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From: ik.naggum-erik@tone.UIO.NO
Newsgroups: comp.os.vms
Subject: Re: Hacker
Message-ID: <3613.8707232021@verdande.UIO.NO>
Date: Fri, 24-Jul-87 05:51:15 EDT
Article-I.D.: verdande.3613.8707232021
Posted: Fri Jul 24 05:51:15 1987
Date-Received: Sat, 25-Jul-87 12:36:56 EDT
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The current debate on the word "hacker" brings certain items to mind.

1) I was naive enough, some time ago, to let the city newspaper run an
article on me, self-described `hacker' in the good sense.  The
journalist seemed to understand the difference between "hacker" and
"hacker" and which side I was on.  He proved to have other intentions.

2) Grady Booch has a standard copyright notice in the front of his book,
"Software Engineering with Ada"*, which inhibits me from quoting it.
Please look up Chapter 1, _Introduction_, and section 1.1, _The Problem
Domain_, pp 2-3, in the second edition, ISBN 0-8053-0604-8 (The
Benjamin/Cummings Publishing Company, Inc) for some interesting
commentaries on the hacking phenomonon and the "software crisis."

3) There was a book published by Century Communications (UK) in 1985,
written by one Hugo Cornwall, called "The Hacker's Handbook".  Not
governed by the same copyright clause, I quote: "Every hacker I have
ever come across has been quite clear about where the fun lies: it is in
developing an understanding of a system and finally producing the skills
and tools to defeat it."  (Page vii.)  (ISBN 0-7126-0650-5)

The fight is lost.  I don't describe myself as a "hacker," anymore.
"Wizard" has not been defiled, yet, so I use that with trusted friends.
(Are there any newspaper spies reading this? :-)


Erik Naggum		ARPA:  enag@siri.uio.no or enag%siri@ifi.uio.no
Manager/Wizard		SNAIL: POB 1560 Vika, N-0118 OSLO 1, NORWAY
Naggum Software		PHONE: (intl)+47-2-549-163  (0600-1200 GMT)

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* "Ada" is a registered trademark of the U.S. Government, Ada Joint
Program Office.
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