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 3).
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}.
[glossary]
[Reference(s) to this entry by made by: {burn-in period}{cyberspace}{deep hack mode}{hack mode}{heads down}{juggling eggs}{mode}{priority interrupt}{troglodyte mode}{zen}]