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-ha... 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@drexel.edu http://www.drexel.edu/coas/histpol/Rau.asp
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@sigcis.org [members-bounces@sigcis.org] On Behalf Of Erik P. Rau [erau@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-ha... 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@drexel.edu http://www.drexel.edu/coas/histpol/Rau.asp _______________________________________________ This email is relayed from members@sigcis.org, the email discussion list of SHOT SIGCIS. The list archives are at http://sigcis.org/pipermail/members/ and you can change your subscription options at http://sigcis.org/mailman/listinfo/members
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@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@sigcis.org [members-bounces@sigcis.org] On Behalf Of Erik P. Rau [erau@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-ha...
The interview is here:
http://www.hereandnow.org/2010/11/30/hackers
She also has an interview on Vimeo:
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@drexel.edu http://www.drexel.edu/coas/histpol/Rau.asp
_______________________________________________ This email is relayed from members@sigcis.org, the email discussion list of SHOT SIGCIS. The list archives are at http://sigcis.org/pipermail/members/ and you can change your subscription options at http://sigcis.org/mailman/listinfo/members
I haven't read or watched this stuff, but I'll dive in with a comment anyway, especially in regard to your comment, Paul. There were two early uses of the word hacker that I recall. One designates a technically-savvy person who breaks into systems for sport, the general thrill of destruction and disruption, and/or profit. The other applies to a programmer who produces low-quality code in a quick and dirty manner, either because of time pressure or lack of skill (like a hack writer of sensational fiction). (I've also heard the term used by a surgeon in remarking on the skills of other surgeons, but that's a different subject...) Paul, I guess I'm missing something in your (and Kay's) use of hacker as synonymous with user, the latter being a very broad class of people with skills ranging from beginner to expert , and including non-programmers. - Bill ----- Original Message ----- From: "Paul Ceruzzi" <CeruzziP@si.edu> To: "Erik P. Rau" <erau@drexel.edu>, "sigcis" <members@sigcis.org> Sent: Tuesday, November 30, 2010 7:42:49 PM Subject: Re: [SIGCIS-Members] Gabrielle Coleman’s Piece in the Atlantic 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@sigcis.org [members-bounces@sigcis.org] On Behalf Of Erik P. Rau [erau@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-ha... 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@drexel.edu http://www.drexel.edu/coas/histpol/Rau.asp _______________________________________________ This email is relayed from members@sigcis.org, the email discussion list of SHOT SIGCIS. The list archives are at http://sigcis.org/pipermail/members/ and you can change your subscription options at http://sigcis.org/mailman/listinfo/members _______________________________________________ This email is relayed from members@sigcis.org, the email discussion list of SHOT SIGCIS. The list archives are at http://sigcis.org/pipermail/members/ and you can change your subscription options at http://sigcis.org/mailman/listinfo/members
participants (3)
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Ceruzzi, Paul -
Erik P. Rau -
William McMillan