3 ms·
The whole argument of what "hacker" means in tech circles versus what it means to the mainstream is beyond a dead horse. That's like trying to make the word "ga
by smtddr 12y ago
The whole argument of what "hacker" means in tech circles versus what it means to the mainstream is beyond a dead horse. That's like trying to make the word "gay" mean "happy" again.
- ddingus 12y agoIt still does mean happy! Nothing has changed there. We've just added homosexual to the list of things associated with the word "gay." When "gay" is used in the "happy" sense, context is what differentiates it from the more recent homosexual sense. "hacker" is no different. Really then, it's about more effective writing, insuring the context of "hacker" is clear from the surrounding context. What we lost in both instances was easy, utilitarian use of the word as more words are now required to convey information accurately.
- Aldo_MX 12y agoTo be honest, I never knew that "gay" meant "happy" until I watched The Three Caballeros in English
- ddingus 12y agoYou and a whole lot of other people, until they see something presenting it. I had to explain the shift to my kids once. It was sort of interesting after that time. We notice it, and they will often comment on something picking up a new meaning now. That suggests to me a lot of people remain unaware of "overloading" words in that way.