Information Security News mailing list archives
Re: Counterspy
From: Bud Rogers <budr () SIRINET NET>
Date: Thu, 25 Jan 2001 04:44:43 -0600
On Wednesday 24 January 2001 12:42, Robert G. Ferrell wrote:
Language is essentially a formal consensus of its users, not a tool to be mutated at will merely to accommodate an author's, or the public's (perceived), paucity of vocabulary. Now repeat after me: "Hackers are not (necessarily) criminals. Crackers are not usually hackers. I will stop confusing the two, because they very definitely ain't the same animal."
I agree with Robert. Totally and without reservation. I occasionally have to bite my tongue in casual conversations when the term hacker goes by. But I am afraid that, like King Canute, we're trying to push back the tide. Like it or not, the term hacker has entered the popular imagination with a meaning much closer to what we might refer to as cracker. I don't like it either, but I don't think there is much we can do about it. This is a common process in the evolution of popular language. Whenever a minority group of any kind attracts the attention of the masses their jargon gets assimilated and redefined, usually in unflattering ways. -- Bud Rogers <budr () sirinet net> http://www.sirinet.net/~budr/zamm.html All things in moderation. And not too much moderation either. ISN is hosted by SecurityFocus.com --- To unsubscribe email LISTSERV () SecurityFocus com with a message body of "SIGNOFF ISN".
Current thread:
- Counterspy InfoSec News (Jan 24)
- Re: Counterspy Dave Dittrich (Jan 25)
- Re: Counterspy Aleph One (Jan 29)
- <Possible follow-ups>
- Re: Counterspy Robert G. Ferrell (Jan 25)
- Re: Counterspy Bud Rogers (Jan 25)
- Re: Counterspy Baines, Thomas B. (Jan 25)
- Re: Counterspy Dave Dittrich (Jan 25)