NZHerald, nerd versus hacker

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xurizaemon

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Topic # 24092 15-Jul-2008 08:58

In this morning's (mobile) NZ Herald @ m.nzherald.co.nz, they run almost the exact same byline in both the front and tech sections.

Tech:

" 8:14 a.m. | A young Whitianga computer hacker who pleaded guilty to charges relating to an international cyber-crime ring will be sentenced in the High Court in Hamilton today. Owen Thor Walker, 18, ... More"

Mainstream:

" 8:14 a.m. | A young Whitianga computer nerd who pleaded guilty to charges relating to an international cyber-crime ring will be sentenced in the High Court in Hamilton today. Owen Thor Walker, 18, ... More"

Interesting that they changed only the one word.

Similarly, a week or two ago I was amused to see the same article on dropping prices and the economy run in the business and lifestyle sections. In business: "boo, prices are dropping"; in lifestyle, "hurray, prices are dropping".

freitasm

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Reply # 147993 15-Jul-2008 09:02

Worst is that mainstream uses "hacker" liberally, when in fact it means someone who can "hack some code" (develop, create), or someone with good inside knowledge of a system. A "cracker" is the bad guy, but people just uses "hacker" these days...

And a hacker is certainly not a nerd, and geeks are certainly not nerds. But that's beyond them...

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xurizaemon

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Reply # 148003 15-Jul-2008 09:14

Perhaps if we could convince their web team to implement a filter on the CMS, such that all references to "journalist", "writer", "media consultant", "presenter" etc were replaced with "intrepid roving reporter". That might help illustrate the point?

redjet

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Reply # 148025 15-Jul-2008 10:56

I don't think the nerd vs hacker is really it's worth worrying about TBH.

I do hope they throw the book at this guy, but I'm betting that he gets community service and scores a job with an IT security firm soon after!

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xurizaemon

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Reply # 148273 15-Jul-2008 20:15

... Or the police, the media are now suggesting.

I'm not too fussed about nerd vs hacker, I just think it's amusing to see the different versions of each story the media tells. As media becomes more and more tuneable, and more available, we see more and more subtly customised content.

No doubt the ad world is looking forward to a time when the coke adverts show me a girl in a bikini, and my partner a guy in tight shorts, enjoying the same product.

On the deeper demographic front, I would like a graph of "let him go <-> lock him up" against "non-windows user <-> windows user". I'm pretty sure the results would be amusing (for one group, anyway).

PS. Is that a ZX-81? I thought my friend was SO DAMN FLASH for having one of them.

redjet

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Reply # 148284 15-Jul-2008 20:45

xurizaemon: PS. Is that a ZX-81? I thought my friend was SO DAMN FLASH for having one of them.

LOL, it's a 48k ZX Spectrum - my first computer! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zx_spectrum

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Dratsab

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Reply # 148305 15-Jul-2008 21:32

redjet: I do hope they throw the book at this guy, but I'm betting that he gets community service...

It's way past that - he's been fined and discharged without conviction. End of story.