Re:On Hacking
by ProAm on Sunday October 20, 2013 @10:05PM
(#6582763)
You're not a hacker if work just work hard. Most 'hackers' I read about these days are just hard working software developers. I'll consider you a hacker if I look at what you produced and think somehow there was magic involved. Not just spending long nights cranking out code, which is still impressive, but it's not hacking.
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I took the article to mean that hacking is the production of code for no purpose other than playful curiosity. How clever the code is should have no bearing on it.
I understand hacking as:
Creating your own way to achieve goals
And usually you need to do that because there is no Manual or defined path to do what you want.
Programming on its own is not hacking. I read almost everyday people claiming to be hackers because they put together a script to consume an API... and the API has documentation. This really grinds my gears.
My first hacking goal, for instance, with less than a year owning a computer, was to change the start button on windows to have my name instead of the "Start" (yes, I had my first computer at late 90's). Pretty ridiculous goal, but it was fun and when I succeeded that felt really good.