It's a full-time job staying abreast of the jargon that comes spinning out of the Web. Or rather cracked. The difference is important.
Hackers see themselves as the intellectuals of Geek City's computer-code ghetto.
They make programs better, spotting security flaws. Crackers are the bad guys, illegally and maliciously breaking into sites and servers for kicks or cash. A cracker with a conscience. If crackers are the online equivilent of juvenile joyriders, hacktivists are like the guys blocking highways to protest pollution. Hacktivism is virtual direct action, and it is becoming increasingly popular as the first generation to have grown up with the Net comes of political age.