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It helps if you read the entire article rather than simply cherry-picking small sections that support your opinion. Quoting a section of the article you missed (or chose to ignore):

Other uses of the word hacker exist that are not related to computer security (computer programmer and home computer hobbyists), but these are rarely used by the mainstream media. Some would argue that the people that are now considered hackers are not hackers, as before the media described the person who breaks into computers as a hacker there was a hacker community. This community was a community of people who had a large interest in computer programming, often creating open source software. These people now refer to the cyber-criminal hackers as "crackers".

Thanks for proving my point.

Again, for your pleasure and edification:

hack1w.png


More:

http://news.google.ca/news?hl=en&so...=news_group&ct=title&resnum=1&ved=0CBkQsQQwAA

I know all the Open Source folks would just love everyone to be nice and equate "hacker" with sugar and spice and everything to do with "smart guys who know how to program computers and solve problems" etc., but it just isn't happening. So sorry. And you know who ruined the word? Hackers.
 
I know all the Open Source folks would just love everyone to do the politically correct thing and equate "hacker" with sugar and spice and everything to do with "smart guys who know how to program computers and solve problems" etc., but it just isn't happening. So sorry.

The people who use use "copywrite" rather than "copyright" would likely agree with you. They'd also argue "it's close enough" or say "well, you know what I mean"...

Personally, I believe that the use of precise language is critical in intelligent debate. In case you haven't noticed, "mainstream media" rarely engages in that level of discourse...

Why not choose one's words carefully, in an effort to avoid misunderstanding and confusion? You seem to be arguing the opposite...
 
Just because the dumb majority of people are misusing a term it doesn't make it right.
 
And you know who ruined the word? Hackers.

So the general public are now hackers? Are you seriously trying to equate hacking to public stupidity?

Dude there is such a thing as a good hacker. They develop firewalls, anti-credit card fraud and other such things. I'm sorry LTD thats just empty headed of you. My old computing teacher, she's a hacker. She used to work for the Police developing firewalls to stop chinese hackers. Now she's a teacher.

The damned evil "Datamining" professors at Universities use their time to research security algorithms.
 
Apple already acts that way, proof, look at how they acted over the Palm device being able to connect to iTunes, Apple allows no one to connect to their iTunes.

Actually ... Apple does allow anyone to sync with iTunes, they just have to do it the right way, using the xml files. Palm tried to pose as an iPod and sync, which is abuse of their USB license.

Check your facts next time.
 
So the general public are now hackers? Are you seriously trying to equate hacking to public stupidity?

Dude there is such a thing as a good hacker. They develop firewalls, anti-credit card fraud and other such things. I'm sorry LTD thats just empty headed of you. My old computing teacher, she's a hacker. She used to work for the Police developing firewalls to stop chinese hackers. Now she's a teacher.

The damned evil "Datamining" professors at Universities use their time to research security algorithms.

Yes, there are good hackers, with the misfortune of having labelled themselves with that term. Oh well. Them's the breaks. Hopefully the public will catch on. I believe your teacher would prefer the term "security consultant" more than anything else. Ask her. "Hacker" is still a pejorative, any way you slice it.
 
Umm, no... he's "not out of touch." At least not according to Merrian-Websters which places the hacker=cracker interruption in 4th place:

Main Entry: hack·er
Pronunciation: \ˈha-kər\
Function: noun
Date: 14th century
1 : one that hacks
2 : a person who is inexperienced or unskilled at a particular activity <a tennis hacker>
3 : an expert at programming and solving problems with a computer
4 : a person who illegally gains access to and sometimes tampers with information in a computer system

The fact that a dictionary added the 4th definition which is now the accepted one in the public view makes what I said more true. The word doesn't mean an expert at programming anymore. People who use it in that sense when talking about computers is just going to introduce confusion.

I bet it'll take sometime before the Mirriam webster removes that 3rd definition, but they eventually will. Of course, dictionaries tend to be a bit conservative about language evolution.

The people who use use "copywrite" rather than "copyright" would likely agree with you. They'd also argue "it's close enough" or say "well, you know what I mean"...

Why not choose one's words carefully, in an effort to avoid misunderstanding and confusion? You seem to be arguing the opposite...

You do understand that you're making opposite arguments here. "The people who use copywrite and say well, you know what I mean" like you say are popular culture.

And if you want to avoid confusion, you need to bend over to these people, because unfortunately, they are the ones that have evolved the language and you will be the one to introduce confusion if you try to stick to old ways.

So the general public are now hackers? Are you seriously trying to equate hacking to public stupidity?

Dude there is such a thing as a good hacker. They develop firewalls, anti-credit card fraud and other such things. I'm sorry LTD thats just empty headed of you. My old computing teacher, she's a hacker. She used to work for the Police developing firewalls to stop chinese hackers. Now she's a teacher.

The damned evil "Datamining" professors at Universities use their time to research security algorithms.

See, even you are confused. What you're describing isn't hackers, they are crackers by the proper terms. You're alluding to white hats vs grey hats vs black hats, pointing out your professor as a white hat.

Hackers in the old definition, the 3rd one pointed by localoid are people that develop OS kernels, GUIs, media players, firewalls, computer games, bittorrent clients, file manipulation utilities, etc... It wasn't necessarily tied to computer security. In fact, quite the opposite, hackers had nothing to do with computer security going by that definition.
 
