Steven Levy. HAckers: Heroes of the computer revolution. at the TMRC at mit 1950s-60s a hack was "a project undertaken or a product built not solely to fulfill some constructive goal, but with some wild pleasure take in mere involvement." 9 "to qualify as a hack, the feat must imbued with innovation, style, and technical virtuosity." 10 quest for access to the computers. very few, very big, and very difficult to access. belonged to especial labs. the TX-0 at the Lincoln Lab one of the first trasnistor run computer in the world computer with interactive capabilities -The hacker ethic. Chapter 2. Around the TX-0 practices >>> build "a new way of life, with a philosophy, an ethic, and a dream." 26 a body of concepts, beliefs, mores "The precepts of this revolutionary HAcker Ethic were not so much debated and discussed as silently agreed upon. No manifestos were issued. No missionaries tried to gather converts. The computer did the converting." 26 behind the console of the TX-0 ****Access to computers—and anything which might teach you something about the way the world works—should be unlimited and total. Always yield to the Hands-On Imperative! 27 hackers' abilities to learn and build upon pre-existing ideas and systems. He believes that access gives hackers the opportunity to take things apart, fix, or improve upon them and to learn and understand how they work *****All information should be free. 27 information needs to be free for hackers to fix, improve, and reinvent systems. free exchange of information allows for greater overall creativity any system could benefit from an easy flow of information ****Mistrust authority—promote decentralization.28 Anti bureuocrazy Hackers believe that bureaucracies, whether corporate, government, or university, are flawed systems. "The best way to promote the free exchange of information is to have an open system that presents no boundaries between a hacker and a piece of informationor an item of equipment that he needs in his quest for knowledge, improvement, and time on-line." 28 **** Hackers should be judged by their hacking, not criteria such as degrees, age, race, sex, or position. 30 meritocratic system where superficiality is disregarded in esteem of skill. Hacker skill is the ultimate determinant of acceptance. Such a code within the hacker community fosters the advance of hacking and software development. Testament to the hacker ethic of equal opportunity,[10] L. Peter Deutsch, a twelve-year-old hacker, was accepted in the TX-0 community, though was not recognised by non-hacker graduate students. *** You can create art and beauty on a computer.30 music games graphics Learning to create programs which used the least amount of space almost became a game between the early hackers. **** Computers can change your life for the better.33 Hackers felt that computers had enriched their lives, given their lives focus, and made their lives adventurous. Hackers regarded computers as Aladdin's lamps that they could control. "Like Aladdin's lamp, you could get it to do your bidding." 33 Implicit belief:: They believed that everyone in society could benefit from experiencing such power and that if everyone could interact with computers in the way that hackers did, then the Hacker Ethic might spread through society and computers would improve the world. Beleieved in the utility of the hacjer ethic. lead the way to a new way of interacting with computers. Hacker's role in the AI lab >> directed y MArvin Minsky and John McCarthy >> they wonder things were possible, and the hackers, if interesting in them doit. >> dream of automated world :: thinking computers :: symbiosis machine-human "But they would not be the only beneficiaries. Everyone could gain something by the use of thinking computers in an intellectually automated world. And wouldn't everyone benefit even more by approaching the world with the same inquisitive intensity, skepticism toward bureaucracy, openness to creativity, unselfishness in sharing accomplishments, urge to make improvements, and desire to build as those who followed the HAcker Ethic?" 36 >>> changing the world "By accepting others on the same unprejudiced basis by which computers accepted anyone who entered code into a Flexowriter? Wouldn't we benefit if we learned from computers the means of creating a perfect system, and set about emulating that perfection in a human system? If everyone could interact with computers with the same innocent, productive impulse that hackers did, the HAcker Ethic might spread through society like a benevolent ripple, and computers would indeed change the world for the better." 36 *Chapter 3. Spacewar TMRC hackers >> elaborate a telephone network fingerprinting TX-0 community of hackers >>> freewheeling, improvisational, interactive, hands-on DEC looks at the hacker community practices , then design a computer that reinforce that kind of behavior >> create the PDP-1 (Program Data Processor), the first minicomputer. DEC donates the PDP-1 to the MIT RLE lab. Research Laboratory of Electronics at MIT Term computer :: had giant connotations >> big sizes >> used for huge number-crunshing tasks feeling of power experienced by the hackers >>> tellng the computer what to do >> behind the consoles of the computers growing canons of hacks around the PDP-1 First generation of hackers >>> MIT programmers lived and practiced the hacker ethic mysticism of the AI lab. Second generation >> hardware hackers >>> spread the gospel widely vision: need of small and cheap computers for changing the world lived the hacker ethic as well. interested in the proliferation of mcomputers than in hacking mystical AI applications. CH. 8. Revolt in 2100 northern california in the 1970s Community Memory project >>> in a beat-up building in Berkeley, California first public terminal bringing computers to the people. 