Comments on: Genealogists turned hackers

By: dan

dan — Thu, 05 Oct 2006 18:29:16 +0000

Joe: Nope - it’s never going to stop. Languages are constantly changing. Dictionaries add new words every year, remove or mark others as archaic and make changes as general usage dictates. If a word or phrase is used long enough, it will eventually become the norm. With hackers vs. crackers, it’s pretty clear that mainstream media and the public in general use hackers in the sense of definition #2. Once it’s in our dictionaries, the issue is pretty well decided.

Feel free to continue using crackers, but most people will think you’re talking about a thin crisp wafer or biscuit, usually made of unsweetened dough.

By: Joe Levi

Joe Levi — Thu, 05 Oct 2006 18:20:38 +0000

Just because we’re losing the battle doesn’t mean we should retreat! The bastardization of the language has to stop somewhere, right?

By: dan

dan — Thu, 05 Oct 2006 17:02:03 +0000

There's a debate regarding the use of hacker and cracker. According to the American Heritage dictionary both terms work. A hacker (definition #2) is one who uses programming skills to gain illegal access to a computer network or file. A cracker (definition 2d) is one who makes unauthorized use of a computer, especially to tamper with data or programs.

By: elsmob

elsmob — Thu, 05 Oct 2006 15:05:41 +0000

When I use cracker, it’s a derogatory term for ‘white’ people. In fact, when used this way, it really refers to slave owners “cracking” the whip.
For the record, I would have used hacker as well.