Yes, there are good hackers, with the misfortune of having labelled themselves with that term. Oh well. Them's the breaks. Hopefully the public will catch on. I believe your teacher would prefer the term "security consultant" more than anything else. Ask her. "Hacker" is still a pejorative, any way you slice it.

I say, for the pleasure of living in this country, you must be able to give the meaning of 100 random words. Screw the PC Bull.
 
We might as be arguing that "Jack is always disruptive" is a true statement even though any reasonable minded person would agree that it's impossible for Jack to always be disruptive.

Again, precise language fosters intelligent debate.
 
We might as be arguing that "Jack is always disruptive" is a true statement even though any reasonable minded person would agree that it's impossible for Jack to always be disruptive.

Again, precise language fosters intelligent debate.

Sure, but what are going to do, revert to Ye Olde English ? Language has evolved, and unfortunately for people stuck in the old ways, they just sound like elite snobs when they refuse to evolve along with it.

You could've just added people that say "I could care less", when it's obvious they wanted to say "I couldn't care less".
 
No, they haven't. The operating system core was created by the FreeBSD foundation, and they've decided to give it away for free to anybody who wants to use it. Apple just customized it and called it "Darwin" and then added a GUI framework on top of it.

OMFG Winni, do your research.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NeXTSTEP

Sure, but what are going to do, revert to Ye Olde English ? Language has evolved, and unfortunately for people stuck in the old ways, they just sound like elite snobs when they refuse to evolve along with it.

You could've just added people that say "I could care less", when it's obvious they wanted to say "I couldn't care less".

The trick is to learn when to use slang and when not too.

IMO, I generally follow the Collins Dictionary.
 
Why can't they just give up? Even despite the alleged illegality, they sold less than a 1000 units, they estimated they would sell hundreds of thousands. No one wants their junk, they want the real McCoy.
 
Sure, but what are going to do, revert to Ye Olde English ? Language has evolved, and unfortunately for people stuck in the old ways, they just sound like elite snobs when they refuse to evolve along with it.

You could've just added people that say "I could care less", when it's obvious they wanted to say "I couldn't care less".

Um, you haven't established "refusal to evolve" as fact. That's merely your opinion regarding future events.

This "debate" is beginning to remind me of the "fanboy" thread... Is it that difficult for some here to avoid using words as pejoratives, and by doing so avoid statements and remarks that some consider might consider to be inflammatory or offensive?
 
He's using Hackers to describe what open source and old Unix types refer to as crackers. Of course, it's over, we lost. Hacker doesn't mean what it used to mean, and it has now replaced cracker.

You trying to insinuate hackers aren't what he says they are only shows that you are out of touch with the modern use of the word (who knew a word could change meaning in only 30 or so years...).
I know, of course I do, but I reject the implication that all hackers are criminals; which is what he implied. That's all ;)

Note: Most of us use the term: "Mozilla Application Developer" nowadays... thanks to stupid media folks [the uneducated].
 
Um, you haven't established "refusal to evolve" as fact. That's merely your opinion regarding future events.

Except it's not my opinion regarding future events, it's my observation of current events. Hacker as skilled computer programmer is dead and buried. Only skilled computer programmers in certain circles still use it that way.

The general public and media have voted and unfortunately, they are the majority. "They could care less" what you think.

In all of this, you've never stopped to wonder why I know the proper usage of the word but still argued for its new usage ? I've been through that phase already. I have accepted that it doesn't mean what I taught it meant anymore.
 
Except it's not my opinion regarding future events, it's my observation of current events. Hacker as skilled computer programmer is dead and buried. Only skilled computer programmers in certain circles still use it that way.

The general public and media have voted and unfortunately, they are the majority. "They could care less" what you think.

In all of this, you've never stopped to wonder why I know the proper usage of the word but still argued for its new usage ? I've been through that phase already. I have accepted that it doesn't mean what I taught it meant anymore.
That's because too many people keep quiet. Like the slowly "evolving" privacy rules... which appears to be next. Just a matter of time, and you write: "The majority has spoken". Which doesn't make it acceptable to me. Luckily not.
 
That's because too many people keep quiet. Like the slowly "evolving" privacy rules... which appears to be next. Just a matter of time, and you write: "The majority has spoken". Which doesn't make it acceptable to me. Luckily not.

There's about 3 levels of difference between evolving languages (which is a natural part of life) and erosion of privacy rights. There are some things that should be denounced. Others you just need to accept and move on.

Hacker/cracker is something people need to accept and move on. Erosion of privacy rights should be strongly denounced and opposed.
 
How would you like it if all movie companies belonging to Sony would tell you that you can only watch their DVDs and BluRays on players with a Sony logo? Just dump your Toshiba, Philips or Matsushita players - you -have- to buy a Sony DVD player if you want to watch a movie from Columbia Tristar or Sony Pictures or whatever else. Really, let me know, how would you like that?

Sony could do that if they wanted to, for sure. There are historical attempts by companies to capture such markets on both ends with their own equipment. Sony could create a new specification for carrying media that they would not license for anyone else to use and could be the only ones to make machines to watch it.

They choose not to do it, because they would be competing against others who are sharing a specification and providing choice to the consumer, which means the other side wins.

Ever heard of beta vs vhs?
 
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