Re: [HACKERS] Re: [BUGS] Small bug in union

Brett McCormick <brett(at)work(dot)chicken(dot)org> writes:
> Aww. Hackers is a great name. Devel might be more appropriate, but
> hackers isn't so bad.

My two cents: "hackers" != "crackers".

"Hacker" is an ancient and honorable term for a dedicated programmer,
and the PostgreSQL group ought to wear it proudly.

The sort of common thieves and vandals who attacked Caltech's system
don't deserve the name "hacker"; that crowd is trying to appropriate
a term they don't have the right to aspire to. Bad enough that these
low-lifes cause us everyday grief, but to steal the hacking community's
self-label is an intolerable insult. Don't give in to it.

BTW, if you somehow are not familiar with the history of the term
"hacker", you might care to visit the Jargon File
(try http://sagan.earthspace.net/jargon/), and/or Eric Raymond's
page about hacker history and culture
(http://tuxedo.org/~esr/faqs/index.html).

regards, tom lane