rfc|<br>WORK IN PROGRESS<br>This definition is biased towards the United States and does not reflect correct English usage outside of the United States
wikipedia|dab=hacker (disambiguation)|hacker
English

Etymology
-er|hack

Noun
en-noun

<b>Globally understood definitions throughout the English-speaking world</b>

1. one who cuts with rough or heavy blows.
2. one who kicks wildly or roughly.
3. one who uses a computer to gain unauthorized access to data.
4. one who informally manages or copes (one hacks it)
5. one who informally annoys (<i>another party</i>).

<b>Definitions that are used only within the United States</b>

1. one who is inexperienced or unskilled at a particular activity <e.g. tennis>
2. one who is expert at programming and solving problems with a computer
3. one who loafs (around)
4. one who rides or drives at an ordinary pace or over the roads (especially distinguished from from racing or hunting)
5. one who operates a taxicab

Usage notes
The English-speaking world, where English is natively spoken as the mother-tongue, predominantly comprises:

United Kingdom (and sovereign states)
United States (and governed territories)
Canada
New Zealand
Australia

There are significantly more meanings of the word within the United States<ref name"merriam">hacker - Merriam Webster Online (American English)</ref> than in other English speaking nations. The reader is warned that outside of the United States (for example, the United Kingdom), the use of the word hacker to indicate a person who displays any kind of skill, particularly with computers, is advised against as is not considered offically recognised language in those nations<ref name"oxford">hack; hacker - Oxford Concise Dictionary, Oxford University Press (British English)</ref>. Only the criminal meaning is understood in most nations outside of the US and so <b>serious misunderstanding</b> may result.

References
<references/>

See also
w:hacker|Wikipedia article on hacker

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• 2007-12-19 10:15 - Andrew81446 -

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