quote:
I don't think there's an official guide to lay people's adoption of computer slang, but I believe there's a fairly common understanding of "hack" that must involve a person intentionally attempting to access a secured "area" (database, site, application, what have you.) Typing in a URL that is in a public environment but not advertised to the general public is not a hack.

except it has evolved into much more than that. Hack is used quite routinely as a workaround with tech. Hell even more than that, you hear quite regularly with everyday stuff, ie "life hacks" etc..

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Posted by Crimson Legend

Mount St Gumpus

Member since Nov 2004

15478 posts

Posted on 7/16/14 at 10:45 am to NYCAuburn

quote:
except it has evolved into much more than that. Hack is used quite routinely as a workaround with tech

Not in the corporate IT world where I work. A "workaround" is finding a technical (or process) solution to an issue with an application, site, etc. A "hack" is when someone successfully attempts to access a secured area.

That being said, it's a fine line where a misuse of a term eventually becomes its generally accepted meaning. The term "hack" among the general public means whatever people think it means. The one point at issue is whether this was the result of a bug, process error, etc. or an intentional manipulation of the site from outside.

That will be critical to determining whether the NCAA ignores this, or considers typing a sentence somewhere pointlessly documenting a minor infraction, and THEN ignoring it.