hack mode

n. 1. What one is in when hacking, of course. 2. More specifically, 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 (sense 3). Some aspects of hacker
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 (sense 2) in your head, and you dare not swap that context
out until you have reached a good point to pause. See also juggling eggs.

