Hacker vs. Cracker

[Fred Shapiro]

On Tue, 9 May 2000, Paul McFedries wrote:

> According to the Jargon File, cracker was "coined ca. 1985 by hackers in
> defense against journalistic misuse of hacker." So cracker is definitely not
> a media term, although it's probably a non-Silicon Valley word since most of
> the Jargon File seems to have an east coast (read: MIT),
> mainframe/minicomputer vibe. However, we can safely say that cracker was
> created by someone who is now among the "old folks," so don't feel so bad,
> Andrea.

"Cracker" was used in print by October 1983.  It seems that it originated
as a self-description of malicious hackers rather than as a distinction
drawn by nonmalicious hackers.  So basically the Jargon File is all wet on
this one.  It also is obvious to anyone with knowledge of MIT slang of the
1970s and earlier that "hacker" from its earliest roots had a suggestion
of maliciousness.


Fred R. Shapiro                             Coeditor (with Jane Garry)
Associate Librarian for Public Services     TRIAL AND ERROR: AN OXFORD
  and Lecturer in Legal Research            ANTHOLOGY OF LEGAL STORIES
Yale Law School                             Oxford University Press, 1998
e-mail: fred.shapiro at yale.edu               ISBN 0-19-509547-2