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Hacker Definition Debate

This cluster centers on debates over the true meaning of 'hacker,' distinguishing the traditional positive connotation of a clever tinkerer or mindset from criminal 'cracking,' with frequent references to Hacker News culture, Wikipedia, and philosophy.

➡️ Stable 0.6x Other
6,179
Comments
20
Years Active
5
Top Authors
#7848
Topic ID

Activity Over Time

2007
82
2008
268
2009
412
2010
438
2011
395
2012
517
2013
570
2014
434
2015
303
2016
295
2017
249
2018
203
2019
262
2020
268
2021
293
2022
290
2023
312
2024
257
2025
306
2026
25

Top Contributors

tptacek (24) mindcrime (22) coldtea (20) pg (20) krapp (18)

Keywords

YOUNG hack.html hacklang.org OP IRL HN POV catb.org MIT wikipedia.org hacker hackers hacking term culture swedish mit really matter hacks peers

Sample Comments

KingOfCoders • Apr 17, 2024 • View on HN

You might have a misunderstanding of the term "hacker".

vorador • May 27, 2009 • View on HN

Does it really matter to be a hacker or not ? - or rather, to be called a "hacker".

egh5oon • Nov 27, 2016 • View on HN

For the HN definition of hackers, maybe.

jmiserez • Mar 14, 2016 • View on HN

Don't forget "hacker":https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hacker_(term)#Hacker_definitio...

ptn • Nov 8, 2007 • View on HN

"A hacker is someone who hacks"... bah.

banannaise • Mar 24, 2023 • View on HN

They may not have been "hacking", but they definitely are a "hacker" so it's really a matter of semantics.

cubrilovic • Jul 23, 2008 • View on HN

yep, hackers in the old sense of the word

algorithm_dk • Jul 13, 2014 • View on HN

That's not what "hacker" means.

belltaco • Apr 6, 2020 • View on HN

No. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hacker_culture

gum_ina_package • Jan 4, 2014 • View on HN

I thought being a hacker was more of a mindset.