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Great Article. I don't really think that true hackers will get very many people that aren't hackers to care about the misuse of the term. Some security experts
by phaus 13y ago
Great Article. I don't really think that true hackers will get very many people that aren't hackers to care about the misuse of the term. Some security experts note the misuse of the word, but most of them continue to use it in the wrong context after doing so. The non-tech savvy parts of society don't care enough to remember the distinction, because it isn't their demographic that's being wrongfully maligned.
I wonder if we could get Stallman to update his footnote about the MIT administration's idea that security breaches "need not be invariably condemned." Clearly they have changed their minds on this issue.
- GhotiFish 13y agoTo be honest, I like the word hacker as it stands in its nebulous state now. It serves as a reverse shibboleth (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shibboleth https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shibboleth) for geeks. Signalling to those who understand it, that they are part of an "in group". That is a useful social tool. For those that don't understand, it doesn't confuse them that much, the difference between the two competing definitions is subtle enough at an introductory level as to not sound awkward. I find that people will never really be confused if you used RMS's definition, so long as they know that competing definition exists, even if they don't agree with that definition!