Great hackers¶

Nice article by Paul Graham about great hackers.

Hackers, here, means just great programmers and problem solvers (not "crackers", those that break into systems).

I know that I've got some of the attributes of a hacker. I like to automate drudgery tasks. I like to control my computer (so: linux since 1996, no windows). I like nice problems that need solving. Things that are just screaming for a solution.

The last paragraph is interesting as I'm slowly starting to look for a job/company: my PhD should be finished at the end of the year:

Can you cultivate these qualities? I don't know. But you can at least not repress them. So here is my best shot at a recipe. If it is possible to make yourself into a great hacker, the way to do it may be to make the following deal with yourself: you never have to work on boring projects (unless your family will starve otherwise), and in return, you'll never allow yourself to do a half-assed job. All the great hackers I know seem to have made that deal, though perhaps none of them had any choice in the matter.

Don't do a half-assed job, don't do boring projects.