[hackerspaces] Out with the "hackers"... In with the "makers" and the "fixers"

Tue Nov 29 20:40:53 CET 2011

You know what.... I like the bumpersticker idea too... it just farted out
of my head...
but since i used to own a graphics shop and still have all the sign making
materials...
I'm gonna do what I can (it's little but easy for me) and make up some cut
vinyl stickers saying that.

Gives me something to do today instead of cleaning my shop -
If any spaces wants some stickers that says
"HACKING IS NOT A CRIME" in the style of the old skater stickers -
- email me your HSpaces address and I'll send some to yall.

I'll start with like 30 each space for the first 10 spaces to see if there
is any interest - and then maybe screen print them instead of cut vinyl if
interest demands more volume.

If you think it's dumb - keep it to yourself please... just trying to help
swing the tide (in the publics eye and doing something about it) and have
fun!

Cheers!
mars

On Tue, Nov 29, 2011 at 1:28 PM, Will Bradley <bradley.will at gmail.com>wrote:

> Here's the definition I use. http://catb.org/jargon/html/H/hacker.html
>
> The term is risking dilution (a local group has a hacknight which is more
> of a programmer meetup than anything) but I think creative reuse,
> elegant/minimal code, and intrusion are all solidly in the Hack category.
>
> One of HeatSync's posters features the word hack prominently. I like the
> bumper sticker idea.
> On Nov 29, 2011 12:24 PM, "Mars brown" <itcamefrommars at gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> OK.. maybe Im trolling... but whatever.
>> How far does the term hacking go in new definitions?
>> Here's a copy paste from a forum post a couple of years ago that I posted.
>>
>> ~ begin paste ~
>>
>> *Why I cringe everytime I hear the word HACK now
>> *
>> thought yall might get a chuckle / cringe outa this abuse
>> http://www.parenthacks.com/
>>
>> now hacking is the same as crafting and tips and tricks for stupid ideas.
>> there's an article on this site for band-aid hack....
>> it's using leaves in the woods for band-aids.
>> it's called covering the wound - and suppose they got lucky and didn't
>> pick poison ivy!
>>
>> oh garsh... some great hacks too
>>
>> like:
>>
>> Contain small-parts toy play with a tray, cookie sheet or roasting pan
>> - uh....could we modify this for electronics components? a tray is a
>> genius idear.
>>
>> or
>>
>> Makeshift "peek-a-boo" nets you a few wiggle-free seconds to change a
>> diaper
>> - it's put a napkin on the kids face distraction hack
>>
>> or
>>
>> "Bumless" diaper lets diaper rash air out while containing the pee
>> " So, when I knew it would be a while before he was going to go #2 again
>> I got a diaper and cut the bum out of it. This way, he could air out a bit
>> but would be covered up front in case he had to pee."
>>
>> If it were old school BOINGBOING magazine(not about babies... fringe
>> stuff reporting for the younger gens)... it'd be make your baby a cyborg
>> with a new CMOS behavior chip...
>> (I actually do remember an issue where someone surgically removed a tumor
>> from their cat... it was set up as a how to - we tried it on a mouse with a
>> tumor the size of it's normal body but the anesthesia was to difficult to
>> administer - he was dying anyhow and went the most peaceful way that way...
>> zzzz...)
>>
>> I want CYBORG BABIES dammit!
>> how dissappointing this site is.
>>
>> ~end paste ~
>>
>> I really was very disappointed... I want cyborg babies.  Oh hurry up you
>> crazy singularity!
>>
>> Cheers! - mars
>>
>> On Tue, Nov 29, 2011 at 1:16 PM, Mars brown <itcamefrommars at gmail.com>wrote:
>>
>>> Well... how about making some "HACKING IS NOT A CRIME" stickers like the
>>> skateboarding stickers we used in the 80's.
>>> Kinda the same delima... skaters were ruffians and hooligans in the
>>> public eye.
>>>
>>> Actually - if this is such a issue that is cared about so much - why
>>> don't we all (especially the more established and attention worthy spaces)
>>> make it part of their mission to clear up the name?
>>> Great promotional material there... I can easily see the local news
>>> media covering some interviews since it uses such a hot keyword like
>>> "HACKER" oooh aaah -  especially since it's a news worthy twist on the word
>>> - educating - relating - and general having non-malicious fun tinkering
>>> with computers/electronics/stuff.... and all in a creative and exciting way!
>>>
>>> Honestly - it blew me away when I first discovered the new use of the
>>> word -
>>>
>>> in the 80's - a hacker was a (general public eye) socially disgruntled
>>> malicious individual with elements of sociopathy and the power to express
>>> it all in a culture very new to dependencies on digital things.  Relatively
>>> little media coverage was present... and if you were not a hacker
>>> (negative) - you were a computer geek.
>>>
>>> in the 90's was the first time I ever heard of different colored
>>> hats.... white / black / grey... but still it was referencing only
>>> security/countersecurity of networks and data and such (mostly...
>>> disclaiming to prevent petty arguements)
