Coding Reaction
When one thinks of anthropology, the mind tends to skip to a foreign land with exotic people and customs, yet we often forget to pay attentions to the different cultures that are close to home. Throughout the past few decades, technology has had an increasing impact on our culture. The development in technology is driven by those who have a passion for delving deep into the underlying mechanics to unravel mysteries of the technology and to further develop it for both their own needs and the needs of others. “Coding Freedom” by E. Gabriella Coleman explores and analyzes a new culture that has developed amongst these passionate individuals, known as hackers, who have helped advance new technology in recent years.
Coleman first attempts to provide a solid background and introduction to world of hacking. While doing this, she also attempts to show that hacking is much more than a simple act. It has brought people together to form an entire social formation linked through the thousands of computers and networks throughout the world. She wants to illustrate that the hacking culture is a distinct culture that incorporates many of things that are used to validate other cultures. For example, Coleman shows how the hacker culture has developed and changed throughout time do to development in new technology. “The fact that the BBS period is now over indicates that much of the hacker lifeworld is constituted through technological infrastructures with their own features and histories, and as subject to birth, growth, and decay as any other social formation” (Coleman 2012:31). This shows how the hacking culture is similar to many other cultures that have been studied. They have their own features and their own memories that define who they are and how they act.
Personal computers are a main staple of the hacker culture. They are the main way in which hackers can employ the techniques, though other mediums are becoming more prevalent in recent years. In this sense, personal
Coleman first attempts to provide a solid background and introduction to world of hacking. While doing this, she also attempts to show that hacking is much more than a simple act. It has brought people together to form an entire social formation linked through the thousands of computers and networks throughout the world. She wants to illustrate that the hacking culture is a distinct culture that incorporates many of things that are used to validate other cultures. For example, Coleman shows how the hacker culture has developed and changed throughout time do to development in new technology. “The fact that the BBS period is now over indicates that much of the hacker lifeworld is constituted through technological infrastructures with their own features and histories, and as subject to birth, growth, and decay as any other social formation” (Coleman 2012:31). This shows how the hacking culture is similar to many other cultures that have been studied. They have their own features and their own memories that define who they are and how they act.
Personal computers are a main staple of the hacker culture. They are the main way in which hackers can employ the techniques, though other mediums are becoming more prevalent in recent years. In this sense, personal
Cited: Coleman, E. Gabriella. Coding Freedom: The Ethics and Aesthetics of Hacking. Princeton: Princeton UP, 2013. Print.