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This article was posted to the Usenet group alt.hackers in 1995; any technical information is probably outdated.

Re: Any suggestions?


Article: 7497 of alt.hackers
From: elessar@picard.cs.wisc.edu (Erik Geiger)
Newsgroups: alt.hackers
Subject: Re: Any suggestions?
Date: 9 Mar 1995 16:05:24 GMT
Organization: U of Wisconsin CS Dept
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Approved: Certainly
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[Deletia]


: BTW: What's the difference between a kluge and a hack?

: --
: David Chin                               Cornell University '92

As I understand it, a hack is a solution which displays brilliance, technical
acumen, efficiency and a high degree of creativity.  It needn't be pretty or
orthodox or something the administration would approve of.

A kludge, however, is a blunt force, rude solution that solves the problem
with a minimum of hassle.  It also won't be pretty, but it also won't be
elegant or brilliant or even necessarily all that efficient.

However, each hacker probably has a different opinion/definition.  This is
simply the best one I could come up with at the moment.

OB_Hack

Using a model rocket engine igniter, a battery, a mercury switch, some wire
and a brick of firecrackers to booby trap my Jack o' Lantern last Holloween
so that it didn't get smashed by pranksters as it had in previous years.
Trick or Treat!  ;-)


______________________________________________________________________________
|    elessar@picard.cs.wisc.edu    |Do not meddle in the affairs of wizards; |
| http://yar.cs.wisc.edu/~elessar/ |for they are subtle and quick to anger.  |
|                                  |  -- J.R.R. Tolkien                      |
|__________________________________|_________________________________________|





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