What is a hacker?

[GSeybold]

Hello
I've noticed that on a forum that I visited just tonight that they have the title of
"Vb Hacker"? What does this mean? Do they hack forums or do they create hacks for forums? I'm confused. I've always thought of a "hacker" in a negative light, as someone who hacks a website and causes problems? But why would a hacker advertise this?

Please advise.

Thank you!

Gabby

[Jon Tolzien]

Well the only thing i could think of is that people like to draw attention to themselves. To their mind because they are a "hacker" that makes them a rouge or cool. I agree with your deduction, hackers a negative in my view. Some people do strange things.

Jon

[lasto]

Real Hackers dont do much damage - infact they dont hack to cause Damage.
Script Kiddies are the annoying ones to watch.
As for vbhacker title - thats all it is - a title.

[GSeybold]

Thank you Jon and Lasto.

What is a script kiddie? I'm sorry I'm so lame with all of this. I'm a little perplexed because this person is a known member of this forum who submits mods so why would they put "Vb hacker" also using the vblogo as a title or rank? If my site got hacked, I wouldn't know what the heck to do except for vomit and throw things across the room. :erm:

I guess I won't be downloading any of this person's hacks as I just don't seem to understand all the hacker stuff and don't have the energy to deal with another friggen tech problem.

Originally Posted by Jon Tolzien

Well the only thing i could think of is that people like to draw attention to themselves. To their mind because they are a "hacker" that makes them a rouge or cool. I agree with your deduction, hackers a negative in my view. Some people do strange things.

Jon

[lasto]

A (usually amateur) hacker who compromises files on others' computers or launches attacks on computer systems, using widely distributed computer programs or scripts, rather than using their own unique programs or scripts.

In other words : annoying gits

Also maybe they using the term `vbHacker` as a loose term and not meant as in the real term (Hacker) - they just hack (well Edit/Steal) code from vb styles.

[RedeemedWarrior]

VbHackers is the name of a site like Vb.org that distributes peoples work

[Vaupell]

hmm well blackhats usually dont go under the term sk's and they do dmg.
and they enjoy shafting people.

where whitehate usually have a job in it security and do their hack to ALLOWED-testing
and is often sitting in a admin/co admin position in coorprations with huge intranet and
knowlege sharing networks.

grayhats, well do a little of both, but regardless if you hack to help or not if its not allowed
regardless if your a sk or experienced you are considered a hacker in the eyes of the law,
varies around the world ofcourse.

As for user titles, well can mean anything only real way to know is to ask.

ask12b1, well in this case ask 1 2 know.

another great resource for this info

wikipedia.org/wiki/Hacker
aka a craftsman, haha

[Paul M]

A hacker is someone who "hacks" (alters/edits) code, the term got hijacked by the press to mean something bad, when in reality it never was.

This person who says they are a vb hacker simply means they modify vb.

Modifications here used to be referred to as hacks (and still are in many places).

[UncoderMom]

Yeah, what Paul said!

[bobster65]

Originally Posted by Paul M

A hacker is someone who "hacks" (alters/edits) code, the term got hijacked by the press to mean something bad, when in reality it never was.

This person who says they are a vb hacker simply means they modify vb.

Modifications here used to be referred to as hacks (and still are in many places).

exactly.... the original term for what the media calls Hackers is actually crackers. Crackers were the "bad" guys that cracked into security code where as Hackers were low level programmers.. the media hijacked the term in the mid 80s (1984 if I remember correctly)