Hacker Newsnew | past | comments | ask | show | jobs | submitlogin

Hacker news is designed for and targeted at hackers. In the sense of the word that means people who write code, not people who break into things. Other people with similar tastes also like it.

Since it's run by YC and the initial users were mostly YC founders, there is inevitably a startup spin to the stories that are popular here. In fact the site was originally called Startup News. But it turned out to be boring to have so much of a startup focus, so we changed the name and the focus to be more general.



What is a hacker?

A hacker is someone whose appetite for the universe is never quite satisfied. The hacker seeks to understand: himself, others, what surrounds him, the tools he uses, the things he enjoys, how things fit together. The hacker seeks to build: ideas, means, practical applications, businesses, cultural movements. Some build just one, some build them all. The hacker seeks to learn, to experiment, to solve, and to learn again.

The male pronoun above is of course used merely out of grammatical tradition. Hackers are male and female, young and old. Hackers are in Silicon Valley and in the middle of cornfields, they are in industrialized countries and in developing ones, they date back centuries before the term was coined and will exist as long as does the human condition.

I guess that turned into something of a manifesto. But that's what I believe is embodied in the spirit of the hacker.


I think what you're describing is a more general class of people. Hackers are the subgroup of such people, who are dealing mostly with computers and writing code.


I consider a COMPLEX problem solver is a hacker. A person who makes profound contribution to his field of interest is a hacker. A person who looks at a tree and wonders why the branches and the leaves grow the way they should is a hacker. TO SUM IT UP A PERSON WHO'S NOT WORRIED BUT CURIOUS TO KNOW HOW THINGS WORK IS A HACKER. HACKER NEWS IS A PLACE FOR THESE MEN,WOMEN AND CHILDREN TO MEET UP. (for the time being i don't fall into any of the above category as i'am yet to become a hacker!!!!!!!!)


In the sense of the word that means people who write code

or more generally, people who like to tinker for discovery and exploration. code just happens to be the easiest medium in which to do so :)


it turned out to be boring to have so much of a startup focus

Glad I'm not the only one that thinks this!


pg, thank you. This background gives a much better perspective (to me) on the community.

I look forward to participating further and hopefully better furthering my efforts based on what I learn here.




Consider applying for YC's Fall 2025 batch! Applications are open till Aug 4

Guidelines | FAQ | Lists | API | Security | Legal | Apply to YC | Contact

Search: