Let's take a look at some headlines - 

http://edition.cnn.com/2015/06/12/politics/security-clearance-chinese-hackers/

http://www.ndtv.com/kerala-news/kerala-government-website-hacked-by-suspected-pakistani-hackers-1223442

http://www.cnbc.com/2015/09/23/hackers-are-selling-your-data-on-the-dark-web-for-1.html

http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-33409594

http://www.abcnews4.com/Clip/11111460/hackers-access-records-for-millions-of-anthem-customers

For years, the word Hacker has been misconstrued and perceived as an evil programmer who is out to destroy and deface your internet assets and steal valuable information information.  

But the origins of the word Hacker is older than you'd think. From the early 70s, the hacking culture was one that emerged from curiosity and elegant craftsmanship. To this day, the true definition of a hack is - “‘an appropriate application of ingenuity’." Whether the result is a quick-and-dirty patchwork job or a carefully crafted work of art, you have to admire the cleverness that went into it.

The world is equating security breaking to Hacking. Richard Stallman, the great computer scientist, coined a term for programmers who were security breakers. In his document "on hacking" he clearly shares what it means - 

"Around 1980, when the news media took notice of hackers, they fixated on one narrow aspect of real hacking: the security breaking which some hackers occasionally did. They ignored all the rest of hacking, and took the term to mean breaking security, no more and no less. The media have since spread that definition, disregarding our attempts to correct them. As a result, most people have a mistaken idea of what we hackers actually do and what we think.

You can help correct the misunderstanding simply by making a distinction between security breaking and hacking—by using the term "cracking" for security breaking. The people who do it are "crackers" (***). Some of them may also be hackers, just as some of them may be chess players or golfers; most of them are not."

Everything that you want to know about the Hacker and the Hacker culture can be found in this article - http://blog.hackerearth.com/2015/08/who-is-a-hacker.html

And we're not alone. Many in the media are already acknowledging the difference. Here are a few examples - 

http://www.talentzoo.com/digital-pivot/blog_news.php?articleID=12133

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/hackers/whoare/outlaws.html

http://tech.co/hackers-good-guys-2014-11

But all this is not enough. Hackers today are considered to be bad people. As one of the world's largest community of hackers, we want to set the definition of the word right. It might seem like a small thing to many of you, but the thought behind the word has paved the way for every technology advancement that we benefit and enjoy today. It doesn't deserve the fate that ignorance has condemned it to. 

This is more than just a word. It is an identity. It is a way of life. It has a rich legacy and we need your help in setting the record straight. Help us reach a maximum number of people. Tell as many people as you know and let's stop abusing the word.