There are hackers today who fiercely and publicly resist any besmirching of the noble title of hacker.

besmirch (v) 1: charge falsely or with malicious intent; attack the good name and reputation of someone [syn: defame, slander, smirch, asperse, denigrate, calumniate, smear, sully] 2: smear so as to make dirty or stained [syn: smirch] – source: The Hacker Crackdown, Part Two