# What it Means to be a Hacker

A decent article for a change about [what it means to be a
hacker][1]. You don't usually see commentary like this from the
main-stream-media, to them, "hacker" is usually synonymous with the
teenage script-kiddie. This about sums it up:

> By focusing on the bad apples, Priest says, Madigan was glossing
> over DefCon's true spirit: smart people getting together to mess
> around with technology. "Middle America thinks we're stealing your
> social security numbers, raping your children and breaking into
> your bank account," he says. "The reality is, we are the ultimate
> explorers. We see a technology, and we want to know how it works."

I've been to [DefCon][2] once (0x0c), so I can definitely back-up
that sentiment. While there was the occasional network nuisance,
they were not given any attention. More of a "if you know what you
are doing, you won't be bothered by these idiots".

[1]: http://www.forbes.com/2007/08/06/security-hacking-challenge-tech-cx_ag_0806toughhack.html?partner=links
[2]: http://www.defcon.org/
.