[shard]

Unlike you, I found that the author discussed many instances of hacking in the article. He hacked social conventions in order to walk freely in places where otherwise it could be dangerous for him to walk. Social engineering is a very appropriate topic for Hacker News.

[kazinator]

> Social engineering is a very appropriate topic for Hacker News.

Certainly, if you take "hacker" to be the mainstream definition corresponding to "cracker".

[kalleboo]

The Y Combinator application form famously has this question on it: "Please tell us about the time you most successfully hacked some (non-computer) system to your advantage." A case of social engineering would certainly be a valid response

[kazinator]

Perhaps due to my imagination being feeble, I can't see how that could be about anything but some sort of con job.