I agree with your view of a hacker: someone who messes around on a computer FOR FUN and is (hopefully) good at it. You left one thing out: true hackers don't do illegal stuff. Crackers do. True hackers work to keep the crackers from getting ahead (or at least that's my view). Think of it this way: hackers built the Internet; crackers seek to destory it. Hope that maybe helps clear up your confusion.