>>> If you wanted to find any software or tools for hacking - they weren't
>>> called makerbot cupcakes, beagle data analyzers, arduino/processing,
>>> hammers and modified toys...
>>> NOPE - we used software called SATAN, Cain and Abel, Back Orifice...
>>> and had global organizations to publish sensitive data that the FBI
>>> subscribes to - and that was the scene...
>>> Even our local 2600 - which was mostly white with a couple of shades of
>>> grey - our big y2k conference (not about y2k) had tshirts printed of some
>>> picture of pompei type of catastrophe with the words underneath "That whole
>>> Y2K thing?  That was us."
>>> That was the embracing of the whole counterculture aspect even though
>>> none of us were malicious.. (or if we ever where we kinda grew up)
>>>
>>>
>>> Basically the word hacker means something to the public eye... who even
>>> coined the term?  Was it a news reporter in the tone of keying a label
>>> first?  like naming the serial killer?
>>> That's what a hacker is to some people... the name of a serial killer.
>>> OH WELL...
>>>
>>> It means something else now to alot of us and I think it's great...
>>> It distinguishes a hackerspace from a makerspace to me in that I know if
>>> I go to a meeting - I'll be assured it's more digital and electro dohickery.
>>> A makerspace is fantastic too.. but it's not as specific - and whereas
>>> sometimes I'm into macrame - it's nice to have a place that's pretty much
>>> 100% technocyberdelichyperactivity with similarly interested people...
>>>
>>> But the term hacking and hacker was the single and only verbage that
>>> USED to be related to the whole scene... and that was a counterculture
>>> scene.
>>>
>>> Hackerspaces are not counterculture at all.... but it uses the single
>>> word that defined a Techno Counterculture individual.
>>> It's maybe a shame that the media didn't grab onto Cyberpunk - but if
>>> they did - wouldn't we call ourselves cyberpunks?  (rhetoric... not queue
>>> for arguement)
>>> I think part of the reason the term hacker appeals is the old world
>>> image.... the midnight hacker.... but aren't we really more of midnight
>>> engineers?
>>> That btw was the name of a magazine in the 90's i used to read that was
>>> ALL about what gos on in hackerspaces.  It didn't mention HACK though...
>>> that was 2600 - the HACKER quarterly.  Good magazine (midnight
>>> engineer)... i remember the article regarding removing black epoxy on IC's
>>> that were meant to close source the use of a simple  CMOS chip in some
>>> product.
>>>
>>> So we're stuck with HACKER in the name hackerspace... it has some
>>> historical connotations...
>>> Let's make lemonade and use it to attract people from being afraid of
>>> electronics... or rather magic for most of the public...
>>> It seems like we could use some public redefining of "hacker" as a
>>> vehicle to educate and incubate interest in what we all are aparently
>>> pretty passionate about!
>>>
>>> BTW - what did happen to the evolution of the term hacker in the
>>> 2000's... all i remember was everyone wardriving, packetsniffing, and
>>> oldskoolers makiing fun of 31337 krypt skiddies while working for the man
>>> for 6 figure salaries.  Oh the H4X0R... it was H4X1N6 then....
>>>
>>> Anyhow... sorry for the long comment... hope it doesn't just help fuel
>>> wheel spinning. and bickering... let's think positive after accepting any
>>> negative and become active to change if it matters to ya!
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> On Sun, Nov 27, 2011 at 12:53 PM, Rubin Abdi <rubin at starset.net> wrote:
>>>
>>>> I try my best to not have my vocabulary refined and dictated by
>>>> mainstream media. One of the general goals of Noisebridge is to educate,
>>>> part of that is to reclaim the term hacker as our own.
>>>>
>>>> While visiting Pumping Station: One about a year or so ago, a discussion
>>>> got thrown around regarding doing exactly what you're proposing. Some
>>>> members felt the catch phrase "Chicago's Hacker Space" (or was it "Your
>>>> Chicago's Hacker Space" don't remember) was spreading the wrong message.
>>>> Anyhow the discussion went in circles for that night and no one really
>>>> won (where I see this thread going). I see now they're catch phrase is
>>>> "Make. Hack. Craft." which I think is great and works for both crowds.
>>>>
>>>> Additionally to people "making" and "creating" stuff at Noisebridge, we
>>>> also totally hack things in the conventional sense.
>>>>
>>>> If I gave up and let mainstream media and the general public direct me
>>>> in what words to use when describing who I am because I didn't want to
>>>> spend the time to educate them, I would have a white armband on with
>>>> blue stitching labeling out "TERRORIST FAGGOT IMMIGRANT HIPPIE COMMUNIST
>>>> CAMEL JOCKEY RAPIST HACKER". I would throw STEAM PUNK in there (there's
>>>> a true story behind that) but that might seem a bit ironic for the wrong
>>>> reasons. :)
>>>>
>>>> --
>>>> Rubin
>>>> rubin at starset.net
>>>>
>>>>
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>>>>
>>>>
>>>
>>
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