Re: [school-discuss] Students "hacking"

[Karl <jackal@raptor.slc.edu>]

I think Michael's positive response (and results) below speak for
themselves :).

I just want to nitpick and suggest that we employ the proper
terminology: maybe a discussion-worthy area of interest for this student
is the difference between the misused term "hacker" and its conterpart
"cracker".

Hacker is NOT cracker. I assume that you all know that already, but call
an ace an "ace" and call a cracker a "cracker". There may still be hope
for routing out the oppressive stereotype and mis-terminology that the
sensationalist mass-media categorizes all geeks into. *shrug*

best,
  -Karl


# FWIW, here's an old paste From Jargon File 4.2.3:
# 
#
# 7. One who enjoys the intellectual challenge of creatively overcoming or
# circumventing limitations.  8. [deprecated] A malicious meddler who 
# tries to discover sensitive information by poking around.  Hence 
# `password hacker', `network hacker'.  The correct term for this sense is
# {cracker}.

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On Thu, 25 Apr 2002, Michael Hamblin wrote:
> 
> As far as his interest in hacking, what you are looking for is "positive
> reinforcement" :) Instead of going the "hacker" route, you can emphasis
> internet security and "protecting our turf" as a more productive
> endeavor. Most hackers thrive on the appeal of "hidden knowledge", and
> properly done security has a systematic approach to intrusion prevention,
> etc, so there is, well, a lot of everything, as opposed to the hacker's
> toolbox of a little of this and that.
> 
> Of course, this advice comes from someone who used to hack Novell networks
> and now does Unix administration at a University ;) One of my former
> supervisors encouraged me to go the security route, quite successfully.
>