[SIGCIS-Members] Gabrielle Coleman’s Piece in the Atlantic

[Erik P. Rau]

Thanks, Paul.

Point taken about hackers and users.

But while it may be in our instincts to level the playing field regarding hackers and users, and it has a number of salutary analytical effects, most hackers themselves would shudder to be lumped in with "mere" users (i.e., most of the rest of us). It is that self-identification, group formation, work cultures, and boundary policing that Coleman (and those of us with anthropological tendencies) is interested in.

Best,

--
Erik P. Rau, Ph.D.
Assistant Teaching Professor of History
Department of History and Politics
MacAlister Hall 5025
Drexel University
3141 Chestnut Street
Philadelphia, PA 19104-2875
USA
+215.895.0992 (tel)
+215.895.6614 (fax)
erau at drexel.edu
http://www.drexel.edu/coas/histpol/Rau.asp

On 2010.Nov.30, at 19:42 , Ceruzzi, Paul wrote:

> Thanks Erik for posting this.
> 
> I must say, however, that the Atlantic article is a little creepy. Personally I don't think there is a distinction between hackers and users (or "luzers") of a computer. I think even Alan Kay said that. 
> 
> Best
> 
> Paul Ceruzzi
> 
> 
> 
> ________________________________________
> From: members-bounces at sigcis.org [members-bounces at sigcis.org] On Behalf Of Erik P. Rau [erau at drexel.edu]
> Sent: Tuesday, November 30, 2010 4:55 PM
> To: sigcis
> Subject: [SIGCIS-Members] Gabrielle Coleman’s Piece in the Atlantic
> 
> Hey, everyone.
> 
> You may have heard Gabrielle Coleman (anthropologist of hackers) on PBS’s Here and Now program this morning. She summarizes here course at NYU in a recent (21.Sept) article in the Atlantic:
> 
> http://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2010/09/the-anthropology-of-hackers/63308/
> 
> The interview is here:
> 
> http://www.hereandnow.org/2010/11/30/hackers
> 
> She also has an interview on Vimeo:
> 
> http://vimeo.com/7122412
> 
> She’s interested in more than hacking culture qua hackers’ meanings, but also work culture, ethics, etc. She’s fairly philosophically grounded in the existential pleasures and work environments of hacking. (“internet as playground and factory”). Sounded fairly meaty. One might ask whether hackers are representative of the internet’s denizens (the answer is no, of course), and what they can tell us about the culture of the internet more generally.
> 
> --
> Erik P. Rau, Ph.D.
> Assistant Teaching Professor of History
> Department of History and Politics
> MacAlister Hall 3025
> Drexel University
> 3141 Chestnut Street
> Philadelphia, PA 19104-2875
> USA
> +215.895.0992 (tel)
> +215.895.6614 (fax)
> erau at drexel.edu
> http://www.drexel.edu/coas/histpol/Rau.asp
> 
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