[InclinedPlane]

Also note that it's possible for a single word to have multiple meanings depending on context, this includes even opposite meanings with opposite connotations. In the context of news.yc.com the term "hacker" generally has a different meaning than the term has elsewhere, especially in the context of unauthorized, malicious intrusion into a computer system.

Similarly a term such as "killer" may have an extremely negative connotation in the context of a grisly homicide yet the same word may have a positive connotation and a completely different meaning (dominant, superlative, desirable) in other connotations. Such is the dynamic, flexible, and adaptive nature of language (outside the realm of the pedant).

[numbchuckskills]

Main Entry: hack·er Pronunciation: \ˈha-kər\ Function: noun Date: 14th century

1 : one that hacks 2 : a person who is inexperienced or unskilled at a particular activity <a tennis hacker> 3 : an expert at programming and solving problems with a computer 4 : a person who illegally gains access to and sometimes tampers with information in a computer system

Three out of four possible Merriam-Webster definitions are negative.

[awa]

Only the 4th one seems negative to me... 1) is neutral (since hack has atleast 1 +ve meaning), is positive and 2) is as similar to inexperienced/unskilled whose connotation is context dependent(imho)