cw (06/06/82)
Yes, I've been one. Nothing like a computer graphics terminal in 1968 to keep you up all night making curves that look like Schlitz logos. And I've met many since. This behavior is typical of hackers and doesn't particularly endear them to me. Fixes at 4am are not likely to stand the light of day (recall an earlier quote about private vs. public programming). As I also suggested earlier, computer addicts tend to burn out, just like the rink rats, etc. At 30 they move to the suburbs and buy split-levels. Finally, about women hackers. There are a number of studies that suggest women are encouraged to be good students, but not encouraged in any of the sciences. Men, on the other hand, are rewarded more for specific performance in perceived "hard" subjects and less for overall quality. This trend becomes particularly evident around the time of entry to high school. Quite likely cultural, but it is not at all clear what to do about it. Charles