Originally the word "hacker" made no distinction between the two meanings. This site is pretty old, so you're right, it was intended in the original "Kevin Mitnik" sense (the original hacker, who ironically would fall outside of the modern definition)

The modern acception focused on online computer security came much later. That meaning is neither the one used in the name of this site nor the one that would be relevant to this conversation.

To summarize: today's hackers are also yesterday's hackers, but yesterday's hackers may or may not be modern hackers.

Mitnik is in no sense “the original hacker”. Ever heard of Cap’n Crunch?

The Guinness book of world records listed Kevin as the world's most notorious hacker, not the first.

They did retract they record for its lack of objectivity.

Lock picking falls under jargon files definition of "hack" imo

If I never hear nerds bicker over the various meanings of the word 'hacker' again, it will be too soon.

Literally from the horse's mouth, 15 years ago: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1648199

> In the sense of the word that means people who write code, not people who break into things

It would be like if you were going over a list of pros and cons and when you got to the cons some guy was like "wow, you work with criminals, huh?" Then you tell him not that sort of con and he says "yeah, typical nerd bickering".

C'mon.

And yet it still isn't any more interesting to argue about.

How do you know if a nerd doesn’t care what you’re talking about? They’ll tell you.

Lockpicking can also be in that colors, AFAIK.

I went to hacker events where someone would sell lock-picking tools and practice locks like it's the most natural thing in the world.

Mr. judge I’m not a black hat hacker. I’m a person, one of such nature who enjoys creatively overcoming or circumventing limitations.

Pick a fight with a room full of pedants snicker snicker.