- **Epistemic status:** #budding > TLDR: "Sharing, Openness, Decentralization, Free Access to computers, World Improvement (foremost, upholding democracy and the fundamental laws we all live by, as a society)" (Steven Levy, Hackers: Heroes of the Computer Revolution) There is a common ideology and set of moral values in hacker culture, and members believe that sharing information and data with others is a moral need. It's associated with political philosophies including anti-authoritarianism, socialism, liberalism, anarchism, and libertarianism, as well as the notion of [[Freedom of Information]]. The hacker ethic evolved at MIT between 1950 and 1960, and was characterized as a "new way of life, with a philosophy, an ethic, and a dream." The components, on the other hand, were silently accepted and agreed upon rather than openly debated or argued. On the book Hackers: Heroes of the Computer Revolution, Steven Levy came up with 6 tenets: 1. 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]]! 2. All information should be free. 3. Mistrust authority – promote decentralization. 4. Hackers should be judged by their hacking, not bogus criteria such as degrees, age, race, or position. 5. You can create art and beauty on a computer. 6. Computers can change your life for the better. PHRACK, the recognized p/hacker newsletter, expanded upon these tenets summarized in 3 main principles: 1. First, hackers reject the notion that“businesses”" are the only groups entitled to access and use of modern technology. 2. Second, hacking is a major weapon in the fight against encroaching computer technology. 3. Finally, the high cost of equipment is beyond the means of most hackers, which results in the perception that hacking and phreaking are the only recourse to spreading computer literacy to the masses: > "_Hacking. It is a full time hobby, taking countless hours per week to learn, experiment, and execute the art of penetrating multi-user computers: Why do hackers spend a good portion of their time hacking? Some might say it is scientific curiosity, others that it is for mental stimulation. But the true roots of hacker motives run much deeper than that. In this file I will describe the underlying motives of the aware hackers, make known the connections between Hacking, Phreaking, Carding, and Anarchy, and make known the "techno-revolution" which is laying seeds in the mind of every hacker. . . .If you need a tutorial on how to perform any of the above stated methods {of hacking}, please read a {PHRACK} file on it. And whatever you do, continue the fight. Whether you know it or not, if you are a hacker, you are a revolutionary. Don't worry, you're on the right side_". ("_Doctor Crash_," 1986) The following quote is from Richard Stallman, Creator of the text-editor known as EMACS. Founder of the free software foundation, and referred by Steven Levy as "the last true hacker". > _"I don't know if there actually is a hacker's ethic as such, but there sure was an M.I.T. Artificial Intelligence Lab ethic. This was that bureaucracy should not be allowed to get in the way of doing anything useful. Rules did not matter - results mattered. Rules, in the form of computer security or locks on doors, were held in total, absolute disrespect. We would be proud of how quickly we would sweep away whatever little piece of bureaucracy was getting in the way, how little time it forced you to waste. Anyone who dared to lock a terminal in his office, say because he was a professor and thought he was more important than other people, would likely find his door left open the next morning. I would just climb over the ceiling or under the floor, move the terminal out, or leave the door open with a note saying what a big inconvenience it is to have to go under the floor, "so please do not inconvenience people by locking the door any longer." Even now, there is a big wrench at the AI Lab entitled "the seventh-floor master key", to be used in case anyone dares to lock up one of the more fancy terminals._" Hackers realize that their actions may be illegal in some cases, but they place a strong focus on limiting their actions to those that are essential to gain access to and study a system. Such who cross those boundaries will be confronted with animosity. As a result, copyright and patent rules restrict people's capacity to exchange and learn about software, and there is widespread resistance to software patents. In conclusion, the hacker style represents well-defined goals, communication networks, ideals, and a culture of authority opposition that necessitates a wide variety of expertise. --- ## References - “Hacker Ethic.” In _Wikipedia_, October 10, 2021. <https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Hacker_ethic&oldid=1049243509>. - “The Hacker’s Ethics.” Accessed October 16, 2021. <http://project.cyberpunk.ru/idb/hacker_ethics.html?utm_source=pocket-app&utm_medium=share>.