Talk:Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder

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Revision as of 22:29, 27 March 2011 by imported>Sandy Harris (question)
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 Definition:  Behavior disorder originating in childhood in which the essential features are signs of developmentally inappropriate inattention, impulsivity, and hyperactivity. [d] [e]
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Another view

The Jargon File is the classic compendium of hacker (in the positive sense) slang and folklore, often quoted and published every few years by MIT Press as [http://mitpress.mit.edu/catalog/item/default.asp?ttype=2&tid=3618 

The Hacker's Dictionary].

Part of that is "A portrait of J Random Hacker" which includes a section on "Weaknesses of the hacker personality", which has some comment on ADD. Here is that with a bit of surrounding text for context:

" Hackers are often monumentally disorganized and sloppy about dealing with the physical world. Bills don't get paid on time, clutter piles up to incredible heights in homes and offices, and minor maintenance tasks get deferred indefinitely.

" 1994-95's fad behavioral disease was a syndrome called Attention Deficit Disorder, supposedly characterized by (among other things) a combination of short attention span with an ability to `hyperfocus' imaginatively on interesting tasks. There are grounds for questioning whether ADD actually exists, and if it does whether it is really a `disease' rather than an extreme of a normal genetic variation like having freckles or being able to taste DPT; but it is certainly true that many hacker traits coincide with major indicators for ADD, and probably true that ADD boosters would find a far higher rate of clinical ADD among hackers than the supposedly mainstream-normal 10%.

" The sort of person who routinely uses phrases like `incompletely socialized' usually thinks hackers are. Hackers regard such people with contempt when they notice them at all.

Whole thing here.

To what extent is the above a fair characterisation of ADD and related disorders? Sandy Harris 03:54, 28 March 2011 (UTC)

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