Why is everything a "hack" these days?
10Just a few years ago, the word hack seems to have replaced words like tip, hint, trick, or even suggestion when referring to doing something outside of the usual way. To me a hack is a clever or sometimes inelegant modification to software to solve a problem, one that you might be proud of (if clever) or somewhat embarrassed by (if inelegant). We have and have used plenty of synonyms for hack for a very long time before hack became the “in” word. Now every solution to every problem is put forth as a hack. I don’t think it’s an evolution of the language, but a lazy de-evolution.
And yes, the other definitions of hack: a cab driver, a sellout (see political hack), a person who produces unimaginative and mediocre work are also valid.
What do you think?
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George Orwell, 1984
@algae1221 doubleplusungood
Adding a bit of acid to a recipe is not a hack
Substituting something weird for something not available because of the tariffs would be a hack
@Cerridwyn This is a good example of thinking about what we would have called the second one before “hack” took over. A tip? A trick? A workaround? A clever substitution?
@Cerridwyn @ItalianScallion Jerry-rigged
@00 @Cerridwyn @ItalianScallion Of course, before jerry-rigged, there were a number of expressions we don’t use anymore. And even “jerry-rigged” was a derogatory term from WWII, a slur against the “Jerries”, i.e. Germans. “Bodged” is one of my preferred usages nowadays. Some still use “MacGuyvered”, but that reference is often lost on recent generations…
@Cerridwyn @ItalianScallion @werehatrack At the risk of “well actually”-ing, I looked this up years ago (as an ancestor of German [and other] immigrants in the 1800s). Turns out it has nothing to do with the WWII usage.
https://www.merriam-webster.com/grammar/jerry-built-vs-jury-rigged-vs-jerry-rigged-usage-history
As a boy scout in the late 80s/90s, MavGyver was our collective hero. One year, our meetings were on the same night as McGyver, so I would tape it and watch it the next day!
@00 @Cerridwyn @ItalianScallion @werehatrack I thought it started as more of a misuse of the term jury rigged/rigging by the younger generations who didn’t fully understand the meaning.
KuoH
@00 @Cerridwyn @ItalianScallion @kuoh @werehatrack I believe it is jury-rigged from sailing vs Jerry-cans which are still nato standard. It’s been spelled both ways for a long time I’m sure
Regarding the children. They need some Richard deen Anderson STAT
I’ve been assuming that it came from the idea of computer hacking? But yeah, I’m tired of it and it’s not a nice sounding word - it reminds me of a cat coughing up a hairball.
@Kyeh Seems like that to me.
@ItalianScallion
@ItalianScallion @Kyeh As a cat person that is an excellent and horrifying giphy.
@ItalianScallion @Kyeh @yakkoTDI yes waking up to it especially. When you planned to sleep another hour or two.
@ItalianScallion @Kyeh @yakkoTDI As a dog person it’s just horrifying
@Kyeh @yakkoTDI
100% agree, @llangley!
@ItalianScallion @llangley @yakkoTDI
Dogs throw up, too!
@ItalianScallion @Kyeh @llangley @yakkoTDI But at least dogs usually have the decency to clean up their own mess.
@ItalianScallion @llangley @macromeh @yakkoTDI Euwww
@ItalianScallion @Kyeh @llangley @macromeh @yakkoTDI Omg, you guys gave me a much-needed chuckle! Unfortunately, I can confirm through firsthand experience that this entire conversation is 100% factual.
@Kyeh The hairball association just makes it more appropriate when the “hack” is something that’s a horrible bodge. And if the TikTok folks keep at it long enough, the word “hack” will go back to having strongly negative vibes. (OMFG is TikTok full of shoot-yourself-in-the-knee “advice”.)
I agree…it’s become extremely irritating…kind of like I am.
FYI, “hack” was at the top of the LSSU banished word list for 2024. At the end of each year since 1976, Lake Superior State University has put out the list after collecting submissions from anyone, in or outside of the US. Here’s what LSSU had to say:
A news story about it is here.
@ItalianScallion Oh, yes - I really love that LSSU list. I’d like to nominate the use of “welcome” used to mean having a baby; somehow in the last few years, somebody somewhere seems to have decreed that all births must announced by the word “welcomed.” Even when the birth is very unwelcome. I read a story about Marilyn Monroe being born to her unwed mother and put up for adoption - but it said her mother “welcomed” her. It sounds fine on a birth announcement but icky in a news story.
@ItalianScallion @Kyeh True, back then, everything was coded in euphemism. God forbid they use a phrase that invoked an image of a woman in labor–the horror! Some people back then probably actually believed storks delivered the little “bundles of joy.” It was a strange time.
@ircon96 @Kyeh You mean like we Americans still use euphenisms when it comes to talking about bathroom-related bodily functions or–horrors!–sex?
@ircon96 @ItalianScallion But this was a recent story, looking back at Marilyn’s life. So the “welcomed” was a current usage. It’s weird because we’ve generally gotten a lot less euphemistic - articles in my news feed talk about “foods that help you poop” (oh, please - I don’t want to see headings like that!)
But MIBMMTIS!
I think “welcome a baby” just sounds smarmy and like it was invented by the same person who came up with “live-laugh-love”.
@ItalianScallionExactly! I guess some things never change. <sigh>
@Kyeh Lol at the Irk homage! But I’m with you, i think it bothers you just the right amount.
Since it’s a current story, I wouldn’t be surprised if it were some lazy “journalist” who plagiarized the original source material, unless it was one of those crusty old-timers who was still around when they used that particular “mal mot.” 
@ircon96 Nah, the “welcomed” thing is definitely recent. I had a thought about it - I bet it came about because of all the celebrities who use surrogates to carry their kids. So they don’t actually give birth, they just “welcome” the baby. Makes sense for that situation. But it’s becoming standard, which I hate. Just like “gifting” as a verb.
Gedoffamylawn!!!
I blame Hackerman.
@zhicks1987 I suspect Hackworth had his fingers in it too.
I’m a GenX’er. We just call it getting shit done.
Raises my hackles…
@Milyvan1 underrated comment
As far back as the 1970s I recall it being “playing around with computers for fun” and also a method of writing code where there is no formal plan it’s just write some stuff, see what works, edit it, and hack on. It didn’t have a negative connotation like breaking into things on the Internet (there was no internet, but we did have limited computer-to-computer networks).
Also until recently never heard it applied to recipes and clothing. Once the fast-food chain marketing took it over and used their fast-food hacks for ads I knew it was all over.
@pmarin Heh… I had all the ‘hacking’ tools for my Apple IIe. Wasn’t much I couldn’t do with a good hex editor
I guess “Hints From Heloise” will have to change it’s name to “Hacks from Heloise”
https://heloise.com/
@chuckf1 Looks like even she had gone to the dark side: “Cleaning Hacks & Organizing Tips” ?!
@chuckf1 @ircon96 My hacks clean themselves, TYVM.
I prefer the horse-related use, both verb & noun.
My Apple newsfeed looks like it has a bad cough!
@Kyeh It’s probably that nasty whooping cough making a comeback–thanks, RFK Jr’s brain worm!
Oh come on. These aren’t hacks. If you ever watch YouTube you know that these are designed for military or disrupting industry that will do x for milli y but they don’t want anyone to know about and are any to ban. You better buy more before you can never get your military grade xyz again
Big air-conditioning doesn’t want you to know about this blatant scam violating laws of physics…
@unksol Not the big Air-con…spiracy!