I mean the GNex is a developer's phone so they intended for people to be able to unlock and root the phone. Hacking connotates doing something the manufacturer doesn't want you to do, like jailbreaking an iPhone.
When the GNex was intended to allow users to easily get root access, I don't think we can call it hacking.
When the GNex was intended to allow users to easily get root access, I don't think we can call it hacking.