noxz.tech/dictionary/index.www
1A collection of words and phrases, and their meaning when I used them. The
2purpose of this list is partly to minimize misunderstandings of me and partly
3to clarify misconceptions in general.
4
5.DLS
6.LI "brainfuck:"
7.TAG "brainfuck"
8A peculiar esoteric programming language consisting of only eight commands, in
9extreme minimalism. It's not sexual penetration of ones brain, although looking
10at the code might feel like it.
11
12.LI "cracker:"
13.TAG "cracker"
14One who breaks security on a system. Coined ca. 1985 by hackers in defense
15against journalistic misuse of hacker (q.v., sense 8). While it is expected
16that any real hacker will have done some playful cracking and knows many of the
17basic techniques, anyone past larval stage is expected to have outgrown the
18desire to do so except for immediate, benign, practical reasons (for example,
19if it's necessary to get around some security in order to get some work done).
20
21Thus, there is far less overlap between hackerdom and crackerdom than the
22mundane reader misled by sensationalistic journalism might expect. Crackers
23tend to gather in small, tight-knit, very secretive groups that have little
24overlap with the huge, open poly-culture this lexicon describes; though
25crackers often like to describe themselves as hackers, most true hackers
26consider them a separate and lower form of life. See
27.URL http://www.catb.org/jargon/html/C/cracker.html "jargon file" .
28
29.LI "hacker:"
30.TAG "hacker"
31A person who enjoys exploring the details of programmable systems and how to
32stretch their capabilities, as opposed to most users, who prefer to learn only
33the minimum necessary.
34.URL https://www.rfc-editor.org/rfc/rfc1392.txt RFC1392 ,
35the Internet Users' Glossary, usefully amplifies this as: A person who delights
36in having an intimate understanding of the internal workings of a system,
37computers and computer networks in particular. See
38.URL http://www.catb.org/jargon/html/H/hacker.html "jargon file" .
39
40The focus on security is a more recent development in the hacker culture.
41Initially, hackers focused on exploring and understanding the capabilities and
42limitations of computer systems, and pushing the boundaries of what was possible
43with technology. Over time, as the importance of computer security became more
44apparent, many hackers turned their attention to security-related issues, and
45the term "hacker" came to be associated more with those who sought to find
46vulnerabilities in computer systems in order to improve security, rather than
47those who simply enjoyed exploring technology. However, the hacker culture
48remains centered around the idea of using creative problem-solving and a deep
49understanding of technology to push the boundaries of what is possible.
50
51Media's portrayal of the stereotypical hacker as a criminal has led to a
52misconception of what hacking really means. Hacking is not inherently criminal,
53and hackers can be individuals who explore and experiment with technology in a
54creative and ethical way. What hacking is used for is determined by the
55individual, and do not forget, what is deemed criminal is determined by those
56who exert power. By allowing a community to define itself rather than being
57defined by outsiders, we can foster a culture of autonomy and respect. This
58applies not only to the hacker community but to all communities. Allowing
59individuals to define themselves promotes diversity and a deeper understanding
60of different cultures, as well as promoting self-expression and autonomy.
61
62.LI "hacker ethic:"
63.TAG "hacker_ethic"
64The hacker ethic is centered around passion, hard work, creativity and joy of
65creating software
66.TAG-REF cite_himanen_2001 "Himanen, 2001" .
67Levy describes the
68following core principles to the hacker ethic:
69.ULS
70.LI
71Sharing \(en improvement of yours and others public creations.
72.LI
73Openness \(en all information should be free.
74.LI
75Decentralization \(en mistrust authority & promote decentralization. Hackers
76are encouraged to think critically and to challenge the status quo. Promoting
77decentralization dilutes the concentration of power and redistributes the power
78among the many.
79.LI
80Access to computers, and anything which might teach you something about the
81way the world works, should be unlimited and total. Always yield to the
82Hands-On Imperative!
83.LI
84World Improvement (foremost, upholding democracy and the fundamental laws we
85all live by, as a society)
86.LI
87.URL //noxz.tech/dictionary/#meritocracy Meritocracy
88\(en hackers should be judged by their hacking, not bogus criteria
89such as degrees, age, race, or position
90.LI
91You can create art and beauty on a computer.
92.LI
93Computers can change your life for the better
94.TAG-REF cite_levy_2010 "Levy, 2010" .
95.ULE
96
97The hacker ethic and its wider context can be associated with liberalism and
98anarchism (see for example,
99.URL "//noxz.tech/articles/hacking-culture-and-capitalism/" \
100"Hacking Culture: a radical challenge to Capitalism, not its offspring" ).
101
102.LI "meritocracy:"
103.TAG "meritocracy"
104.I "A system in which advancement is based on individual ability or achievement" .
105Inherent to the hacker ethic is a meritocratic system where superficiality is
106disregarded in esteem of skill, and "hackers should be judged by their hacking,
107not bogus criteria such as degrees, age, race, or position"
108.TAG-REF cite_levy_2010 "Levy, 2010" .
109
110In hacker ethic
111.I meritocracy
112is
113.I not
114meant as a form of social system in
115which power goes to those with superior intellects, or the belief that rulers
116should be chosen for their superior abilities and not because of their wealth
117or birth.
118
119.B NOTE:
120Then again, even if meritocracy in the sense of hacking doesn't refer to some
121sort of superiority, who determines what is good hacking and what is not?
122Though I agree that hackers should not be judged based on bogus criteria such
123as degrees, age, race, or position, if hacking can be performed for the sake of
124hacking without the need to be particularly useful, what is the determining
125factor for it to be judged, and is it even necessary to be judged at all?
126.DLE
127
128.HnS 1
129References
130.HnE
131
132.REF "cite_himanen_2001" "Himanen, Pekka (2001). \
133\f[I]The Hacker Ethic and the Spirit of the Information Age\f[]. \
134New York: Random House."
135.REF "cite_levy_2010" "Levy, Steven (2010). \
136\f[I]Hackers \(en Heroes of the computer revolution\f[]. \
137Sebastopol, Calif: O'Reilly Media."
