Does Hackerdom Need an Emblem?

If there were to be a hacker emblem, Eric Raymond, author of How To Become A Hacker, The Cathedral and the Bazaar, and the original Jargon File, is surely as good a choice as anyone to pick it.

And if someone were going to pick an emblem, what better than a symbol from the Game of Life. Some might vote for the blinker, the most-seen object in Life, others for the glider gun, block, the beehive, or the integral sign, but the glider is fine.

But really, even keeping in mind the more comlex and nuanced way that Eric Raymond uses “hacker,” as opposed to the USA Today cartoon version— are hackers the sort of group that need a logo? (See the Slashdot thread. I particularly liked the suggestion that hackers are defined by the color of their hat.)

Actually, yes. Hackers require a small but constant supply of new T-shirts. For some it is because the old ones wear out from being worn and laundered day after day. For others it is because the old shirts get too tight round the waist. Still others find that their old T-shirts get up and walk off after months of not being washed.

And this will look nice on a T-shirt.

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