Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83; site pucc-h Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!floyd!harpo!ihnp4!inuxc!pur-ee!CS-Mordred!Pucc-H:aeq From: aeq@pucc-h (Jeff Sargent) Newsgroups: net.followup,net.flame Subject: Re: Hacker. A definition. Message-ID: <524@pucc-h> Date: Tue, 7-Feb-84 03:10:07 EST Article-I.D.: pucc-h.524 Posted: Tue Feb 7 03:10:07 1984 Date-Received: Thu, 9-Feb-84 13:38:17 EST References: <3230@utcsrgv.UUCP> Organization: Purdue University Computing Center Lines: 17 On the flip side of the issue, I have always thought that "hacker" in the original computerese sense of the word was a pejorative term, meaning one who was obsessed with machines, often to the exclusion of people (superficial socializing with those who are also obsessed with machines does not count as really relating to people!). Hackers are those who are unable to cope with real life (what's a favorite hacker pastime? Fantasy games!). I bade fair to become a full-bore hacker myself in my earlier years (and I still keep hacker hours)--so I KNOW that it was largely because I had difficulty relating to people, because I had one of the weakest egos this side of the Hudson. I suspect that this may be one of the general underlying causes of the hacking syndrome in many cases. Putting on my asbestos gloves (gotta protect those guitar-playing fingers) and my asbestos lab coat (I am known as "Dr. Blotto[*]" locally)... -- Jeff Sargent/...pur-ee!pucc-h:aeq [*] "Blotto" is a trademark of the Purdue University Computing Center.