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As another commenter pointed out, we're creating this huge straw man of what the "hacker ethic" is. I'd want a lot more clarification in this essay before I wou

As another commenter pointed out, we're creating this huge straw man of what the "hacker ethic" is. I'd want a lot more clarification in this essay before I would be happy running off on a categorization party. I was reading a commentary the other day that put it something like this: the technology community will pay a lot of lip service to libertarian ideas, but what they really want is the data. Assuming this is correct, then those companies that make gestures towards EFF and others do so because in most cases it provides more data to people. Google gives you email because it provides them data. The data is more valuable than the cost of running the service. Same goes for Facebook. Tech companies want data -- and lots of it. They support various causes and make various statements because it allows them more access to data. The subject of definitions is critical, because I think sometimes what we think we hear from these companies is what we want to hear, instead of what they're actually saying. Then we get surprised when their actions don't pan out the way we expected.

IgorPartola 14y ago
No, Google wants ad clicks. Data is just a way to get there. There are other ways and they are/will be surely exploring them. Facebook wants the same thing. Apple wants to sell you hardware and some software. Microsoft wants to sell you software. 37signals wants to rent you software. Tesla wants to sell you cars. I want to garner your upvotes. This post is just a means to an end.
- deleted 14y ago
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mindcrime 14y ago
That's a fair point, DanielBMarkham. I would have loved to write more on that, but this post kinda hit me out of the blue at like 3:00 in the morning. I felt compelled to write and publish it, but needed to get to sleep, so I probably rushed it a a bit. That said, the linked Wikipedia page[1] on the "Hacker Ethic" does a decent job of explaining it, and they definition(s) they provide are pretty much what I had in mind. Definition (1) from the corresponding Jargon File entry[2] is pretty close as well. If I get time later, I'll go back and write some more on this topic. [1]: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hacker_ethic http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hacker_ethic [2]: http://www.catb.org/jargon/html/H/hacker-ethic.html http://www.catb.org/jargon/html/H/hacker-ethic.html
- DanielBMarkham 14y ago
  Words are slippery, and when talking about ideology and political actions they are even more slippery. For instance, I never understood the word "hacker" as anything but a slam - a poor programmer who would "hack away" at his keyboard blindly in hopes of getting something to work. As far as I know, it still has that connotation in many communities (or an even worse one) Keep up the good work. Those 3am articles are many times the best ones! :)

IgorPartola 14y ago

No, Google wants ad clicks. Data is just a way to get there. There are other ways and they are/will be surely exploring them. Facebook wants the same thing. Apple wants to sell you hardware and some software. Microsoft wants to sell you software. 37signals wants to rent you software. Tesla wants to sell you cars. I want to garner your upvotes. This post is just a means to an end.

deleted 14y ago
[deleted]

mindcrime 14y ago

That's a fair point, DanielBMarkham. I would have loved to write more on that, but this post kinda hit me out of the blue at like 3:00 in the morning. I felt compelled to write and publish it, but needed to get to sleep, so I probably rushed it a a bit. That said, the linked Wikipedia page[1] on the "Hacker Ethic" does a decent job of explaining it, and they definition(s) they provide are pretty much what I had in mind. Definition (1) from the corresponding Jargon File entry[2] is pretty close as well. If I get time later, I'll go back and write some more on this topic. [1]: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hacker_ethic http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hacker_ethic [2]: http://www.catb.org/jargon/html/H/hacker-ethic.html http://www.catb.org/jargon/html/H/hacker-ethic.html

DanielBMarkham 14y ago
Words are slippery, and when talking about ideology and political actions they are even more slippery. For instance, I never understood the word "hacker" as anything but a slam - a poor programmer who would "hack away" at his keyboard blindly in hopes of getting something to work. As far as I know, it still has that connotation in many communities (or an even worse one) Keep up the good work. Those 3am articles are many times the best ones! :)