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 2).
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.