I certainly view hacking as a lifelong profession. The reason I started a startup was not so I didn't have to work, but so I could work on what I wanted-- particularly unprofitable stuff like programming languages.

No doubt, hacking is a way of life.

What I wonder is if Bell Labs were still in its heyday, would you have been an entrepreneur? When AT&T was a monopoly, they provided exactly the kind of unprofitable environment that geeks love (and they had the spare cash for them to buy toys, too!). Think of the programming languages you could have developed!

Google has some of its spirit and has hired some of their best, but I don't think anything today is the same sigh

I believe in their hearts of hearts geeks would prefer a Bell Labs environment over a startup any day. The kids who are starting web-based companies are only entrepreneurs due to the misfortune of not having such opportunities.