: Re: How do I write a computer-savvy/hacker character? I have a character in my story for whom being computer savvy is supposed to be a major personality trait. The character works with computers

@Smith147

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First off, "Computer-Savvy" and "hacker" are not the same thing - especially nowadays, with computers being more mainstream. Early days, most people became computer-savvy because they were "hackers", experimenting with new-fangled technology.

A 'proper' hacker - not just a Script-Kiddie - is going to have a related mindset, especially if they do this regularly. They will be looking at rules and object for interesting loopholes, or unusual ways to put them together and achieve a task. Their "hacking" will most likely not just be limited to the cyber-world - and, many "hackers" work 'offline', rigging up unusual physical contraptions. It is, in essence, a sub-set of "tinkerer". A famous example of a "physical hack" is when Homer Simpson uses a nodding bird toy to keep hitting the Y key. Hacking and Programming are about problem solving.

These are the people who will look at a special offer in a shop, and work out how to get paid to buy bananas. The people who will realise when it's cheaper to buy a "family" rail package and discard the fourth ticket, instead of paying for 3 people individually.

Give them a list of orders in a restaurant, and they can tell you "if person A and person B order each others' starters instead, then they can use these 2 special offer meals, and we save 5 bucks."

Here's a couple of examples: First, chocolate digestive biscuits. Tasty, but the chocolate melts and gets your fingers messy. Simple solution: eat them two at a time, with the chocolate sandwiched in the middle. Second, I once saw a video "article" about dunking biscuits in tea (as you may be able to tell, I am feeling slightly peckish at the moment!) - how long to do so without the biscuit getting soggy and breaking up in the tea, etcetera. At the end, they turned to the scientist they had had on the show, and said "So, that's how to solve it with science!" - to which, the scientist replied "well, no", and proceeded to dip the flat side of the biscuit, so that it had a dry / solid backing to hold it together.

This is, in a way, a bit like how a 'proper' Martial Artist (trained in self-defence, rather than just sport) will almost instinctively check a room for exits and potential threats as they walk in, and take a seat where they can see most of what's going on. Or, how a professional thief will automatically "case the joint", spotting security and potential opportunities.

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