Originally, a skilled programmer who enjoys exploring and manipulating computer systems. In popular usage, often refers to someone who illegally accesses computer systems.
From 'hack' meaning to cut roughly, extended in 1960s MIT culture to mean creative problem-solving with computers. The negative connotation emerged in the 1980s with increased computer crime, though the original positive sense persists in tech communities.
The word 'hacker' represents one of the most dramatic semantic shifts in modern English - transforming from a badge of honor among programmers to a media bogeyman. True hackers embrace the original meaning: elegant problem-solving through deep system understanding, not malicious intrusion.
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