The following list is an attempt to cover some of the issues that will invariably come up when people without previous experience of the hacker community try to hire a hacker. This FAQ is intended for free distribution, and may be copied as desired. It is in an early revision. If you wish to modify the FAQ, or distribute it for publication, please contact the author. Bias is inevitable.
Unaltered distribution is permitted.
Hackers aren't, contrary to media reporting, the people who break into computers. Those are crackers. Hackers are people who enjoy playing with computers. A hacker can be dramatically more effective than a non-hacker at a job, or dramatically less effective. Repetitive, simple jobs are a waste of a good hacker, and will make your hacker bored and frustrated.