The Jargon File is a well-known concise description of hacker language and culture. It’s been around a while and I’ve browsed it before, but I happened to stumble across it again today. Some of the content is a bit obscure since it dates back a couple decades or more. But perhaps the most fascinating and continually relevant section is the Portrait of J. Random Hacker. (You do know what a hacker is, right?) Many of the descriptions are eerily accurate when applied to myself — much more than any horoscope could ever be. Until I read the Jargon File a few years ago, I didn’t quite realize how much I conform to the nonconformist hacker nature.
Of course not everything can be completely on the mark. But there are a surprising number of striking examples, including…
Dress: "A substantial minority prefers ‘outdoorsy’ clothing"
I think around 90% of the clothing I wear comes from REI.
Sports: "Interest in spectator sports is low to non-existent; sports are something one does, not something one watches on TV."
Absolutely.
… "Ultimate Frisbee has become quite popular."
… "Martial arts in the hacker culture deserves special mention."
I’ve dabbled in a few martial arts and always wanted to do more. I’ve been planning for a couple years now to take up aikido more seriously, but I just don’t have the time to add another frequent activity to my schedule.
Food: "Ethnic. Spicy. Oriental, esp. Chinese and most esp. Szechuan, Hunan, and Mandarin (hackers consider Cantonese vaguely déclassé). A visible minority of Southwestern and Pacific Coast hackers prefers Mexican."
Mmm… Mexican, Japanese, and Chinese food are indeed my favorites. But as it says, I never much cared for Cantonese (once I figured out the difference).
Communication: "Though hackers often have poor person-to-person communication skills, they are as a rule quite sensitive to nuances of language and very precise in their use of it."
I constantly find myself cringing when my co-workers (mostly the non-hacker ones of course) repeatedly miss-apply or miss-speak colloquial phrases. Some of them even grew up in this country so they should know better. And in some cases those misuses seem to catch on and grow into a widespread meme, annoying me to no end. Personally I almost always avoid silly colloquialisms and just say what I mean.
… "They are often better at writing than at speaking."
Well, I try. If my writing is bad, my speech must be horrid.
Personality: "Also, most hackers are ‘neophiles’, stimulated by and appreciative of novelty (especially intellectual novelty)."
Old stuff is obsolete. People who resist good changes for the sake of familiarity or pointless tradition annoy me.
… "Hackers are ‘control freaks’ in a way that has nothing to do with the usual coercive or authoritarian connotations of the term."
I insist on driving a stick-shift. I wired my house with programmable light switches.
Misc: "Hackers are more likely to have cats than dogs."
Check.
"Richer hackers drive spiffy RX-7s…"
Oops, an off-by-one error! Obviously the Jargon File needs to be updated for the current decade.
"… and then forget to have them washed."
Guilty.
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Lots of other things there are not far off, but I may not be prepared to admit everything. So, for fellow hackers, does much of this ring true for you? As for everyone else… just know that we do not envy your normalcy. :)
