WHAT IS HACKING ?

Nobody seems to agree on the exact meaning of the term 'hacker'. You can more or less consider that three (somehow contradictory) versions coexist. To some people, a hacker is a very technical person who likes to probe into details and play with code or hardware. This is usually how the expression 'kernel hacker' should be understood. A second definition more closely refers to computer security: a hacker would be someone deeply interested in all aspects of electronic security, someone who discovers flaws, breaks into networks, ... A third version, largely echoed by politicians and the press, defines a hacker as a stinking asshole who destroys NASA computers and deserves the death penalty.

To better understand these things, you have be aware that the term hacker has been used in the Unix world for a long time: it refers to the techie of the first category, quite possibly with a bit of the second as well. But when PCs, the Internet and consumer-electronics hit the market some time ago, security became a bigger concern. A new race of strange nocturnal creatures appeared, also called hackers. These hackers, of course, essentially belong to the second class, with usually a very good dosis of the first one. The third category does exist, don't get me wrong, but they are better named crackers or crashers. Among them there are real criminals using their knowledge (or other people's knowledge) to commit financial crimes, for instance. There are also script-kiddies whose stupid games now and then end up in a global viral catastrophy. Those crackers do not deserve the title of hacker and often turn out not to be very brilliant people.

The purpose of this little description was only to set things back in their context, somehow. Many people tend to classify and label everything and everyone, which is certainly not my intention here. Living free also means not to care about what people think and to refuse being labeled. We will from now on consider (and only because we need a definition) that a hacker is someone curious of technical matters, and especially electronic security. In a way he/she attempts to free himself/herself from slavery by acquiring the knowledge necessary to be autonomous. By comparison, someone who fixes things in his car engine by himself is an automobile hacker. To my sense, hacking is therefore a noble activity that makes yourself free. But you will have to make your own opinion...