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This article goes out to say that the term "Hack" is increasingly less commonly used to refer to malicious users. While that might be true in tech circles, I'm
by cantankerous 14y ago
This article goes out to say that the term "Hack" is increasingly less commonly used to refer to malicious users. While that might be true in tech circles, I'm skeptical that a significantly larger group of people off the street would respond positively if I asked them what the term "hack" meant. I'm not saying Hacking is bad, I think the term has been somewhat hijacked, sure. But, let's be realistic, I think it's generally a negative term to most people and will probably stay that way into the indefinite future.
- mjwalshe 14y agoYes I think the author of the article desperately wants "hack" to have its old MIT usage - I am afraid that train has left the station decades ago.
- TazeTSchnitzel 14y agoWell, this website still uses it...
- 4ad 14y agoNo. On this site hacker doesn't have any of its original meaning, it means IT-startup entrepreneur. Don't forget that this site was named Startup News before.
- kleiba 14y agoSo why was it renamed then? The name hackernews was actually chosen to reflect that this news site should not only be strictly about IT startups. http://ycombinator.com/hackernews.html http://ycombinator.com/hackernews.html
- gnu8 14y agoThe negative meaning should not be accepted or acknowledged. When something is incorrect it's incorrect, no matter how many people believe it.
- cantankerous 14y agoIt's a neologism...a lingual bookmark for a concept in the popular consciousness. I'm not sure that you can just tell people they're "wrong" for using it. They'll just tell you you're wrong for not using it.
- JeremyBanks 14y agoSorry, but that's not how language works.