Thursday

Understanding the Terms of Hacking

Let’s take a couple of minutes to be certain that bookyou know what it means when we talk about a hacker. Many different terms are used to describe a hacker, many of which have different connotations depending on who is describing whom.Take a look at The Jargon File (http://info.astrian.net/jargon) to get a sense of how the community has developed its own vocabulary and culture.

Webster’s Dictionary appropriately defines hacking as a variety of things, including a destructive act that leaves something mangled or a clever way to circumvent a problem; a hacker can be someone who is enthusiastic about an activity. Also, in the IT world, not every “hacker” is malicious, and hacking isn’t always done to harm someone.

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