The Image of the Hacker

Metac0m's piece: "What Is Hacktivism" hinges on a fundamental question normally reserved for politics.  What is the difference between a hacker and a terrorist?  Simply put, he believes the difference is that hackers mustn't do anything to inhibit the free flow of information, as that is the beauty of the computer age.  In this way, hackers are the guardians of the web, those who subvert authority in order to help, not harm others. Himanem evaluates the hacker's work ethic, arriving at the conclusion that they approach their craft like an artisan, passionately creating worlds of code for no reason other than their love for it.  Uniting these two images, it seems the hacker is the vanguard of the digital age, but the outside world is not so kind, for not all hackers are seen in favorable light.  Being the target of hacking, many large institutions fight for internet reform today under the guise of security, but hackers know, sometimes you have to a little bit of wrong to gain a little bit of good.