>> Writing a program that does something mundane isn't usually considered
>> "hacking".
>
> Don't you think substituting "hardware" for computer related is a
> possibly a better fit in the above context?
>
> Back in the day we had the "top" spectrum analyzer ... and our closest
> competitor would buy one of our boxes and reverse engineer large
> portions of the instrument. I remember going into production and finding
> their order, and tagging the box, so we could follow it through the
> process. I was like we made DARN sure it was tuned to the tightest
> tolerance possible, and dared them to replicate. We had them over a
> barrel with certain proprietary micro circuits. Single source for those
> components. Once they came out with their new model, we'd in turn buy
> one of there boxes and take it to the lab to see if we could catch them
> in any copy-right violations.
>
> Doesn't something like that fit the term "hacking"?

You can have "legal hacks" too... I think the word probably has more 
than one meaning.

1. To do something skillful. (Computer-related, legal-related, basically 
any subject area which requires skill.)

2. Exploiting something in an unintended way. (E.g., patent trolls could 
be said to "hack the legal system".)

Post a reply to this message