[kleiba]

Oh, too bad. :-(

Given the headline, I was hoping for an article on how technically inclined people are not ridiculed as "geeks" or "nerds" in China, but are rather accepted as contributors to key aspects of life in the 21st century. Instead, they're still using "hacking" and "cracking" interchangeably in the New York Times. Apparently we're not as "21 century" as I thought.

[PakG1]

I think this community really needs to get over this. Individuals, groups of individuals, or even entire communities do not get to determine the definitions of words or how words are used. Words usage is determined by society at large. If this is how hacking is used by society, then that's what it is. That's how the English language works. That's why the word xerox is an acceptable verb. That's why the meaning of the word gay has changed.

English evolves according to how its speakers and writers use it. Let it go.

[lmm]

The word gay changed precisely because a small community refused to "let it go".

[PakG1]

I'm not sure what you're saying? When I look up the history and etymology of the word gay, I don't see anything of the sort. It was quite a gradual change not the fault of any single small community.

[peterkelly]

> Instead, they're still using "hacking" and "cracking" interchangeably

We lost this one a long time ago...

[anExcitedBeast]

Being "technically inclined" doesn't make you a hacker either. The news may misuse the term, but so does this entire community. "Hacking" does not mean "doing a software job well".