Using an (as an example) LCD projector to make a 3D printer is hacking. But it's not necessarily subversive. It's not what it was designed for, and not what it was intended for, but it's not necessarily in opposition to the will of the original creators/designers. And that opposition is the key ingredient to subversiveness.
> To me it is someone using their intelligence, to do something clever (or at least in a clever way) to disrupt or destroy something, make someone uncomfortable or piss someone off, or challenge something, for some result that satisfies them or someone else in some way.
All of those (destroy, disrupt, make uncomfortable, piss off, now subvert) except for "challenge" are combative things, especially if, as you keep doing, you relate it as being opposed to other people or entities. Hackers don't have to have the intention of undermining anything to be hackers. Making an HTTP server entirely in forth written entirely in assembly is a hacker thing to do, but it's not undermining anyone's authority, the closest it gets to your categorization (but not your apparent meaning) is as a challenge.
> To me it is someone using their intelligence, to do something clever (or at least in a clever way) to disrupt or destroy something, make someone uncomfortable or piss someone off, or challenge something, for some result that satisfies them or someone else in some way.
All of those (destroy, disrupt, make uncomfortable, piss off, now subvert) except for "challenge" are combative things, especially if, as you keep doing, you relate it as being opposed to other people or entities. Hackers don't have to have the intention of undermining anything to be hackers. Making an HTTP server entirely in forth written entirely in assembly is a hacker thing to do, but it's not undermining anyone's authority, the closest it gets to your categorization (but not your apparent meaning) is as a challenge.
EDIT: forgot a word