1973 Emerges from Project One dreaming of non-bureacuratic systems and computers "The idea was to speed the flow of information in a decentralized, non-bureaucratic system. An idea born from computers, an idea executable only by computers, in this case a time-shared XDS-940 mainframe machine in the basement of a warehouse in San Francisco."148 "opened a hands-on computer facility to let people reach each other, a living metaphor would be created, a testament to the way computer technology could be used as guerrilla warfare for people against bureaucracies." 148 taking the hacker ethic to the streets spread the computer gospel spread the hacker ethic by bringing computers to people populist hardware hackers hands-on imperative "these people would develop the machines and accessories through which the practice of computing would become so widespread that the very concept of it would change -it would be easier for everyone to feel the magi." 149 bay area groups fostering community activism free speech movement context Project One -people who velieve that thecnological tools can be tools of social change when controlled by the people hacker ethic broungth by Lee Felsenstein >> hands on imperative pressed to change the group to a more hacker like, hands on opennes hands-on openness. imperative Community Memory comes out of Project One the idea "Computers out on the streets, liberating the people to make their own connections." 160 Felestein moves to Berkeley with the Community MEmory. "idea that access to terminal was going to link people together with unheard-of efficiency, and ultimately change the world." 160 other attempt to bring computers to people in the Bay Area People's Computer Company (not really a company) goal of expose people, especially kids in particular to computers. A tabloid publication : PCC Bob Albrecht was the visionary behind PCC Teaches programming languages : FORTRAN, BASIC. introduce games as a tease for engaging kids in programming. print simple programs encourages sharing and passing programs Space for dinners, socialization. Dancing. pot-locks mission of spreading computing to the people Ted Nelson >> visits the PCC -self publishes a sort of manifesto : Computer Lib a counter coulture computer book two parts : computer lib and drema machines few hundred copies "a virtual handbook to HAcker Ethic" 167 he considered himself a computer fan "THIS BOOK IS FOR PERSONAL FREEDOM. AND AGAINST RESTRICTION AND COERCION... A chant you can take to the streets: COMPUTER POWER TO THE PEOPLE DOWN WITH CYBERCRUD!" liest power told aboud computers "cybercrud" sold slowly created a cult of followers Chapter 9. Every Man a God "Lee considered the computer itself a model for activism, and hoped the proliferation of computers to people would, in effect, spread the Hacker Ethic throughout society, giving the people power not only over machines but over political oppressors." 174 Lee Felstein ::goal of spreading hacker ethic through society >> empowering people influence of Ivan Illich >>> symbiosis of user and the tool :: book "Tools for Conviviality" create a terminal for the people 1970s >> Intel invents a chip called the microprocessor Sillycon Valley area 1975 >> PCCs encourages the assemblishes of home computers, school computer, community memory computer, using and Intel 8008 or Intel 8080. Chips on the chip Homebrew Computer Club The Homebrew Computer Club was an early computer hobbyist club in Silicon Valley, which met (under that name) from March 5, 1975 to December 1986. Several very high-profile hackers and IT entrepreneurs emerged from its ranks, including the founders of Apple Inc. >>> freeflow of information :: helped fellow hackers understnad, explore, and build systems. Age of propietary software starts in the mid 1970s **The last of the true hackers goes to the AI Lab in 1971 considers himbself a militant of the hacker ethic ********** interestingly hackers have been able to propiciate innovations. but they have also been to the centers of power were computers and technologies where available :: universities, sillycon valley hacker ethic is a sort of "constructive anarchism" >> constructive cooperation. cooperate information should flow freely a defender of the Hacker Ethic at MIT idealistic community that he loved advent of commercialism forbids copying code a tradition of copying code in hacker culture wanted to save the hacker ethic and keep it alive in the world, even outside MIT AI lab. where it was disapearing. decides to leave mit and starts the GNU project. "What Stallman did was to join a mass movement of Real World hackerism set in motion at the very institution which he was so painfully leaving." *****The emergence of hackerism at MIT twenty-five years before***** "a concentrated attempt to fully ingest the magic of the computer; to absorb, explore, and expand the intricacies of those bewitching systems; to use those perfectly logical systems as an inspiratio for a culture and a way of life."434 miraculous possibilities of the machine extend their powers spur their crativity teach the Hacker Ethic by engaging with computers movement of hackerism "computer revolution grew in a dizzying upward spiral of silicon, money, hype, and idealism" 435 hacker ethic became less pure >> conflict with values of the outside world computer technology and ways of thinking :: objectified ways of thinking embody the hacker ethic :: developed in part because the hacker ethic. creative powers