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From: RALPH@UHHEPG.BITNET
Newsgroups: comp.os.vms
Subject: Re: Hackers
Message-ID: <8707222148.AA08365@ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU>
Date: Wed, 22-Jul-87 17:49:23 EDT
Article-I.D.: ucbvax.8707222148.AA08365
Posted: Wed Jul 22 17:49:23 1987
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Date: 21-JUL-1987 10:13:38.02
From: Ralph Becker-Szendy RALPH AT UHHEPG
To:   GATEWAY::"info-vax@sri-kl.arpa",RALPH
Subj: Re: Hackers
Vladimir Ivanovic seems not to like the term "hacker" very much. I do.

Unfortunately, i think we basically agree on what it means. I just like
other points of views: a hacker is someone who
- not only thinks that computers make very practical tools,
- but the also are great fun to play with,
- even to play with the ones you are not supposed to use (which i
  don't consider a crime as long as you don't harm anyone),
- sometimes think its less fun to play with people than with a machine,
- and unfortunately sometimes get carried away and write programs which
  look completely weird to others. But on the other hand: do you really
  understand Einstein's general relativity ? Doesn't it look like the
  mathematical equivalent of spaghetti-code ?
As far as i can see, hackers are to be held responsible for a large part
of the development in computer science and application; Unix, C, TeX,
Apples, Crays and many other "brand-name products" started from playing
hackers.

Unfortunately, Vladimir is right in condemning the other side of hackers:
the 14-year old kids with modems (and older ones who never grew up),
who like to break into machines and do something like DEL *.* (or whatever
it's called on that system). I say "unfortunately", because they are an
aberration.

BTW, this does not really belong into INFO-VAX, but i have strong feelings
about it (being called a hacker myself, hopefully meant the right way).