Reading 01: Identity

From the readings and from your experience, what exactly is a hacker? That is, what are the key characteristics of the hacker archetype? Do you identify with these attributes? That is, would you consider yourself a hacker? What is your reaction to this characterization?

When I think about the term “hacker”, I think of a very skilled computer programmer who uses their skills to exploit bugs in existing systems. Right or wrong, I think that the term “hacker” has a negative connotation. In my view, I think of a hacker as someone who tries their best to remain anonymous and typically has malicious intentions. I think my view on this term has been shaped by how hackers are portrayed in entertainment as well as the news, such as the Russian hackers in the most recent election. In that case, the hackers committed a crime and tried to do it anonymously, so it goes right along with my existing view.

The articles for this week had some very interesting insight on hackers and made me think about how I view hackers. I thought that the articles about branding software development as “engineering” had some fair points against this designation. Typical engineering disciplines require strict rules and oversight, but software development does not. Similarly, it can be argued that the term “computer science” itself is too broad as it encompasses many different types of professions. As such, software developers may need a new title, and it seems like some are trying to make it “hacker”. I think it is very interesting how it seems as if Facebook and other notable figures are trying to change the connotation that many have with the word. The Facebook article notes that hacking is just “building something quickly or testing the boundaries of what can be done” and that hacking can be done with with either good or bad intentions in mind. I thought it was really interesting that Facebook seems to be so committed to changing the “hacker” connotation that they renamed their managerial style to the Hacker Way.

I think that the most realistic view of hackers and their stereotypes in society was presented by Sean Parker. Parker acknowledges some of the characteristics of hackers that many people many not like, such as the fact that many hackers are anti establishment and often use their skills for personal gains. Despite this, Parker notes how they are great problem solvers and have a strong desire to discover solutions. These qualities can then in turn be used to help out some of the biggest problems that the world faces, which is why we see so much philanthropy coming from major figures in the tech community. I thought this article was the most persuasive in trying to change the narrative on how hackers are viewed because it accepted some of the characteristics of hackers but described how these traits can actually be used for good.

Although the connotation with the term “hacker” is changing, I still wouldn’t really consider myself one. The negative connotation of hacker is too ingrained in my head for me to want to be one. I believe that this course is important because we will hopefully learn about the issues that many “hackers” may avoid, such as the security and privacy of others. While the term “hacker” may soon begin to mean something much more positive due to the efforts of people like Sean Parker and Mark Zuckerberg, I am not yet ready to accept that characterization.