Hackers
In Sharon's dream world of Harry Barker, a hacker is an individually so gifted with the ability to create and/or use technology that they achieve almost magical results. For fans of Harry Potter, hackers would be analogous to wizards and witches. A hacker is deeply in tune with his or her chosen discipline and often employs the use of an input device to ply a trade or for use as offensive or defensive weapon.
There are numerous hacker organizations throughout Sharon's imaginary world, complete with governing bodies that mirror the societal structure of the non-hacker world. However, this is no formal separation between hackers and non-hackers; more often than not, the two coexist side by side, nearly oblivious to each other's existence except when extraordinary circumstances force them to collide. Many hackers are trained in elite schools of mastery such as Hollerith's School of Phreaking and Hacking, where far deeper knowledge can be revealed than in conventional computer science curricula.
The natural opposite of a hacker would be a "luddie". Most hackers view luddies with indifference, although extremes can also be found. Some hackers are fascinated with luddie culture and study it with almost the same depth and curiosity as an anthropologist discovering an heretofore unseen indigenous tribe. On the opposite side of the spectrum are Black Hat hackers, who view luddies with such disdain that they believe all non-hackers should be subjugated or outright destroyed.
Examples of Hackers
- Harry Barker, a hacker in training
- Dexter J. Smith
- Timothy Dumpingcore, headmaster of Hollerith's
- Gnawthrylilees, a notorious Black Hat