Actually... from what I have read, the origin of the word "hacker" was actually a
compliment implying someone was a skilled programmer.

Quoted from
http://www.diamond-back.com/icqhazards.html (a good site to glean tips on 'Net security,
and safe computing-deals mainly with ICQ, but most can be applied to email, etc.)

"Originally, "hacking" was the ability to write complex computer code without the aid of
look-up charts or prior diagramming. In other words, a hacker could just sit down at a
computer terminal and start "hacking out" code. These hackers were highly skilled
programmers who could write machine language ops the way most people could write a letter
in English. Before the media misused the word to imply some evil person who breaks into
computers, it was considered a compliment to be called a hacker."

The media has given a bad spin to the word, and it is more commonly used to refer to
someone who "hacks" (uses knowledge of programming, and/or computers) into other peoples
computers. "Cracking" is more commonly used to refer to illicitly gaining access to
someone's account or computer by "cracking" a password, or it is also used to refer to
gaining illegitimate use of a software program by "cracking" the installer to appear that
the program has been legitimately paid for and registered. Software that has been
"cracked" is often referred to as "warez".

Unfortunately, there are a lot less people who know the origin of the word "hacker", than
those who know what they *think* it stands for, and thus it retains a tarnished meaning...



Dee
--
Drop "BYE" to email me.


"Rich Conley" wrote in message
.. .
Please, use the terms correctly. I hate seeing the term hacker being thrown
around with negative connotations.

The term hacker simply means anyone who alters something to make it do something
other than it was designed for. So when you use a trash barrel for a
filter..your a hacker.


The proper term for a malicious hacker is a cracker....

sorry, I consider myself a hacker (computer and otherwise)...
So, I hate seeing people and the media putting negative connotations on the
word.

Rich

pixi wrote:

I am certainly in favor of more stringent laws. There must be something out
there in the U.S. to slow the hackers, etc. down.

A month or so ago a hacker was trying to get into my computer for reasons
unknown to me. I reported him (Or her) to Norton who wrote back and said
they could do nothing because it was coming from Asia.

So our laws would not affect those from other countries.