I don't remember where I read it, but you're only a true hacker if some arbitrarily large enough community has bestowed that label upon you. As of today, hacker is almost synonymous with programmer, and people who can compile a C++ program sometimes think themselves as 'hackers'. It's kind of sad, but I don't really care. The media has long since killed the term for general usage.

The term "hacker" has become so diluted by forums like this one that it's totally meaningless. Calling yourself a hacker at this point is just a form of self-aggrandizement.