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I use the term all the time... but I was just sort of thinking that I don't really have a solid denotational sense behind the term (or at least the term in the sense I want to discuss here). I'm interested in the sense of the word related to code , not the anthropomorphic idea. I'm also not interested here in the sense of the word related to intentional malicious computing (i.e. a hack to unlock secret powers in a game). What I want to explore is what it means to 'hack' in terms of writing software to solve a problem wikipedia's def of 'hack' to me is a bit vague, but a decent starting point. It considers a hack can refer to a solution or method which functions correctly but which is "ugly" in its concepion works outside the accepted structures and norms of the environment is not easily extendable or maintainable can be slang for "copy", "imitation" or "rip-off." These traits of a hack conform to my usage of the word-- when applied to code it is always a term of derision . To my mind, a hack Is likely to be difficult to maintain & hard to understand in the context of the rest of the code. Is likely to cause failure of the app. tends to indicate a poor understanding by the coder either of the problem space, usage of the language or both tends to be the byproduct of aggressive schedules suggests potential changes in requirements that have not been fully incorporated into the architecture of the solution (requiring an 'inorganic' workaround). smells all bad, bad, bad . To me, a hack in this sense is always negative , indicating either lack of time, incompetence, or sloth on the part of the developer, though a decent percentage of hacks must

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