Hmm. The hacker / developer dichotomy being set up here just doesn't stand up to scrutiny. At least for the values of "Hacker" with which I am familiar. I defin

Hmm. The hacker / developer dichotomy being set up here just doesn't stand up to scrutiny. At least for the values of "Hacker" with which I am familiar. I definitely consider myself a hacker. But I also know (and practice!) the value of working with the people who will actually use my software, so that I can make them happy. One memorable moment for me was the gratitude I received from a user who had made a request for a small feature. It was only an afternoon's work for me, but it saved her one week a month in make-work. Requirements analysis is a given in my mind for true hackers. Make something people want.