- Capitalism and Alternatives -

If you are going to be so persnickity

Posted by: David ( USA ) on October 10, 1999 at 17:29:47:

In Reply to: No link with the real world, see? posted by tank-tank amfibi on October 07, 1999 at 10:42:22:

: McSpotlight: Your usage of the word "hack" is incorrect; someone who spends time trying to breach computer security is a cracker; what they do is cracking and the singular is a crack or an exploit. Hope this helps.

The point though, is that we all understand what he means when he refers to hacking. It is used in day to day english. If you are going to be so persnickity over that, then you might as well start correcting anyone who uses "anti-semitism" in the context of hating jews. It really means being against anyone of semitic origin, which is most of the Arabic Middle East.
Were you just doing your job as a moderator, is was this but another example of McEquality?

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McSpotlight: In this case, the "day to day English" is wrong. I'll freely admit that it's a personal bugbear of mine; as I am a hacker in the true sense of the word; I hack code; I program. As such, the incorrect usage of "hack" is an insult to me and my fellow coders; we are not criminals. It's a similar (although lesser) thing to calling the Nazis "socialist"; it's incorrect and guaranteed to annoy any real socialist instantly. It marks the person making the mistake as either clueless enough not to know the right language or obnoxious enough not to care.

As for moderating, I allowed his comments through untouched; all I added was a clarification on something he was incorrect about; simple as that; at no point did I impugn him or enter the debate; as such, I do not perceive myself to have compromised my job as a moderator in any way.


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