Hacking Is Not Cracking!

[Oasu4g]

For those of you using Facebook I've created a group for hackers and developers such as some of you here. Feel free to join!

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?v=wall&gid=310837329077

If you feel that this is an important message, please pass the word along!

[Psumi]

If this is referring to the Wikipedia article on Software cracking or hacking redirects, then you should read why I redirected them.

[chewearn]

Well, of course hacking is not cracking. I mean, you use an axe to hack, but a hammer to crack. Use the right tool for the job.

[matthew.ball]

I think you misinterpreted what this post was about TheNessus.

As far as I can tell A. Tim knows very well that the users of UF know the difference between hacking and cracking. I think he's trying to give the general public a little more awareness.

[Grenage]

As far as I can tell A. Tim knows very well that the users of UF know the difference between hacking and cracking. I think he's trying to give the general public a little more awareness.

I think that's a lost cause; not because people couldn't see the difference, they just don't care. It doesn't really make much difference.

[matthew.ball]

I agree. I spent a while a few years back trying - nothing eventuated. I think we just have to accept what hacking is to the mainstream media.

Though this doesn't mean we can't continue to use hacking as the term we know it as.

I just felt TheNessus' post was quite rude and rather unnecessary, though perhaps he didn't understand the context (maybe he just read the thread title and posted his response).

I'm becoming rather bitter in my old age :)

[crlang13]

As a relative layperson and newbie, I wasn't totally aware of the difference, which is why I thought this thread looked interesting, clicked on it, and learned!

It would be nice if the media could distinguish the difference, but anything that gets into mainstream media is generally the negative - i.e. the recent denial of service attack on the Australian Parliament website (if you heard about that one in the northern hemisphere...). The media aren't going to report "well today, I hacker found a whole in the security system of Big Major Bank and sent them an email telling them how to fix it before a cracker discovered it."

[Oasu4g]

I agree. Few people will actually care. And I could almost count myself as one of those people. But I felt it would be good to give a little effort to spreading the truth about the difference and definitions. I only started this up because I was surprised to find that there wasn't a group already made to this effect, and in it's place groups centered around cracking were calling themselves hackers. Just kind of tipped the scales for me.

Thanks for your interest.

Take care,

Tim

[crlang13]

Don't sell yourself short, A. Tim, it's not really about who cares or not. As I said earlier, I'm a layperson and doesn't know about the subculture (for lack of a better term). I found the distinction interesting and would think it would be best that they make the distinction. It's just more correct :D

I dunno, just because a person doesn't care doesn't give them an excuse to be wrong.

"Hey, look, a dog."

"Dude, that's a cat."

"Whatever, I don't care, therefore it's a dog."

[Oasu4g]

That's exactly the point I had in mind when I created the group. Thanks for the support crlang13. :)

Take care,

Tim

[Sporkman]

Lost cause bro. The language rug got pulled out from under you. :)

"Hacker" (n): A person who work to gain unauthorized access to computer systems.

"Cracker" (n): 1. A crispy piece of unleavened bread, 2. Derogatory term for poor white US southerner.


Deal with it. :)

[JDShu]

Hacking can mean Cracking, though I'm a strong believer of context:

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hacker
(definitions 3 and 4)

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cracker
(definition 7 which points to hacker definition 4)

[chewearn]

Dictionaries should not be considered the "police" of words, but rather an imperfect container of the ocean of words.
http://www.ted.com/talks/erin_mckean_redefines_the_dictionary.html