In from the cold: the mainstream rehabilitation of the 'hacker'

Really? Thats your take away? That the word hacker has many meanings? Sure the word hacker has different meanings to different people. Thats not really up for debate. What's interesting to me how its slowly becoming acceptable to be a hacker and what might be driving that change.

For example the UK government saying they want to hire hackers to the point of saying that a criminal offense in hacking might should not be a barrier to getting hired; while on the other hand back in the US, in Idaho, just describing yourself as a hacker is enough to erode your protection against unreasonable searches (4th amendment rights.

Another contrast, in the UK, when you say "Hacker" almost without exception people understand you to be talking about someone who breaks into computers; while in California in the US a Hacker could just as easily be interpreted as a clever coder.

Etymology in real-time :)

Oh dear this is the tech equivalent of retired colonels writing to the times or the telegraph bemoaning the fact that fine old English word "gay" now has other meanings.

Just live with the fact that "hacker" has multiple meanings.