It's cost/benefit as far as kernel hackers vs. low-level systems devs. To get a job writing at a kernel level at a commercial company, you need what? A masters

It's cost/benefit as far as kernel hackers vs. low-level systems devs. To get a job writing at a kernel level at a commercial company, you need what? A masters degree, at least, plus experience? Minimum, to even be considered. A decent dev job, you bang it out using a high level language and move into a management position and are making more than that kernel dev position, anyways. That "hacker" who has studied the kernel, knows that if you can compromise the kernel and gain root, all the other programs fall because your password keychain will be exposed, and no one keeps track of their own passwords anymore. Hackers don't need a resume or interview and references as a barrier for entry, it's a skills test. I sound like I'm romanticizing the "hacker", but I wouldn't want to be one. If you get caught, these days, you're hosed. Not to mention, a lot of them are state sponsored from not very nice states, so to speak.