hack mode

jargon Engaged in hacking. A Zen-like state of total

focus on The Problem that may be achieved when one is hacking

(this is why every good hacker is part mystic). Ability to

enter such concentration at will correlates strongly with

wizardliness; it is one of the most important skills learned

during larval stage. Sometimes amplified as "deep hack

mode".

Being yanked out of hack mode (see priority interrupt) may

be experienced as a physical shock, and the sensation of being

in hack mode is more than a little habituating. The intensity

of this experience is probably by itself sufficient

explanation for the existence of hackers, and explains why

many resist being promoted out of positions where they can

code. See also cyberspace.

Some aspects of hackish etiquette will appear quite odd to an

observer unaware of the high value placed on hack mode. For

example, if someone appears at your door, it is perfectly okay

to hold up a hand (without turning one's eyes away from the

screen) to avoid being interrupted. One may read, type, and

interact with the computer for quite some time before further

acknowledging the other's presence (of course, he or she is

reciprocally free to leave without a word). The understanding

is that you might be in hack mode with a lot of delicate

state in your head, and you dare not swap that context out

until you have reached a good point to pause. See also

juggling eggs.

[Jargon File]

(1996-07-31)