Re: Derogatory language

[Robert Amsler <amsler@FLASH.BELLCORE.COM>]

Hacker [ From ``the Hacker's Dictionary'', by Guy Steele Jr. et al.
	Harper & Row, 1983]

1. A person who enjoys learning the details of computer systems and how
   to stretch their capabilities--as opposed to most users of
   computers, who prefer to learn only the minimum amount necessary.
2. One who programs enthusiastically, or who enjoys programming
   rather than just theorizing about programming.
3. A person capable of appreciating ``hack value'' (q.v.)
4. A person who is good at programming quickly. (By the way, not
   everything a hacker produces is a hack.)
5. An expert on a particular program, or one who frequently does
   work using it or on it. Example: ``A SAIL hacker.'' (This
   definition and the preceding ones are correlated, and people who
   fit them congregate.)
6. An expert of any kind. One might be an astronomy hacker, for
   example.
7. A malicious or inquisitive meddler who tries to discover
   information by poking around. For example, a ``password hacker''
   is one who tries, possibly by deceptive or illegal means, to
   discover other people's computer passwords. A ``network hacker''
   is one who tries to learn about the computer network (possibly
   because he wants to improve it or possibly because he wants to
   interfere--one can tell the difference only by context and tone
   of voice).