________________________________________
From: users-bounces(a)lists.fedoraproject.org [users-bounces(a)lists.fedoraproject.org] On
Behalf Of Richard Vickery [richard.vickeryrv(a)gmail.com]
Sent: Friday, March 15, 2013 4:30 PM
To: Community support for Fedora users
Subject: Re: Has my fedora 18 installation been hacked?
On Mar 15, 2013 9:39 AM, "Greg Woods"
<woods@ucar.edu<mailto:woods@ucar.edu>> wrote:
On Fri, 2013-03-15 at 08:25 -0700, Richard Vickery wrote:
>
> It is not really my intent to be rude, but each of us "hack" out own
> systems and the kernel all the time.
Unfortunately, this battle over the word "hack" and "hacker" has
already
been fought and lost. The media, and just about everyone other than
hard-core geeks, uses the word "hack" to mean breaking into systems.
Not in my circles; I refuse to let people alternate the term.
Heck, that's why we co-opted the word "geek", which not
that long ago
was a very insulting term, and is now used as a term for people worthy
of respect, similar to how "hacker" was used in the old days.
I suppose it is confusing that the meanings of these words have changed,
but unfortunately the real meaning of a word is going to be defined by
how it is most commonly used.
So change it!!! Don't let them beat you into the ground; correct them!
IMO, "hack" has sort of a violent sound to it, which makes me feel it is more
appropriate for a forceful entry type of context, and I am not surprised that most people
assume that this is what it should mean. Furthermore. where I am from "cracker"
is a more or less insulting racial term so it just leads to awkwardness. I do know the
history of the term "hacker" but I have zero problems with the way it is used in
the media.
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