don't we take pride in calling ourselves hackers? Why on earth otherwise are we on HN? :P

I don't remember where I read it, but you're only a true hacker if some arbitrarily large enough community has bestowed that label upon you. As of today, hacker is almost synonymous with programmer, and people who can compile a C++ program sometimes think themselves as 'hackers'. It's kind of sad, but I don't really care. The media has long since killed the term for general usage.

We better start a Hacker Certification Program to make sure we can sort the true hackers from the fake ones.

Question 1: What is your hacker handle?

A1: Zero Cool, A2: Crash Override, A3: Acid Burn, A4: Cereal Killer (select one)

Heh, hell yeah.

Question 2: Which of these systems do you have control over? (Circle all that apply.)

A1: National Electric Grid A2: Local Electric Grid A3: Any Television Station A4: Any Cellphone Tower A5: Any Satellite A6: Your neighbor's wireless router

ESR's "How to become a Hacker" guide lists: "Has a well-established member of the hacker community ever called you a hacker?" as a requirement. I guess that's what you were thinking of.

http://catb.org/esr/faqs/hacker-howto.html#hacker_already

The term "hacker" has become so diluted by forums like this one that it's totally meaningless. Calling yourself a hacker at this point is just a form of self-aggrandizement.