When you hear the word "hacker" (as relates to computers), what do you think of?

I think of a board game by that name in which the goal was to gain access to as many computers as you could. It is a fun game...

The word "hacker" means, to mean, someone who breaks into computer systems with out the permission of the owner. I would consider someone who has a grand interest in computers and their uses (note that I refrain from the use of technology as that would include vcrs and microwave ovens) as a computer nerd or preferably a geek.

I think of people who might do naughty things to learn more about the technology at hand.

I think of different things-- one being someone who breaks into systems-- or someone who cracks codes..and everything of that sort-- but I also think of someone who's dedicated to computers.. and writes code themselves-- someone who sits up most of the night trying to figure out what the hell went wrong in one of the systems.. and someone who's life revolves around working with computers and technology...

I'm not a hacker, and I don't play one on TV either.

I thought a Hacker was someone that hacks Yanks to death

I am a wannabe....
I use the word hacker to cover a person who wants to expand the limits of technology and also to cover those who are mischievous and do naughty sneaky things with their computer talents, only because I had never heard of the word "cracker" or any other alternative word for such people until the recent debate.

I have a call in to one of my buds at the Cult of the Dead Cow as to the whole hacker/cracker debate. They haven't gotten back to me yet. They are...uh...kinda busy.

The Merriam Webster dictionary definition of a Hacker is as follows:

Hacker\ha-ker\n. 1: one that hacks; also: a person unskilled at something 2: an expert at using a computer3: a person who illegally gains access to and sometimes tampers with information in a computer system.

I think toothpick.

Hacker, cracker - they taste the same to me.

The world of computers and the net is evolving just a leeeettle bit faster than Merriam Webster can keep up with, folks.

I am a hacker groupie.

I do, Jen, and I'm laughing my ass off!! LOL

I concur jen....absolutely none!

I think of people who don't bathe. That's the basic distinction in my primitive mind between people who work/play to a great extent in computers, and "hackers."

It kind of has negative connotations for me these days, because it seems to be mostly a passe word that the media has latched on to. Most of the people I know who are hackers, I suppose, don't actually call themselves that, because it's the kind of thing 14 year olds who read about what they do and drool call themselves.

It doesn't have a neutral association exactly, I just think "in what context are they using that?" Most malicious hackers (crackers if you insist EB :P) I don't appreciate, but I don't tend to care much. Virus writers on the other hand I would happily hang, draw and quarter, applying large amounts of salt along the way. As for The Noble Frontier Hacker :P I don't tend to have many feelings for them either.

As opposed to "cracker"--a hacker with malicious intent.

I think of someone who codes.

I think of the new hacker's dictionary.

i'm not a hacker, but i can wreak havoc on a chatroom with a lil java...

one of my disciples

I think of people who throw code and hardware together to get a desired effect without any concern for cleanliness or robustitude or repeatability. I am not a hacker and I hate having to work on code written by hackers, but some jobs don't require any of those traits and I find that hack jobs tend to work really well as long as you don't stretch their limits or you have the author/creator handy for debugging and repair purposes down the line.

I mean, I also think of people who break into others' systems because that is what many people use the word to mean, but I don't use it that way.

Actually, I am now thinking of the MIT hacker's guild, which has nothing at all to do with computers aside from existing at a tech school and frequently using computers to accomplish their 'hacks'.

Tying such a person over hot coals for at least 3hrs, until well done.

I choose the "break into peoples systems", but I would love to be able to do it.I wouldn't say that I'm computer illiterate, but I'm in the early phonics stages

Being a hacker seems too complicated for me. Laziness strikes again.

I think of bored teenagers or college students first. Then I think of people who are out to scam my money and could be anybody.