

The Hacker Papers (1980) - salgernon
http://www.textfiles.com/news/hackpape.hac

======
rguzman
This reminds me of at least a few people in college. I tended to avoid the CS
department computer lab for fear of becoming something like the essay
describes. I didn't do too much better, though. I did decide to snap out of
it, ironically, when I moved to SF to do a startup.

One thing that surprised me upon arriving in SF, is how well-balanced and
adjusted lot of the 'hacker' types seemed. I think computer programming has
developed another subculture, or maybe a couple other subcultures that are
very different from the hacker subculture.

~~~
TeMPOraL
> _I think computer programming has developed another subculture, or maybe a
> couple other subcultures that are very different from the hacker
> subculture._

I agree. Programming went mainstream in the last decade (I noticed the
transition in an interesting way - it used to be that any girl look at me
weirdly for being "into computers", now every other girl just says "hey, my
boyfriend is a programmer too!"). And now your average coder is indeed well-
balanced and adjusted. Also not a hacker. Those are two different subcultures
now.

~~~
MatthiasP
There is just way more money in the business than in the 80s and the internet
and smartphones made using a computer way more mainstream.

------
TeMPOraL
> _The hacker will probably not strongly disagree with what has been said so
> far. But he will ask the question, "So what?"_

Exactly. So what?

I fit a big part of this description, though I also disagree with a lot of
conclusions of this essay.

INB4 I apologize for the tone, but generally this essay pissed me off.

> _We are precluding the human values so necessary for the wise application of
> this technological achievement. The most brilliant young minds at our top
> universities are learning how to play with multi-million dollar toys first,
> and how to utilize them constructively second._

If by "utilizing them constructively" you mean playing Farmville, mindlessly
balancing spreadsheets at work or using machines for getting more money for
yourself then well, I don't want to be anywhere near this "constructive" usage
of computers. There are creative things to do with them. There are also
important problems to solve that will determine the future of human
civilization. I care about those.

> _On the level of actual learning, the same students shut off outside
> subjects even more completely than their grades would indicate._

Now do they? I'm sorry, but actual hackers are the only people I know that are
interested and capable of comprehending many distinct disciplines at once.
Most of people seem not to bother. They do some job, they have a hobby, and
they spend time with family. It's not an english major I will go to if I want
to learn the intricacies of English grammar. I'd rather find a hacker with
interest in English, because from my experience, he tends to acutally
understand the subject better. Same for history. Or pretty much anything.

> _The second thing to go is a normal living pattern. Eating and sleeping are
> completly rearranged to fit the addiction. The typical hacker thinks nothing
> of eating one meal a day and subsisting on junk food, or of sleeping from 4
> a.m. to noon almost every day of the week._

Well, so what? The junk food addiction seems to be disappearing among geeks
anyway, and as for sleeping from 0400 to 1200 - I do that too because hell,
the night is the only time I can get anything done. Because people are
sleeping then, there are no errands to run, no need to be in the office and
waste your time, etc.

> _It is simply that the parents of hackers are ignorant of the subculture and
> cannot relate._

That might be true. But the only cases I know are from somewhat dysfunctional
families (I wonder how many of us became geeks thanks to that), and well -
it's harder to relate to people with totally different outlook on life, who on
top of that can't and don't want to understand your interest. Even though
programming is becoming mainstream, too much (i.e. non job-related)
programming is still treated as something weird. The society expects people to
respect each other's interests and try to at least grasp the basics out of
politeness. But strangely, when you're a geek, no one wants to do that with
you.

Your average geek is probably well-read about a lot of different things, much
more so than an average person, therefore they can hold any kind of non-
technical conversation with people. But soon they find it's the _only_ kind of
conversation they can hold. So how can one be surprised hackers tend to
isolate if no one gives a fuck about their interests?

> _Relations with nonhackers become strained, so why force the effort? It is
> so much easier just to accept social rejection and isolation, and to do it
> with a spirit of camraderie that 's shared by the rest of the subculture._

Yeah, that's true. But can you really blame hackers for that? It's not hackers
that do the rejecting.

> _Weak-willed people, people with unstable social lives, people in formative
> stages of their lives, should not become involved in computer science. It
> should be left until they are truly able to make decisions and be aware of
> all the consequences. Computers are most often used by people who start when
> they are immature. This is what causes the single-minded addiction._

Now really? First of all, there is no such time when a person is "truly able
to make decisions and be aware of all the consequences". It's always continous
learning.

Secondly, this whole paragraph reads more like "people should be prevented
from developing intellectual intrests, because they won't fit in well with the
dumb grey mass of the rest of society". Well I'm sorry, I prefer my "single-
minded addiction" of curiosity, skills and caring about important problems
instead of petty soap-opera issues.

Also sadly, in a way this essay has won. Most of the programmers now are not
geeks. They're well-balanced part of mainstream society. And it's as hard to
relate with them as with normal society. So you can't now just use the proxy
of "good programmer = hacker" to find people to do interesting or important
work with.

~~~
room271
So I agree that is a provocative essay. A more generous interpretation of what
the writer means might be:

\- a broad social interaction is vital if are to lead enriched lives, and also
if we want to help others

\- a genuine intellectual mind is one which is curious about learning in
varied forms (in point of fact, a lot of good programmers are musicians too)

Now, even if you agree with the above, it doesn't follow that programming is
especially bad compared to other ways people spend their time. Playing
Farmville all day, as you argue, is not likely to be conducive to the good
life or society either. Not that either hacking late at night, or Farmville
are bad - it's more the point the article makes about addiction I guess, and
lack of balance or outward-turning in our lives.

Sounds like a load of pretentious waffle, but hopefully some of that makes
sense or conveys some of what (I think) the article is saying.

------
shanxS
The observation regarding change in behavior and social interaction is
probably valid even today - but what difference does it really make ?

~~~
paxcoder

      The hacker will probably not strongly disagree with what has been said so far.
      But he will ask the question, "So what?"

------
paxcoder
Wow.

