hacking/cracking/coding (was Re: [seul-edu] SEUL/edu Linux in education report #19 for May 8)

[Doug Loss <dloss@suscom.net>]

Paul Sutton wrote:

> Also part the problem is hacking or they way is is percieved, i.e hacking is
> about breaking into computers, damaging or stealing data.  Kids should be
> taught that this is cracking and that hacking is about programming and
> improving their own knowledge and pushing technology to the limit, the
> problem will arise from a person (school admin, politicians and people who
> make the decisions about software and schools) with the wrong impression of
> Hacking reading that Linux is put together by hackers,  and what will that
> say about Linux.  So it would be in the best interest of the community to
> get this across (yes we are trying but we seem to be a losing battle in the
> UK anyway).  Parents are not going to want their kids involved with hacking
> if it is percieved criminal.

I recently read a piece from the CBC
<http://cbc.ca/news/indepth/words/hack.html> about why journalists generally
refuse to use "cracker" to refer to cybervandals and use "hacker" to cover
everyone with an interest in computers.  I can see where they're coming from,
even if I don't care for it.  I think the hacker/cracker battle is over and
we've lost.  I've taken to referring to "coders" when talking to non-clueed
people about those we think of as "hackers," and "cybervandals" about those we
think of as "crackers."  I'm afraid that "hacker" has too much connotation of
anti-social behavior in the minds of the public to be useful anymore.

--
Doug Loss                 Even if you're on the right track,
Data Network Coordinator  you'll get run over if you just
Bloomsburg University     sit there.
dloss@bloomu.edu                Will Rogers