Definition Of A H4c|{3r

[He||sFurY]

Im wonder if you all can answer me a question which I have always been curious about....
In your own words.....Define ......Hacker

Ty He||sFurY

[tampabay420]

I'm sure this question has been posted a bazillion times ;-)

hack·er2 ( P ) Pronunciation Key (hkr)
n.
See hackie.

Source: The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
[Buy it]

hack·er1 ( P ) Pronunciation Key (hkr)
n. Informal
One who is proficient at using or programming a computer; a computer buff.
One who uses programming skills to gain illegal access to a computer network or file.
One who enthusiastically pursues a game or sport: a weekend tennis hacker.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[Perhaps from hacker, amateurish or inept golfer or tennis player (possibly from hack1), or perhaps from hack, practical joke, clever scheme (from dialectal hack, to embarrass, confuse, play a trick on).]

Source: The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
[Buy it]


hacker

\Hack"er\, n. One who, or that which, hacks. Specifically: A cutting instrument for making notches; esp., one used for notching pine trees in collecting turpentine; a hack.


Source: Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.


hacker

n 1: someone who plays golf poorly 2: a programmer for whom computing is its own reward; may enjoy the challenge of breaking into other computers 3: one who works hard at boring tasks [syn: hack, drudge]


Source: WordNet ® 1.6, © 1997 Princeton University


hacker



<person, jargon> (Originally, someone who makes furniture with
an axe) 1. A person who enjoys exploring the details of
programmable systems and how to stretch their capabilities, as
opposed to most users, who prefer to learn only the minimum
necessary.

2. One who programs enthusiastically (even obsessively) or who
enjoys programming rather than just theorizing about
programming.

3. A person capable of appreciating hack value.

4. A person who is good at programming quickly.

5. An expert at a particular program, or one who frequently
does work using it or on it; as in "a Unix hacker".
(Definitions 1 through 5 are correlated, and people who fit
them congregate.)

6. An expert or enthusiast of any kind. One might be an
astronomy hacker, for example.

7. One who enjoys the intellectual challenge of creatively
overcoming or circumventing limitations.

8. (Deprecated) A malicious meddler who tries to discover
sensitive information by poking around. Hence "password
hacker", "network hacker". The correct term is cracker.

The term "hacker" also tends to connote membership in the
global community defined by the net (see The Network and
Internet address). It also implies that the person
described is seen to subscribe to some version of the hacker
ethic.

It is better to be described as a hacker by others than to
describe oneself that way. Hackers consider themselves
something of an elite (a meritocracy based on ability), though
one to which new members are gladly welcome. Thus while it is
gratifying to be called a hacker, false claimants to the title
are quickly labelled as "bogus" or a "wannabee".

9. (University of Maryland, rare) A programmer who does not
understand proper programming techniques and principles and
doesn't have a Computer Science degree. Someone who just
bangs on the keyboard until something happens. For example,
"This program is nothing but spaghetti code. It must have
been written by a hacker".

[Jargon File]

(1996-08-26)



Source: The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing, © 1993-2001 Denis Howe


hacker

n. [originally, someone who makes furniture with an
axe] 1. A person who enjoys exploring the details of programmable
systems and how to stretch their capabilities, as opposed to most
users, who prefer to learn only the minimum necessary. 2. One who
programs enthusiastically (even obsessively) or who enjoys
programming rather than just theorizing about programming. 3. A
person capable of appreciating hack value. 4. A person who is
good at programming quickly. 5. An expert at a particular program,
or one who frequently does work using it or on it; as in `a Unix
hacker'. (Definitions 1 through 5 are correlated, and people who
fit them congregate.) 6. An expert or enthusiast of any kind. One
might be an astronomy hacker, for example. 7. One who enjoys the
intellectual challenge of creatively overcoming or circumventing
limitations. 8. [deprecated] A malicious meddler who tries to
discover sensitive information by poking around. Hence `password
hacker', `network hacker'. The correct term for this sense is
cracker.

The term `hacker' also tends to connote membership in the global
community defined by the net (see the network and Internet
address). For discussion of some of the basics of this culture,
see the How To Become A Hacker
(http://www.tuxedo.org/~esr/faqs/hacker-howto.html) FAQ. It also
implies that the person described is seen to subscribe to some
version of the hacker ethic (see hacker ethic).

It is better to be described as a hacker by others than to describe
oneself that way. Hackers consider themselves something of an
elite (a meritocracy based on ability), though one to which new
members are gladly welcome. There is thus a certain ego
satisfaction to be had in identifying yourself as a hacker (but if
you claim to be one and are not, you'll quickly be labeled bogus).
See also wannabee.

This term seems to have been first adopted as a badge in the 1960s
by the hacker culture surrounding TMRC and the MIT AI Lab. We have
a report that it was used in a sense close to this entry's by teenage
radio hams and electronics tinkerers in the mid-1950s.



Source: Jargon File 4.2.0

[Tiger Shark]

Well...... That about covered it Tampa......

[phaza7]

8-] that covered everything concering that word.

but words can't label me.

[Tiger Shark]

How about a large sheet of construction paper and a power stapler??????

[SSJVegeta-Sei]

Originally posted here by He||sFurY
In your own words

Tampa! You didn't listen to the question! Tsk, tsk.... 8Þ

SSJVegeta-Sei

[JenaLynn]

Hacker: any of the above definitions

Also see: Whitehat

Whitehat: one who "hacks" for non-malicious purposes; antonym: Blackhat

Blackhat: One who "hacks" in order to retrieve information for malicious purpose or to deface; synonym: Cracker

Also See: Script Kiddie

Script Kiddie: One who is annoying to Whitehats and tries to be mailicious by using annoying progz. and thinks he/she is 1337

[gilgalad]

I think that definition was superb. I get tired of the media referring to crackers and script kiddies as hackers. The true 1337 want knowledge, problems to solve. In the meritocracy, power is easily obtainable through information, and true hackers hold it responsibly in their own hands. Hacking is not just a hobby, or a title...it is truly a philosophy.