# What's my hobby called? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 7, 2009, 8:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-my-hobby-called/480203 "2009-01-07T08:05:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Oslo\_Ostragoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/a9a28c/32.png) [@Oslo\_Ostragoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oslo_Ostragoth)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2009, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-my-hobby-called/480203/21 "2009-01-07T23:13:32Z")
Linked from Schneier’s blog: The Snohomish Smokescreen In September, a robber disguised as a gardener pepper-sprayed an armored car driver using a pesticide sprayer and ran off with a bag stuffed with $400,000 in cash. When police arrived seconds later, they found the sidewalk crowded with dozens of men decked out in the same attire as the perp: blue shirt, Day-Glo vest, safety mask and glasses. While the cops hacked through a forest of suspects, the real perp fled to a nearby creek and escaped in a waiting inner tube. Turns out the unwitting decoys had been lured to the crime scene by a Craigslist ad that promised construction work to those showing up in a “yellow vest, safety goggles, a respirator mask … and, if possible, a blue shirt.” A month later, following a lead from a homeless man who witnessed the preparation for the Brinks job, police arrested 28-year-old Anthony Curcio fresh from a Las Vegas vacation. Curcio is now charged with “Interference with commerce by threats or violence,” because “Pulling the most awesome robbery ever” isn’t listed in the U.S. code. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Lars\_Aruns](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c68b51/32.png) [@Lars\_Aruns](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lars_Aruns)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2009, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-my-hobby-called/480203/22 "2009-01-07T23:59:39Z")
Looks like the OP is a hacker according to [definition 7 from the Jargon File](http://catb.org/jargon/html/H/hacker.html), which is a glossary of slang used in certain circles: “One who enjoys the intellectual challenge of creatively overcoming or circumventing limitations”. ---
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2009, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-my-hobby-called/480203/23 "2009-01-08T00:26:11Z")
> [@CalD](#): > > Hi there, > > I’ve had a particular hobby my whole life, but don’t know if it has a proper name, or if there’s “hobby groups” based around it. > > My hobby is this: > > _I have an interest in studying methods used to defeat a system that has been designed to not be defeated_. > > For example, I enjoy learning about things such as: > > - Prison escapes > - Card counting > - Lock picking > - Code breaking (cryptography) > - Heists > > My hobby does not extend to puzzles that are designed to be beatable (such as sudoku or crosswords), but only to things that are theoretically designed to not be beaten. > > What’s my hobby called, and are there hobby groups based on it? You’re bot the only one; every bookstore has a “true crime” section. Washington DC has a new (privately owned) [National Museum of Crime and Punishment](http://www.crimemuseum.org/). ---
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2009, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-my-hobby-called/480203/24 "2009-01-08T02:20:26Z")
Ask [this](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ricky_Jay) guy. He’s an expert on con men, cons, magic tricks, hoaxes, etc. ---
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2009, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-my-hobby-called/480203/25 "2009-01-08T16:46:34Z")
The way I heard it is _hacking_ is breaking a code or machine, while _cracking_ is defeating the code or machine for an illegal reason ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2009, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-my-hobby-called/480203/26 "2009-01-08T16:55:57Z")
I always thought the old English term “yeggman” should be revived for this kind of thing. You should see the Robert Redford movie _Sneakers_, if you haven’t yet. ---
**Author:** ![Hi\_Neighbor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hi_neighbor/32/494_2.png) [@Hi\_Neighbor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hi_Neighbor)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2009, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-my-hobby-called/480203/27 "2009-01-08T17:06:59Z")
> [@Wiltshire](#): > > Did you really expect an answer like “Yes we’re planning a heist” to this? Well, other than “Heists,” the OP lists a bunch of activities that can be performed in a controlled, legal setting. I mean, magicians incorporate a lot of those into their bits all the time. Ok, so the OP probably doesn’t want to be a master of street magic, but you can practice lock picking, code breaking, and card counting in your home just for fun or to impress your friends. So, no, I did not expect him to respond, “Yes, we’re planning a heist.” Some people like to research a topic, others like to practice it, and some both. Sure, these topics are often related to an illegal activity, but it’s not always the case. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-my-hobby-called/480203.md?page=1)