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

Wed Nov 30 02:32:04 CET 2011

As a Member of Facebook's "Hacking Is Not a Crime"
(http://www.facebook.com/groups/148674375209968/) I have always
supported the idea. Will spread them with pride.

Bill Saturno
c/o CT Hackerspace
30 Echo Lake Road
Watertown, CT 06795

On Tue, Nov 29, 2011 at 2:40 PM, Mars brown <itcamefrommars at gmail.com> wrote:
> 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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>>>>> Discuss at lists.hackerspaces.org
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>>>>>
>>>>
>>>
>>>
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>>
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