Date   : Mon, 26 Aug 1985 08:56:00 PDT
From   : nep.pgelhausen@AMES-VMSB.ARPA
Subject: --- more on "hacker" ---

Kevin suggested the use of the term "worm" instead of hacker, basically
(from what I read in his letter) because he didn't like the idea that
the guy that suggested the term "crasher" is making money on his book.

Judging from the excerpt of the book (Out of the Inner Circle) that
was published in Popular Computing (may 85), he actually has a well
thought-out set of classifications for what the press calls "hackers",
these are:
   Novice, Student, Tourist, Crasher, & Thief

I may not agree (entirely) with these classifications...but that is
on the basis of having read the excerpt explaining them, not because
I am jealous of the guy making money and being "sentanced to college
for two years".

In the meantime, the issue was to correct the misuse of the 
term "hacker", not to define a new derogatory term for those who
get their amusement from computers at the expense of others.
Unfortunately the term has meant many things to many people 
for quite a while....anything from a reasonably competant
programmer, to the person who enjoys talking to computers
more than to other human beings.  The problem with trying to
correct the mis-use of this term is that it is hard to pin
down and define "proper use".  The only way I can say it is
that uses feel right, and others don't.  Someone out there
might be eloquent enought to come up w/ a definition that
satisfies everyone (except the media, whose mis-use of the
term is what sparked this whole thing).....but I don't think
that I could (or would presume) to attempt the definitive definition
of this illustrious term.

                       -Richard Hartman
                       max.hartman@ames-vmsb

"186,282 mi/sec....not just a good idea, it's the LAW."