Re: The word "hacker"

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#108

From: Martin Taylor
Date: Thu, 14 Dec 1989 22:44

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   Umm, actually the term 'hacker' originally meant _anyone_ with an
inquisative (sp?) mind...  People could hack before programmers existed in
numbers.  i.e. the MIT Model Railroad Club, lock-pickers (hacking locks),
etc...

David L. Newton       | uunet!marque!carroll1!dnewton  

================
Um...no.  A Hacker was someone who did a quick and dirty job of work
rather than a clean professional-looking one (he hacked it up).  With
early assembler (and pre-assembler) programming, I guess there wasn't
much choice about how you did the work (unless you were a genius), so
"hacker" came to be associated with those who (seemingly clever) programmed
these (incredibly complicated) machines called computers, more than
those who built (for example) rough furniture.
-- 
Martin Taylor (m...@zorac.dciem.dnd.ca ...!uunet!dciem!mmt) (416) 635-2048
If the universe transcends formal methods, it might be interesting.
     (Steven Ryan).

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References: <18518@bellcore.bellcore.com> <967@carroll1.cc.edu>

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From: mmt@client1.DRETOR.UUCP (Martin Taylor)
Newsgroups: alt.folklore.computers
Subject: Re: The word "hacker"
Message-ID: <2757@client1.DRETOR.UUCP>
Date: 14 Dec 89 22:44:18 GMT
References: <18518@bellcore.bellcore.com> <967@carroll1.cc.edu>
Reply-To: m...@client1.dciem.dnd.ca (Martin Taylor)
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Posted: Thu Dec 14 23:44:18 1989
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