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From: UDCSTAFF@UDCVAX.BITNET
Newsgroups: comp.os.vms
Subject: Re: HACKERS
Message-ID: <8707222304.AA09835@ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU>
Date: Tue, 21-Jul-87 10:08:00 EDT
Article-I.D.: ucbvax.8707222304.AA09835
Posted: Tue Jul 21 10:08:00 1987
Date-Received: Fri, 24-Jul-87 06:57:16 EDT
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>From:  arpa%"ivanovic%vaxr.decnet@lll-icdc.arpa" 20-JUL-1987 21:55

>Keith F. Lynch and Bruce G. Kahler both make approving noises about "hackers".
>I have always associated the term "hackers" with persons who
>    . commit crimes ( break into machines that are forbidden to them )

That person is called a 'Cracker'.

>    . write code that is incomprehensible to others ( spaghetti code,
>    deliberately obscure code, or otherwise unmaintainable code )

That person is called a 'Bad Programmer'.

>    . have a greater facility dealing with computers than with people.

That is a stereotype.

>I hope never to be accused of being a "hacker".

I would be proud to be accused of being a 'hacker'.

> The people who design and implement the truely state-of-the-art systems that I
> admire greatly ( "I wish I had done that!" ) are called "programmers",
> "designers" or "software engineers", but never, never "hackers".

So, how do you distinguish a good 'programmer' from a bad 'programmer'?
Some use the terms 'guru', 'wizard', and yes: 'hacker'.

Where would DEC be if it was not for the 'hackers' in the early days.
Even now!  How many non-DEC programs on your system are designed by those
individuals who would call themselves hackers.

> Keith and Bruce are naturally free to use the term "hackers" in any sense
> they wish, but at the risk of being misunderstood by a large part of the
> population, computer literate as well as computer illiterate.

'Hacker' was a compliment before someone decided to use it as a way of
describing those who break into systems and design bad code.