Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site ut-sally.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!allegra!mit-eddie!godot!harvard!seismo!ut-sally!jsq From: jsq@ut-sally.UUCP (John Quarterman) Newsgroups: net.followup Subject: Re: Definitions of 'Hacker' Message-ID: <521@ut-sally.UUCP> Date: Thu, 20-Dec-84 12:04:37 EST Article-I.D.: ut-sally.521 Posted: Thu Dec 20 12:04:37 1984 Date-Received: Fri, 21-Dec-84 02:31:19 EST References: <2612@dartvax.UUCP> <121@vax2.fluke.UUCP> <429@ut-sally.UUCP>, <6236@mcvax.UUCP> <2746@ncsu.UUCP> Organization: U. Texas CS Dept., Austin, Texas Lines: 26 > > Interesting that all the definitions of hacker in the sense of programmer > > were complimentary: they must have been written by people who considered > > themselves hackers! In England (where I come from) I always heard the word > > used as an insult, meaning someone who programs without thinking first. > Describing yourself as a hacker, and meaning it positively, is boasting. Yes, the people who wrote those definitions were hackers, and yes, they were boasting. You can read about them in: HACKERS (Heroes of the Computer Revolution) Steven Levy Anchor Press/Doubleday Copyright (c) 1984 by Steven Levy ISBN 0-385-19195-2 You won't find Ken Thompson or Dennis Ritchie in the index, though you will find many references to Richard Stallman. You will also find TECO spelled TICO and TENEX spelled TENNIX and other such rot. In other words, it's very selective in what and who it treats, and small details sometimes fall by the wayside, but it does give some idea of what hacking really is. -- John Quarterman, CS Dept., University of Texas, Austin, Texas 78712 USA jsq@ut-sally.ARPA, jsq@ut-sally.UUCP, {ihnp4,seismo,ctvax}!ut-sally!jsq