A quote from the Jargon file: "Contrary to stereotype, hackers are not usually intellectually narrow; they tend to be interested in any subject that can provid

A quote from the Jargon file: "Contrary to stereotype, hackers are not usually intellectually narrow; they tend to be interested in any subject that can provide mental stimulation, and can often discourse knowledgeably and even interestingly on any number of obscure subjects -- if you can get them to talk at all, as opposed to, say, going back to their hacking. It is noticeable (and contrary to many outsiders' expectations) that the better a hacker is at hacking, the more likely he or she is to have outside interests at which he or she is more than merely competent." While I agree that technology should remain the major focus of HN, I also find it important to keep up some diversity in the discussions. The most prominent character trait of a hacker is probably curiosity, and what kind of curiosity digs down into its little cubby hole and refuses to contemplate the world outside?