The New Hacker's Dictionary
by Eric S. Raymond, E RAYMOND, Raymond, Eric Raymond · first published 1991
24% recommend71% neutral6% critical
Why HN recommends it
Browsable glossary of programmer slang and hacker culture, with the history and stories behind its terms. It serves as an entertaining primer for anyone new to the hacker world.
Summarised by Claude from recommending comments
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You might find The New Hacker's Dictionary to be useful for establishing some background history and terminology. For programming material, maybe take a look at Structure and Interpretation of Computer Programs, and see if it looks like a good…
on “Ask HN: Help me become a great hacker” ↗"The Hacker Crackdown: Law and Disorder on the Electronic Frontier" by Bruce Sterling, should really be on on the must-read list. Another on I highly recommend is "The New Hacker's Dictionary" by Eric S. Raymond. Finally, although it is a bit far afield, probably every hacker should read David Kahn's "The Codebreakers".
on “Ask HN: Books on Computer History” ↗The New Hacker's Dictionary served as my whirlwind tour of programming culture, and was one of the first computer-related books I read. Either directly or indirectly due to this book, I ended up: using Emacs, learning Lisp, learning…
on “What is the single most influential book every programmer should read?” ↗I'd add in that list the New Hacker's Dictionary edited by Eric S Raymond http://www.amazon.com/The-New-Hackers-Dictionary-Edition/dp/... - (aka the Jargon File http://www.catb.org/jargon/html/ ) It includes many computing terms invented over the years…
on “Ask HN: How to learn about the history of computing?” ↗It might be a bit too archaic now, as a lot of the terms and technologies discussed were on the way out even when the last printed version was published, but I did find The New Hacker's Dictionary very enjoyable in this sense. Programming Pearls might be another good book that promotes enjoyment of computing; certainly a bit more technical, but I think plenty readable for someone interested. https://www.amazon.com/New-Hackers-Dictionary-3rd/dp/0262680...…
on “Ask HN: What are some books to fuel your ambition towards computer science?” ↗…Ritchie did what they did, when they did it. Very important for getting a historical understanding of programming. Also, try to figure out why Ken Thompson said what he did in "Coders at Work". 4. Read The New Hacker's Dictionary. 5. Read Naive Set Theory 6. Try (and fail, at least for a year) to read A Shorter Model Theory (don't give up!) 7. Read Code Complete followed by the Python 2.x source code 8. Read SICP and write…
on “Ask HN: What habits make a programmer great?” ↗I've got a feeling that I first heard this story in the paperback version of the Jargon File - The New Hacker's Dictionary (3rd Ed). That book alone is a pretty great compendium of stories from the 70s and 80s.
on “Robin Hood And Friar Tuck” ↗It's funny that you should mention the MIT sense of the term. I was very influenced by this line from The New Hacker's Dictionary, which came out of the MIT hacking culture: "[T]he ties many hackers have to AI research and SF literature may have helped them to develop an idea of personhood that is inclusive rather than exclusive…
on “Fear of White Replacement in Life and Gaming [video]” ↗- New Hacker's Dictionary (print version is nice for browsing) - The Little Schemer (or the whole series, if you really like them) - The Art of Computer Programming
on “Ask YC: What would you put on a hacker's bookshelf?” ↗Not really :-) No better than pointing towards a dusty old copy of the Jargon File -- or the New Hacker's Dictionary, the book version I read when I was a teenager, without which I probably wouldn't be here saying this. Anyhow, the difference in mindsets between the different readers is EXACTLY why I wouldn't go around…
on “Hacker News, now with downvotes” ↗In such case it's worth reading the whole jargon: http://www.catb.org/jargon/ (in print version - The New Hacker's Dictionary).
on “The Story Of Mel” ↗…alone won't be enough. "Computer science education cannot make anybody an expert programmer any more than studying brushes and pigment can make somebody an expert painter" says Eric Raymond, author of The New Hacker's Dictionary. One of the best programmers I ever hired had only a High School degree; he's produced a lot of great software, has his own news group, and made enough in stock options to buy his own nightclub. # Work…
on “Paul Graham: News from the Front” ↗What you might be (mis-)remembering is Eric S. Raymond’s description of the production of The New Hacker's Dictionary printed book: http://catb.org/jargon/html/personality.html
on “The lingua franca of LaTeX” ↗…alone won't be enough. "Computer science education cannot make anybody an expert programmer any more than studying brushes and pigment can make somebody an expert painter" says Eric Raymond, author of The New Hacker's Dictionary. One of the best programmers I ever hired had only a High School degree; he's produced a lot of great software, has his own news group, and made enough in stock options to buy his own nightclub." http://norvig.com/21-days.html
on “You can go to the bathroom whenever you want at Microsoft” ↗…alone won't be enough. "Computer science education cannot make anybody an expert programmer any more than studying brushes and pigment can make somebody an expert painter" says Eric Raymond, author of The New Hacker's Dictionary. One of the best programmers I ever hired had only a High School degree; he's produced a lot of great software, has his own news group, and made enough in stock options to buy his own nightclub.
on “Teach Yourself Programming in 10 Years.” ↗