<nettime> ***SPAM*** Re: gentrification of hacking

[morlockelloi@yahoo.com]

There is one attribute of the 'hacking' meme that is being 
systematically ignored.

Technology is complex. High tech is extremely complex. Prodigies 
notwithstanding, it takes many years of expensive education and training 
(say, 10-15) to get meaningful insights into the technology, which can 
then translate into meaningful and efficient interventions. During this 
process one usually gets co-opted to the point where meaningful 
interventions are the last thing they will engage in.

Folksy 'hacking' doesn't get anywhere near to this. It's more a 
warm/fuzzy social activity with efficiency of a cargo cult. The simple 
truth is that if you don't have money for the mentioned 
education/training, your output is usually irrelevant. And no, most 
hackers are not prodigies.

Unfortunately, the 'community' propagates the idea that it only takes 
will to intervene, reducing interventions to the popular stereotype 
activities ('look ma, no hands'), which effectively seals off the real 
infrastructure and makes it impenetrable.

This comes back to the class issue, of course.


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