Google's definition of hacker is worse than Merriam-Webster's

3 pointstod2228y ago1 comments

You'd think Google would get this right.

Merriam-Webster's definition[1]:

  3: an expert at programming and solving problems with a computer
  4: a person who illegally gains access to and sometimes tampers with information in a computer system

Google's definition[2]:

  1. a person who uses computers to gain unauthorized access to data.
  informal
  an enthusiastic and skillful computer programmer or user.

Google declares the original meaning to be informal and subsidiary to its corrupted definition. Surprising!

[1] https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hacker [2] https://www.google.com/search?q=define+hacker

1 comments

Someone8y ago

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Semantic_change:

”Semantic change (also semantic shift, semantic progression, semantic development, or semantic drift) is the evolution of word usage—usually to the point that the modern meaning is radically different from the original usage.”

⇒ you can’t argue Google’s definition is worse because it declares the original meaning to be informal and subsidiary to its corrupted definition. It may just be more up to date (in this case, I think it is)

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