• PC World
• »Computers

"Hacker." It's a word that's been with us since the dawn of personal computing, but one whose connotations keep changing. At first it was positively complimentary: A hacker was someone who was really good at coming up with inventive, unexpected solutions to computing problems. Then it turned ugly, suggesting that the person in question was engaging in practices that were dubious or downright illegal.

Lately, though, hacking has swung back to a meaning closer to its original sense--and I couldn't be happier about it. Today it describes any clever trick that gives a product functions other than those specifically intended by its creator. Hackers, and the hacks they come up with, have gone mainstream; better yet, you don't need to be a hard-core geek to join the fun.

Witness this issue's lead Here's How feature, Scott Spanbauer's "Eight Great, Simple Ways to Hack the Web." Scott, a PC World stalwart since before there was a Web to hack, shows how to perform cool Google Maps tricks, create your own RSS feeds and widgets, and a whole lot more.

All these feats are possible because the Web is the most inherently hackable piece of technology ever invented. And increasingly, smart Web companies are figuring out that the more hackable their sites and services are, the more successful they can be.

In May, for instance, the Facebook social-networking site opened up its platform, allowing any developer with the skills and interest to build new features. That gave millions of people who had been doing their networking elsewhere a big reason to switch their allegiances to Facebook. Scott's story explains how to customize your Facebook profile using add-ons from the vast assortment that has already emerged.