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by seven
6027 days ago
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I whole heartedly disagree with the first part of your statement. I considered me to be a hacker long time before I got called 'hacker' by my peers and clients. As I already wrote, I do tell some people that I am a hacker. Most of the times this a result of the question: 'So you are a hacker?' After I explained what I do. Saying you are only a hacker if your peers call you that just raises the mystery around the term hacker. Last part of your statement I fully agree to. Hacking at first has nothing to do with software or hardware. For me it is using stuff in a way that is was not intent to be used. Being in Africa right now, I see a lot of clever hacks, where people use for example climate control devices to get more or less clean water, reusing garbage to build new stuff and so on. I am more concerned about the phrase 'expert'. This is imo something you can not label yourself. And even if.. it sounds always kind of strange to me. |
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But seriously, it seems "hacker" is thrown in self-reference too much. While anyone can do something clever to perform "a hack," to actually be a "hacker" takes a mind-set, not an accomplishment.
People can become hackers by taking on that mind-set, and they may very well be a tenable hacker without having been gifted the label by another.
I'll agree with many other comments though, in saying that "hacker" is a label that should only be used among folks who you are relatively certain already understand the concept. Example: Calling yourself a hacker over a business lunch with non-technical investors? Bad idea. Always. Even if you really are one.
Either way, critical thinkers should be able to condense their function to a single sentence without pulling out stigma-laden memes. They should also recognize that "What do you do?" deserves a response more four words long.