General question for hackers (not black hat or anything the like)

Toasty92 · May 17, 2024

good morning fellows

i used to hack sony ericssons many years ago to patch unlock and add extra things, did it for friends who didnt want at the time to spend 10-20 pound on a shop to unlock the phones. havnt done it in a LONG time, probs long enough to say retired lol
but what im asking here is the term HACKER is over used these days and just isnt what it used to mean.

when people know i used to do stuff like that they ask if i can hack websites and the like, i used to be able to but never for maliccious stuff, just to see if i could.
but nowadays hacker means some dude/dudette on a game with a trainer,
what are peoples opinions on this as i find it a little offencive yaknow, nothing mentally hurt but just seems like anyone can be classed as one if they do somthing super simple now,

so yeah what are peoples opinions on how the word has been over used?

cereberus · May 18, 2024

This is a pointless question.

Drinkers drink anything - it is irrelevant what they drink.

Similarly, it is irrelevant what a hacker hacks.

Graulges · May 18, 2024

I think the point is that many of the so-called hacks are not hacks at all, simply tips on how to use something. What is pointless is trying to do anything about the change/additional meaning of the word. I'm 75 so hacking doesn't mean simply knowing how to use something but it doesn't matter to anybody what I think (except occasionally my wife).

cereberus · May 19, 2024

Graulges said:
I think the point is that many of the so-called hacks are not hacks at all, simply tips on how to use something. What is pointless is trying to do anything about the change/additional meaning of the word. I'm 75 so hacking doesn't mean simply knowing how to use something but it doesn't matter to anybody what I think (except occasionally my wife).

Well sort of.

In the end, it is obvious by context what the word means.

English is full of words that have a different meaning by context - my favourite being
murder.

So I reiterate, the question is pointless, as you say, as no point in caring.