top | item 1475940

Ask HN: Why Hackers?

2 points| kmuzykov | 15 years ago

Hi All,

I think I've missed something. When did software developers, project managers or any IT related persons have become Hackers?

I've googled it and found no information on how it come this way.

I've never been a Hacker in it's old meaning. Wanted to be in my 11-15th, but everything ended without any serious hacks or anything like that. But in those days, to become a Hacker you had to reach some level, you had to get approval of community. Someone never could call himself a Hacker by himself.

Nowadays it looks like anyone can call himself a hacker after a "Hello world!" app.

So the question is why do you call yourself a Hacker?

6 comments

mindcrime|15 years ago

I've always thought of being a Hacker as more of a mindset than a badge of accomplishment. There are famous or great Hackers, like Linus or Stallman or whoever, but I've always thought of anybody who codes and has a passion for exploring new things, learning, pushing the boundaries, optimization, novel techniques, etc. as a Hacker.

And of course that's only within the context of writing software. The "hacker mentality" is really independent of coding. As far as I'm concerned, you can "hack" any sort of system, so there's no reason there couldn't be "hacker lawyers,"hacker librarians," "hacker doctors," etc.

hga|15 years ago

Russell Noftsker, MIT AI Lab administrator from 1965 to 1973 (when he took a fall to keep two big names from becoming Federal felons) and founder of Symbolics was described in Levy's book as an explosives hacker. When he was growing up in Texas he and a friend would do work for construction/mining/whatever sorts of companies and take much or all of their pay in real, professional explosives.

When he moved to Boston, Levy said his wife had to talk him out of using det cord (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Detonating_cord) to clear sidewalks of snow. (All that from memory.)

I'm willing to call him a hacker; as you say, it's a mindset and is independent of coding.

kmuzykov|15 years ago

I totally agree. But why use word "Hacker"? Let's make up a new word for such state of mind. When I've first read Hacker's manifesto (http://www.phrack.org/issues.html?issue=7&id=3&mode=...) I wanted to become a Hacker, but never did, although everything written there is very close for me. But I've never called myself a Hacker.