[Zenst]

> The meaning of all words changes. It would be ironic if the meaning of the word hacker would be unchangeable, impenetrable.

Hats off, brilliantly put and the whole aspect that the word hackers got hacked is one that I'll remember with a smile upon this subject. Thank you for that perspective - I'll think better for it.

[lioeters]

Indeed, that was insightful - the word "hacker" has been hacked by mass media to re/present a politicized and criminalized interpretation.

The predicament itself feels ironic, in that "hacker" culture reveled in the amoral, going beyond conventional behavior, thinking outside the box, getting around rules and systems, manipulating technology for fun and profit.

In a way, that dark side of the hacker attitude now pervades politics, business, and the media. Public institutions and private organizations are surveilling, cataloguing, identifying trends, and maniputing public opinion and social behavior.

I suppose it was inevitable that "hacker culture" itself was infiltrated and hacked, to serve an ulterior purpose.

A healthy reaction has been the rise of "maker culture". What is old is new again!