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Can we stop over-applying the word "hacker" to everything that produces something or other? I know that Graham loves doing that, but it just dilutes the term ti
by apl 16y ago
Can we stop over-applying the word "hacker" to everything that produces something or other? I know that Graham loves doing that, but it just dilutes the term till it becomes utterly vacuous. Screenwriters are not hackers. There's very, very little commonality.
Well, both create text at some point. I'll give you that.
- pg 16y ago"I know that Graham loves doing that" I do?
- apl 16y agoUnfortunately, yes. "Hackers and Painters" is a rather famous instance of that particular non-analogy. Given that you've published a book under this title, however, I doubt that there's any point in debating the issue here. So I'll just say, even if painters and architects are hackers (to which I strongly object, but hey), including screenwriters such as Sorkin goes one or two steps too far. There's a line, and crossing it just makes "hacker" semantically arbitrary.
- pg 16y agoI don't think I ever applied the word "hacker" in that book to anyone except programmers. Or in anything else I've written: http://www.google.com/search?q=site%3Apaulgraham.com+hacker http://www.google.com/search?q=site%3Apaulgraham.com+hacker
- pixcavator 16y ago>>"Hackers and Painters" is a rather famous instance of that particular non-analogy. >I don't think I ever applied the word "hacker" in that book to anyone except programmers. This is called a "non-denial denial".
- pg 16y agoIt's called a denial of the actual claim (http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1840270 http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1840270) instead of the one he tried to turn it into when called on it. Man, today is one of those days I wish I'd never even started posting comments on HN.
- gasull 16y agoDon't feed the trolls.
- pixcavator 16y agoI see your point now.
- c2 16y agoPlease tell us about the time you most successfully hacked some (non-computer) system to your advantage.
- pg 16y agoHack is of course applied by practically everyone who uses it to things other than code. The word we're talking about here though is hacker. Which is not just hack with er on the end of it any more than robber is just rob with er on the end of it.
- pig 16y agoany more than robber is just rob with er on the end of it But one steals by threatening violence and the other clothes you against your wishes.
- c2 16y agoI can see from your other comments today that you might be getting frustrated with this topic and I understand. It's not my intention to draw out some asinine debate over the use of the work hacker and hack. That said, I can definitely understand why the original poster was assuming you use the word hacker in non-conventional ways. Claiming "one who hacks" is a metaphor for a person who implements innovative and disruptive ideas and then claiming "one who hacks" does not equate to a "hacker" is a bit of a semantic train wreck. For the record, I've never heard of some one who uses "hacks" in that way to describe anything outside of the traditional "hacker" sense. I personally think it is a clever and interesting way to think of the word, and I also don't understand why anyone would be particular upset about it enough to post a comment.
- pg 16y ago"claiming "one who hacks" does not equate to a "hacker" is a bit of a semantic train wreck" No, in standard usage they are not equivalent. "Hack" is used broadly for slightly dubious solutions in programming and other domains, whereas "hacker" is rarely used to refer to anything other than programmers.
- angrycoder 16y agoI think the creative process across all disciplines has more similarities than differences. Everyone likes to think they are a beautiful and unique little snowflake. Nobody likes the reality that they aren't.