Hacker

:For other uses, see Hacker (disambiguation) or Hacker (computer security)

Related Topics:
Hacker (disambiguation) - Hacker (computer security)

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Hacker is a term used to describe people in computers, and has multiple meanings. In some programming communities, the term refers to people skilled in computer programming, administration and security with legitimate goals. The word is also used in a derogatory way in some communities to refer to someone who is relatively unskilled in programming. Most in the popular media and some in the general population use the word hacker to mean a cracker, that is, a someone who partakes in illegal activity or lacks in ethics.

Related Topics:
Computers - Cracker

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In computer programming, hacker means a programmer who hacks or reaches a goal by employing a series of modifications to exploit or extend existing code or resources. In computer security, hacker translates to a person able to exploit a system or gain unauthorized access through skill and tactics. This usually refers to a black hat hacker. In other technical fields, hacker is extended to mean a person who makes things work beyond perceived limits through their own technical skill, such as a hardware hacker, or reality hacker. However, for some the word has a negative connotation and refers to a person who "hacks" or uses kludges to accomplish programming tasks that are ugly, inelegant, and inefficient. The negative form of the noun "hack" is even used among users of the positive sense of "hacker".

Related Topics:
Computer programming - Code - Computer security - Black hat - Hardware hacker - Reality hacker - Hack - Kludge

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The practical joke form of the noun "hack" is considered to have a positive meaning. Meanwhile, the verb "hack" can and often does share the same generally positive connotations as the noun "hacker". In addition, there are types of hackers who are considered to posses an atypical level of skill beyond that of other meanings of the positive form of "hacker", which include the Guru and the Wizard. In some portions of the computer community, a Wizard is one who can do anything a hacker can, but elegantly; while a Guru not only can do so elegantly, but instruct those who do not know how. In other portions, a Guru is one with a very broad degree of expertise, while a Wizard is expert in a very narrow field.

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