<person> A hacker with years of experience, a national
reputation, and a major role in the development of at least
one design, tool, or game used by or known to more than half
of the hacker community. To qualify as a genuine demigod, the
person must recognisably identify with the hacker community
and have helped shape it. Major demigods include Ken
Thompson and Dennis Ritchie (co-inventors of Unix and
C) and Richard Stallman (inventor of Emacs). In their
hearts of hearts, most hackers dream of someday becoming
demigods themselves, and more than one major software project
has been driven to completion by the author's veiled hopes of
apotheosis.
