feel that this branches quite well into the world of hacking, a path I've folloed for about 6 years. You can read the books and do the "right things," following examples set beforehand to the letter, and be a hacker. The truest hackers are those who take the knowledge of those who came before them and run with it. Those who are NOT hackers are the ones who pull insanely stupid, meaningless acts of cyber-vandalism, pound out (or getting someone elses) scripts and then using them redundantly simply to annoy and terrorize innocent folk, creating destructive and uncontrolled viruses and unleashing them into the net-going public with absolutely no grounds to do so, and breaking into people's coputers just to "**** **** up." These, of course, are not hackers by any means.

But only a hacker could tell you that.

One of my favorite movies is "Hackers" which gives the word a bad meaning. I will have to agree with Evil_Jester's definition of the word. Not because I feel it is the most fitting to the description, but because I feel that I best fit that description.

I don't hack for harmful purposes. I consider hacking, opening Network Neighborhood on the computer at school, and looking to see what computer are online. I'm not harming anything, but I'm finding more information about the surroundings about me. No harm in that is there? I believe the proper term for people who harm systems is Crackers, but don't hold me to it.

yeah,
I can't really remember who coated this!!>> But it says, you are never a Hacker untill someones calls you one!!

As you can tell from the other posts here, the general definition of a "Hacker" is based on the opinions of the person you ask. That said, here is my opinion:

A hacker is no different than an adventurer or explorer. Curious about their surroundings, they venture forth to gain any and all knowledge possible about the world they exist in. This means facing many dangers with the local inhabitants and passing many obstacles in their paths. What is done with knowledge makes no difference for each has their own purpose for quenching their curiosity. The "good" or the "bad" that can come from this knowledge is also an opinionated subject as everyone has a different "definition" of what good and bad are. As for me, I adventure out now and then and the information I gather I use to further my career and to help others out when they are stuck. Sure, I have my days where I can be turned to the dark side but not very often.

As for what others think of me or any other person, who cares! The only opinion that matters is the opinion you have of your self!

I've notice many similarities between the words "Witch" and "Hacker" Both have gotten bad/misleading reps from media and movies (Hackers, The Craft, etc). You can't call yourself either in public with out attracting bad attention and comments. They both are selective in nature, as to truely call onself a witch or wiccan, you have to study the craft for a year and a day, and the same is kinda true of hacking, you cant pick up a computer for the first time, and in a year be some uberhacker, you have to put time and effort into it. Also Hackers and Wiccans both go by a sort of code of "as long as it dosent harm anyone(or computer) its relatively okay" Of course that dosen't apply to crackers and script kiddies.

Just my input and observations about two somewhat similar groups.

A hacker IMHO, is someone who has a deep desire to learn more of what is expected to learn. They expand they're knowledge of technology beyond the average limit. To learn new ways on how to operate; to learn; to write; to develope. To give themselves a full and expert knowledge of what they want to learn about. Contrary to popular belief and by the eyes of media, a hacker is not someone who presses buttons really really fast and in a few seconds has access to any computer they want. *Movies* :-/

Hackers are horny geeks that learn about computers and other electronic technology only to find more ways to get to their hardcore porn.

A hacker, deeply interested in a system, computer or non-computer, learns as much as possible about the system. His or her goal is educational with, occasionaly, some thought to making the system better. The application of said knowledge has taken on a negative aspect regardless of the effects.

Hrm, when I hear hacker the first thing I think of are the lil punk script kiddies that come into irc. They are the ones that loudly exclaim 'I am a hacker, fear me' (tho they do not put it so eloquently).

It's not just the media that gives 'hacker' a bad meaning....it's 70% of the people who call themselves hackers as well.

I hear so many people trying to save the term 'hacker' and make it look like one of the good guys again.....tho I fear it is too late and a lost cause. Find a new term, make it all neat and shiny, and call yourself that.