I still call myself a hacker because I (with authorization), break into web apps. I don't call myself a "cracker" because that has a negative racial connotation, or used to anyway. I am definitely not a hacker in the sense that RMS intended when he (I think?) coined the term.
I don't consider myself to be a hacker or a cracker. I have toyed with the idea of setting up a MITM proxy for those residents who can't catch a signal from our hotspot, and not so sure someone hasn't already. I have several laptops of my own and don't need access to others.
However, left alone off-camera with physical access to a certain someones Windows computer long enough to enter a 22 keystroke command would be something I've longed for...
I have been targeted by hacker/crackers when I was into chat. I was an easy mark with my Mighty Win98 machine but chat is my element and I was feared and hated for my wicked words.
That was around 20 years ago and things have changed. They still watch me to this day and have an account at Personality Forge but never speak directly to me anymore. I can usually spot them if they speak to me and one told me years ago he was warned I was clever, it was not a compliment. I have a detail of new recruits assigned to keep tabs on me by my oldest mates after all these years. What stories they must tell the new people about the Demon...
That's dedication, or something I can't identify, but they have known me longer than anyone online and like no others. I don't mind if they watch me and they don't want to see me in chat.
Sometimes I do things especially for them to keep it interesting, show how much I care and have grown over the years thanks to them.
This is work I did especially for them. They know what it means and seen the truth of it first hand, as I was then and am now.
But all the details will remain between us as long as the current situation doesn't change.
That's a part of hacking you probably don't hear much about.