Update

hacking.md

@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 
 *Not to be confused with [cracking](cracking.md).*
 
-Hacking (also hackerdom) in the widest sense means exploiting usually (but not necessarily) a [computer](computer.md) [system](system.md) in a clever way. In context of computers the word *hacker* was originally -- that is in 1960s -- used for very good [programmers](programming.md) and people who were simply good with computers, the word *hacking* had a completely positive meaning; hacker could almost be synonymous with computer [genius](genius.md) (at the time people handling computers were usually physicists, engineers or mathematicians), someone who enjoyed handling and programming computers and could playfully look for very clever ways of making them do what he wanted. Over time hackers evolved a whole **hacker culture** with its own slang, set of values, behavioral and ethical norms, in jokes and rich lore. As time marched on, computer [security](security.md) has started to become an important topic and some media started to use the word *hacker* for someone breaking into a computer system and so the word gained a negative connotation in the mainstream -- though many refused to accept this new meaning and rather used the word *[cracker](cracker.md)* for a "malicious hacker", there appeared new variants such as *white hat* and *black hat* hacker, referring to ethical and malicious hackers. With onset of online [games](game.md) the word *hacking* even became a synonym for [cheating](cheating.md). The original positive meaning has recently seen some comeback with popularity of sites such as [hacker news](hacker_news.md) or hackaday, the word *life hack* has even found its way into the non-computer mainstream dictionary, however a "[modern](modern.md) hacker" is a bit different from the oldschool hacker, usually for the worse (for example a modern self proclaimed "hacker" has no issue with wearing a [suit](suit.md), something that would be despised by an oldschool hacker). We, [LRS](lrs.md), advocate for using the original, oldschool meaning of the word *hacker*.
+Hacking (also hackerdom) in the widest sense means exploiting usually (but not necessarily) a [computer](computer.md) [system](system.md) in a clever, "thinking outside the box" way. In context of computers the word *hacker* was originally -- that is in 1960s -- used for very good [programmers](programming.md) and people who were simply good with computers, the word *hacking* had a completely positive meaning; hacker could almost be synonymous with computer [genius](genius.md) (at the time people handling computers were usually physicists, engineers or mathematicians), someone who enjoyed handling and programming computers and could playfully look for very clever ways of making them do what he wanted. Over time hackers evolved a whole **hacker culture** with its own slang, set of values, behavioral and ethical norms, in jokes and rich lore. As time marched on, computer [security](security.md) has started to become an important topic and some media started to use the word *hacker* for someone breaking into a computer system and so the word gained a negative connotation in the mainstream -- though many refused to accept this new meaning and rather used the word *[cracker](cracker.md)* for a "malicious hacker", there appeared new variants such as *white hat* and *black hat* hacker, referring to ethical and malicious hackers. With onset of online [games](game.md) the word *hacking* even became a synonym for [cheating](cheating.md). The original positive meaning has recently seen some comeback with popularity of sites such as [hacker news](hacker_news.md) or hackaday, the word *life hack* has even found its way into the non-computer mainstream dictionary, however a "[modern](modern.md) hacker" is a bit different from the oldschool hacker, usually for the worse (for example a modern self proclaimed "hacker" has no issue with wearing a [suit](suit.md), something that would be despised by an oldschool hacker). We, [LRS](lrs.md), advocate for using the original, oldschool meaning of the word *hacker*.
 
 ## Original Hacker Culture
 
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ As a symbol of hackerdom the glider symbol from [game of life](game_of_life.md)
 
 Let us now attempt to briefly summarize what it means to be a hacker:
 
-- **Hacker is an artist who builds and creates**, [cracker](cracker.md) is someone who breaks and destroys, many times due to being less competent or unworthy of true hacking -- destroying something is easier than creating something.
+- **Hacker is a kind of artist who builds and creates** (though not every artist is a hacker!), [cracker](cracker.md) is someone who breaks and destroys, many times due to being less competent or unworthy of true hacking -- destroying something is easier than creating something.
 - **Hacker greatly values freedom**, among which are the **freedom of [information](information.dm)**, **[free software](free_software.md)**, **[free speech](free_speech.md)**, **free thinking**, free access to computers etc. Therefore he supports sharing, even if it is called for example "[piracy](piracy.md)", and despises things going against said freedoms such as [proprietary](proprietary.md) software, [passwords](password.md) (preventing information freedom), [censorship](censorship.md), [copyright](copyright.md), [patents](patent.md), pretense and deceit etc.
 - **Hackers are non-conformists, reject authority and don't respect social norms**; a hacker wears old cheap clothes, long hair and unkept beard without conforming to any fashion, he sees caring about looks as a wasted time that would better be spent by hacking computers. Hacker is a basement dwelling nerd without social life because he has rich inner intellectual life, he's usually a kisless virgin, even a [wizard](wizard.md), partly because of his looks but also again because typical adult life would require him to do less hacking.
 - **Hacker values [fun](fun.md) and playfulness** -- despite his serious dedication to the art, he hates seriousness of the business guys and "suits", as well as the self-centered, egoistic attitude of "modern hackers" who might see or present themselves as kind of [superheroes](hero_culture.md). A hacker will give his programs funny names rather than names that would make for a good business product, a hacker will insert jokes in his source code (e.g. [hex](hexadecimal.md) values such as 0xBEEFFACE), documentation and speech ([Jargon File](jargon_file.md) has a whole section on how hackers construct and use words).
@@ -60,6 +60,7 @@ A great many commonly used tricks in programming could be regarded as hacks even
 - **[quine](quine.md)**: A cleverly constructed self-replicating program in [programming language](programming_language.md) that prints its own source code -- this is a common exercise of language hackers.
 - **MetaGolfScript [esoteric languages](esolang.md)**: rather than being a nicely designed [code golfing](code_golf.md) language MetaGolfScript invents infinitely many languages, each of which solves one problem with a zero-length program, making it possible to win any golfing contest that allows arbitrary choice of language just by choosing the correct MetaGolfScript language.
 - **Appending "in Minecraft" to avoid legal responsibility**: some people try to avoid legal responsibility for threats by talking about the situation as if it was harmlessly happening in a video game such as Minecraft, for example "Bitch I'm going to come to your house and murder you in sleep, in Minecraft." Though this is a nice hack and should work, the dystopian governments can do whatever they want and still arrest you for this -- this happened e.g. in New Jersey when one guy threatened to kill a sheriff like this.
+- [Richard Stallman](rms.md) called some musical compositions hacks, specifically 4'33 (just silence) and Ma Fin Est Mon Commencement ([palindromic](palindrome.md) music).
 - TODO: moar
 
 ## See Also