What is the Hacker Ethic?
A hacker is someone who is very passionate about his or her particular work, and is willing to share it with others in order to create great things. However, it should be known that the term ‘Hacker’ does not refer to computer criminals (the people that do harm and break into security systems should be referred to as ‘Crackers’). The Hacker Ethic directly challenges the traditional work ethic that has pervaded society for so long. What hackers do is not work in their eyes, it is an extension of who they are; in short it is their passion. Creativity flourishes not in the 9-5 setting, but in an open environment. The term hacker has become synonymous with computer geeks, but one can bring the hacker mentality to anything they enjoy, be it film, chemistry, softball, etc. Characteristics of the Hacker Ethic “You need to care. You need to play. You need to be willing to explore.” – Eric S. Raymond Curiosity Curiosity is the ultimate driving force behind the hacker’s actions. A hacker finds s
