The more hackers you meet, whether through newsgroups, websites, or in person at hacker conventions, the more likely your perception of hackers will change. Some hackers fit the hacker stereotype, but others deviate dramatically from any preconceived notions.
Of course, as with any group of people, there will always be some whom you would do well to avoid. Some of these malicious hackers may try to snare your credit card number, use your identity online, or just harass you by routing a 1-900 sex hotline to your home phone.
Other hackers may look down on you as a newbie, a derogatory term for a newcomer. Ignore these obnoxious people, since even they were newbies at one time too. Just keep learning on your own and from others who are willing to help you, and soon you too will be considered as knowledgeable as the rest of them. When that happens, you'll have to decide how you want the world to see you—as someone who's intelligent and inquisitive, or as someone malicious and destructive. Whatever impression you want people to have about hackers, it's up to you.