ik.naggum-erik@tone.UIO.NO (07/24/87)
The current debate on the word "hacker" brings certain items to mind. 1) I was naive enough, some time ago, to let the city newspaper run an article on me, self-described `hacker' in the good sense. The journalist seemed to understand the difference between "hacker" and "hacker" and which side I was on. He proved to have other intentions. 2) Grady Booch has a standard copyright notice in the front of his book, "Software Engineering with Ada"*, which inhibits me from quoting it. Please look up Chapter 1, _Introduction_, and section 1.1, _The Problem Domain_, pp 2-3, in the second edition, ISBN 0-8053-0604-8 (The Benjamin/Cummings Publishing Company, Inc) for some interesting commentaries on the hacking phenomonon and the "software crisis." 3) There was a book published by Century Communications (UK) in 1985, written by one Hugo Cornwall, called "The Hacker's Handbook". Not governed by the same copyright clause, I quote: "Every hacker I have ever come across has been quite clear about where the fun lies: it is in developing an understanding of a system and finally producing the skills and tools to defeat it." (Page vii.) (ISBN 0-7126-0650-5) The fight is lost. I don't describe myself as a "hacker," anymore. "Wizard" has not been defiled, yet, so I use that with trusted friends. (Are there any newspaper spies reading this? :-) Erik Naggum ARPA: enag@siri.uio.no or enag%siri@ifi.uio.no Manager/Wizard SNAIL: POB 1560 Vika, N-0118 OSLO 1, NORWAY Naggum Software PHONE: (intl)+47-2-549-163 (0600-1200 GMT) ---------------- * "Ada" is a registered trademark of the U.S. Government, Ada Joint Program Office. -------