

Ask HN: Can 'hackers' live outside soft/hardware? - gcmartinelli

What does HN think about definitions of 'hackers' that say the term can be applied to anyone who circumvents a specific system (be it online, physical or even conceptual like politics)?<p>If such a definition is accepted, what are some examples of hackers 'outside' technology, or at least outside computing (ex: Wright Brothers)?
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adlpz
Well, I don't agree with what seems to be the common definition of 'hacker'
here. For me, hacking is the art (or vice) of making things do what they are
not supposed (or allowed) to do. Plainly that.

Someone that builds a kick-ass revolutionary web application using Node.js is
_not_ a hacker. He made a web site using a web site making tool. No rule
bending anywhere.

Someone that builds a refrigerator for rural areas that works without
electricity (as mentioned in another comment) is _not_ a hacker. He is an
inventor. A genius. An engineer. Whatever, but _not_ a hacker.

Someone that takes a rotary telephone and manages to make it open keypad doors
remotely (or whatever) _is_ a hacker. A phone is not _designed_ to do that.

So answering your question, yes, for me, whoever bends the rules of machinery
(even social or bureaucratic machinery) could be called a hacker.

But most definitely, 99% of people mentioned in this site should _not_ be
called hackers.

~~~
ankitml
I would still call him hacker. 'Bending the rules' is the characteristic of
hacker. I would say even 'bending the apparent rules' should also qualify
being a hacker. So any genius / inventor having made a disruptive innovation
is a hacker. He produced / created something which bent the apparent rules.

~~~
adlpz
But he didn't really _bend_ any rule established by _someone else_ in respect
of some technique or machine. He didn't _bypass a design decision or
limitation_ of an existing thing.

He _invented_ something. He didn't _hack_ an existing specific machine.

It seems to me that, for some reason, people see the concept of being a hacker
as a grade. As if a very good engineer eventually becomes a _hacker_.

For me, it has nothing to do. Someone that _creates_ is as valid and skillful
as someone who _hacks_ a given system. But, as the later is not an _inventor_
, the former is not a _hacker_.

For example, is a physicist that finds that all laws we know are incomplete a
_hacker_?. Not for me. He is, well, _a scientist_.

------
ankitml
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M._R._Prajapati>

This simple, rural guy from India created non electricity refrigerator for
rural areas that dont get electricity. People now can save their veggies and
food longer even in extreme poverty and no energy access.

He is now working on making a house with Air conditioning without electricity.
Super hacker.

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countzeroasl
You have to include them. It's a mentality, not a medium.

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Mz
I like the term "biohacker" that someone here introduced me to. It fits with
what I do to deal with my genetic disorder without drugs.

I tried the term "social engineering" to mean the same thing for social stuff.
Turns out that means "con artist," which was not what I meant. I still don't
know how to talk about that. Madonna comes to mind as someone who knows
something about social hacking. She carried a tape around for weeks before
running into the right person to give it to. She says she basically "begged"
for the role of Evita, sending a videotape and eight page letter.

