Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!seismo!rochester!pt!sei!sei.cmu.edu!pdb
From: pdb@sei.cmu.edu (Patrick Barron)
Newsgroups: comp.misc
Subject: Re: Hacker Scholarship
Message-ID: <1871@aw.sei.cmu.edu>
Date: Mon, 13-Jul-87 17:04:03 EDT
Article-I.D.: aw.1871
Posted: Mon Jul 13 17:04:03 1987
Date-Received: Tue, 14-Jul-87 07:15:23 EDT
References: <2757@mtgzz.UUCP> <345@genesis.UUCP> <2318@hoptoad.uucp> <234@wrs.UUCP> <1139@codas.ATT.COM>
Sender: netnews@sei.cmu.edu
Reply-To: pdb@sei.cmu.edu (Pat Barron)
Organization: Carnegie-Mellon University, SEI, Pgh, Pa
Lines: 40

In article <1139@codas.ATT.COM> dlm@codas.ATT.COM (Don_L_Million) writes:
>In article <234@wrs.UUCP>, dg@wrs.UUCP (David Goodenough) writes:
>> 
>> ... phreak is the term that should be used to describe people that
>> attempt malicious damage or theft. I use the term hacker to describe
>> someone like myself who writes a 90% full implementation of rogue on
>> a Z80, .. NOTHING I have done while wearing my hacker hat has ever 
>> constituted theft or malicious damage.
>> 
>OK, as long as you're hacking away on your own machine, I have nothing
>but respect for your ingenuity.  As soon as you intentionally break into
>someone else's machine YOU ARE A CRIMINAL!  I don't care whether you damage
>anything or not!  Just like you wouldn't care whether or not I found some-
>thing to take; if I broke into your house, you'd want me prosecuted.
>
>BTW this may sound like a flame, but it's not intended as such.


Just to try to set the record straight on what a "hacker" is, for those who
do not yet understand...The following is taken from the Jargon File, which
is maintained on MIT-AI and a few other machines.  Of the six definitions of
the word given here, only *one* has *anything* to do with breaking the
security of computer systems (many "real" hackers prefer to use the term
"cracker" for such malicious vandals).

----------------------------------------------------------------------

HACKER [originally, someone who makes furniture with an axe] n. 1. A
   person who enjoys learning the details of programming systems and
   how to stretch their capabilities, as opposed to most users who
   prefer to learn only the minimum necessary.  2. One who programs
   enthusiastically, or who enjoys programming rather than just
   theorizing about programming.  3. A person capable of appreciating
   hack value (q.v.).  4. A person who is good at programming quickly.
   Not everything a hacker produces is a hack.  5. An expert at a
   particular program, or one who frequently does work using it or on
   it; example: "A SAIL hacker".  (Definitions 1 to 5 are correlated,
   and people who fit them congregate.)  6. A malicious or inquisitive
   meddler who tries to discover information by poking around.  Hence
   "password hacker", "network hacker".