Hacker News Reader

Yes, that's what it means... but I have on very rare occasion seen people with (money and) industry experience work in a an academic lab with other post docs bringing in the same meager stipend. It's doubtful that they are working towards a professorship, although a PhD isn't actually needed for that either. I've seen a few with only BS or MS degrees working as teaching professors.

Yes, it's postdoctorate, but it's the only academic job for people in their ~30s. It's the equivalent of an early/mid-career programmer. There's just no other title so they're all called postdocs, even if (rarely) they don't have a PhD.

yes, after finishing PhD, people who want to become professor should get a postdoc position as soon as they can, and finish work as more as they can during it...