> I don't think it's an insult to anyone that the meaning of the word has changed.
I see that only people clung to their misuse of hacker and related terms are advocating that the meaning has changed. Well, for mass-media hackers are computer criminal, should we acknowledge it and stop using the term in an original computer-related meaning?
Hackers in fact rarely refers to themselves by this term. They are also quite modest and open to any critique, contrary to many boastful youngsters calling themselves "hackers".
> People call themselves hackers in admiration of the kind of hacking you point to.
Hackers admiration is fine, but the logic is flawed. Admiration alone doesn't change you into the one you admire, so it's quite awkward calling oneself someone she or he is not yet, don't you think?
> Also, as another commenter pointed out, programmers call themselves hackers to speak to say "I would be programming even if it didn't pay the bills."
"I would be hacking even if it didn't pay the bills." -> thinking or saying that doesn't make anyone a "hacker", even more if we're talking about "programming".
Hacker - programmer that is not afraid of starving. Amusing definition.
> If anything I'd say your reverence for the term itself is dangerously close to hero worship, if not outright hero worship.
Worship? I call it accuracy.
> Identifying with the culture of the hackers you're referring to helps us keep our sights on being our best selves and serves as a reminder what kind of work is top notch.
Sure, I don't see anything wrong in identifying with (meant as aiming to become part of) the culture of the hackers, but calling myself a hacker just because of my aspirations would be plainly wrong, so I cannot commend such practices.
I see that only people clung to their misuse of hacker and related terms are advocating that the meaning has changed. Well, for mass-media hackers are computer criminal, should we acknowledge it and stop using the term in an original computer-related meaning?
Hackers in fact rarely refers to themselves by this term. They are also quite modest and open to any critique, contrary to many boastful youngsters calling themselves "hackers".
> People call themselves hackers in admiration of the kind of hacking you point to.
Hackers admiration is fine, but the logic is flawed. Admiration alone doesn't change you into the one you admire, so it's quite awkward calling oneself someone she or he is not yet, don't you think?
> Also, as another commenter pointed out, programmers call themselves hackers to speak to say "I would be programming even if it didn't pay the bills."
"I would be hacking even if it didn't pay the bills." -> thinking or saying that doesn't make anyone a "hacker", even more if we're talking about "programming".
Hacker - programmer that is not afraid of starving. Amusing definition.
> If anything I'd say your reverence for the term itself is dangerously close to hero worship, if not outright hero worship.
Worship? I call it accuracy.
> Identifying with the culture of the hackers you're referring to helps us keep our sights on being our best selves and serves as a reminder what kind of work is top notch.
Sure, I don't see anything wrong in identifying with (meant as aiming to become part of) the culture of the hackers, but calling myself a hacker just because of my aspirations would be plainly wrong, so I cannot commend such practices.