What I don't like about the title is that it assumes that the reader is not already a hacker, and that the reader aspires to become a hacker. (Not in a strong

What I don't like about the title is that it assumes that the reader is not already a hacker, and that the reader aspires to become a hacker. (Not in a strong way, but presumably if I have no desire to transition from non-hacker to hacker, there's no reason for me to read something called "How to Become a Hacker".) I think it relates to your point, because another way to say this is that it's presented in an obnoxiously (to me) self-help-book-esque fashion. If it was called "The Workings of a Hacker's World" or some such, I'd find it less grating. I assume this is the Dabblers and Blowhards post to which you refer: http://idlewords.com/2005/04/dabblers_and_blowhards.htm http://idlewords.com/2005/04/dabblers_and_blowhards.htm ... thanks, I'll give it a read.