Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!seismo!rutgers!ucla-cs!zen!ucbvax!UHHEPG.BITNET!RALPH 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 Date-Received: Fri, 24-Jul-87 06:24:17 EDT Sender: daemon@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU Distribution: world Organization: The ARPA Internet Lines: 30 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).