11–20 of 31 posts
The idea that social maladaptation and/or rudeness is some sort of marker for talent is garbage, and wrong.
Furthermore, the idea that talent is or should be an EXCUSE for social maladaptation or rudeness is ALSO garbage, and wrong.
None of the words used to describe the hacker category applies to me or any hackers I know in real life. The manager description is much better for your average hacker, especially the bits about morality, and forgetting about how other people can be different from them.
It's probably important to realize that most devs aren't hackers. Not in the traditional sense of the word. I aspire to be, but in many ways I fall short. And I work every day, all day on it, most days.
Simply being a programmer doesn't automatically make you a hacker, just like having a boyfriend doesn't automatically make you in love. And like love, you probably know whether you are.
The defining characteristic of a hacker is probably an unusual sense of blending computers with your own identity. Computers are seen as a tool for changing the world, not merely a means to a paycheck. And that necessarily means that your identity with your work extends outside of normal work hours, since it's inseparable from who you are.
Good hackers have a variety of other hobbies, of course. But the base traits described in the article seem to line up nicely on average (if it's even possible to average the highest echelon of programmers).
That manager description seems....off. ...Was this written by a manager? The hacker description is very interesting though and reflects my experience mostly
> May have intense powers of concentration. Prizes an offbeat and clever sense of humor. At times, painfully aware of inconsistencies that are invisible to the people who are acting hypocritically. Marches to the beat of a different drummer, and needs to work at understanding people like managers.
i.e. Incapable of empathy.
Like men who worry when they start to go bald, you're more likely to notice when you don't have some trait that seems desirable. No one else really cares whether you identify as a hacker, but it's interesting how many people here seem to.
I think it's important to be aware that being a programmer does not automatically make you a hacker. The real hackers are few and far between, and if you claim to be one, you might want to reexamine that notion. It's like claiming to be an Olympic swimmer: a very specific skillset that people work all their lives to attain, and few are good enough to swim with the best.
None of the words used to describe the hacker category applies to me or any hackers I know in real life. The manager description is much better for your average hacker, especially the bits about morality, and forgetting about how other people can be different from them.
The hacker category is described almost perfectly, in my experience. It fits the truly high level people I've been fortunate enough to know. It's probably important to realize that most devs aren't hackers. Not in the traditional sense of the word. I aspire to be, but in many ways I fall short. And I work every day, all day on it, most days. Simply being a programmer doesn't automatically make you a hacker, just like…
It's interesting that the only ones speaking up are those that seem to have a problem with the article. As a counterpoint, I find the article apt. Like men who worry when they start to go bald, you're more likely to notice when you don't have some trait that seems desirable. No one else really cares whether you identify as a hacker, but it's interesting how many people here seem to. I think it's important to be aware…
It's interesting that the only ones speaking up are those that seem to have a problem with the article. As a counterpoint, I find the article apt. Like men who worry when they start to go bald, you're more likely to notice when you don't have some trait that seems desirable. No one else really cares whether you identify as a hacker, but it's interesting how many people here seem to. I think it's important to be aware…
That manager description seems....off. ...Was this written by a manager? The hacker description is very interesting though and reflects my experience mostly
The whole thing reads like it was written by a hacker that I would hate working with. Bunch of self-absorbed bullshit. > May have intense powers of concentration. Prizes an offbeat and clever sense of humor. At times, painfully aware of inconsistencies that are invisible to the people who are acting hypocritically. Marches to the beat of a different drummer, and needs to work at understanding people like managers. i.…