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After my previous blog post, I have been enlightened a little more on the definition of a hacker. Basically, it was stated that it is a hunger for knowledge and a thirst for enlightenment. It is the desire to alter, change, or manipulate something into a purpose that wasn't intended, or maybe even thought of before.
As I ponder my previous post and the mentality of the hacker that called himself "elite", I wonder if a hacker should ever think of themselves as anything but a newbie.
The more I learn, the more I learn how little I know. -- Socrates
The more you know, the less you understand. -- Lao-Tse
When I think of these quotes from such wise people, I realize how right they are. There are so many things to learn in this world, and knowledge can be so deep within these sciences. With every new technology there is so much to learn. With every new programming language there are so many exploits and syntax possibilities. With every new hardware development, there are ways to alter it. The world is constantly evolving, and while I may know more than someone on a certain topic, they may know much more than me on several other topics.
The more we learn, the more we open up the doors to knowledge. We learn how little it is that we know about a subject. Eventually, there opens a way to learn more details of a subject, and how much there is to learn on the topic. It is only then when growth occurs.
The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing. -- Socrates
When someone thinks of himself as elite, does the drive to learn slow down? Are we not all newbies on any particular given topic? How can we learn if we don't consider the fact that we know nothing?
It is this self-awareness of ignorance that may truly separate the intelligent from the masses. It is the true expert that realizes that they cannot possibly learn everything. It is truly the wise that learn where their ignorance lies. It is the unenlightened who may not even know what they have yet to learn. It may stagnant growth, and put limits to their creativity.
So now I ponder the following question: Is there no such a thing as an "elite" hacker?
For me a hacker is someone with an unquenchable thirst for knowledge and a knack for making things work in ways they shouldn't. Like I said, you are gonna get different answers from different people.
By that definition, I would be a hacker. However, I will not call myself that yet because compared to the other people here, I am in "hacker kindergarten" :)
I think g3k_ is right - often those who brag "Oh look at me, I'm a hacker, I can do all sorts of cool junk. Fear me, for I am 1337." are the ones who know next to squat. You can tell who the guys are who really know stuff, because they will make you think for yourself a bit and show them that you aren't some scriptard. Admitting you do not know much is more respectable than pretending to know something that you really don't
As for your question, I do think elite hackers exist. In everything there is someone who is the best or there are the top small percentage who have superior skills and knowledge. But since technology is so dynamic, the guy who is the best one day may just be mediocre the next.