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Mathematics, Numbers, and Computers - What Is A Hacker?

What is a hacker?

A hacker is a skilled computer user. The term originally denoted a programmer, particularly one familiar with machine code and the workings of the computer and its operating system. The name arose from the concept that a good programmer could always "hack" away at an unsatisfactory program until it worked.

In recent years, the term "hacker" has acquired a negative connotation. It has come to mean a computer user whose main interest is in defeating password systems or who deliberately and sometimes criminally interferes with data. The activities of this type of hacker have led to the implementation of tighter security measures to protect transmitted and stored data.

Source: Sinclair, Ian R. The HarperCollins Dictionary of Computer Terms, p. 105.

[The entire page is 141 words long]

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