Hacking: a Better Definition
Hacking: a Better Definition
A hacker is someone who enjoys playful cleverness - not necessarily with computers.
The Original Meaning
The programmers in the old MIT free software community of the 60s and 70s referred to themselves as hackers. The term originally described someone who approaches problems with creativity, curiosity, and a playful attitude toward finding clever solutions.
The Misunderstanding
Around 1980, journalists who discovered the hacker community mistakenly took the term to mean "security breaker." This mischaracterization has persisted in mainstream media and public consciousness ever since.
True Hacker Culture
The original hacker ethos emphasized:
- Playful cleverness in problem-solving
- Sharing knowledge and code freely
- Intellectual curiosity and exploration
- Creative approaches to technical challenges
- The joy of understanding how things work
This video aims to restore the proper understanding of what it means to be a hacker, reclaiming the term from its misappropriation by media coverage of computer crime.