>I always thought it was a desire to _attain_ knowledge and apply it.
> ^^^^^^
>
Technology = applied knowledge, therefore a desire to attain knowledge
and use technology.
Now, unfortunately, people know that there is no reason to make a good
product because
a) Noone makes good products
b) They won't be proud of it anyway because the product won't be
noticed in the face of estabilished stuff.
People try, but the age of hacking is gone. Right now, there is just
nothing exciting in the computing industry. Wait till holographic
memory, and so on. As for people who think that they are "hackers" and
all they can do is use a Wardialer, I think they just need to feel proud
of something they do. These are mainly people who have no other way of
supporting themselves morally/emotionally. As the Unabomber would say,
"They have a disruption in their power process". What really doesn't
help is the "Hackers Manifesto", which pretends to imply that the
hackers are "fighting for a cause" of "freedom of information". If you
ask me, these "modern", "new age" ideas of freedom and community will
invariably lead to either something like the USSR or the USA. The USSR
is unquestionably a disaster in so many ways, and the USA is, in my
opinion, getting there.
Ok, kiddies, back on topic now... :)
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Received on Wed Feb 11 1998 - 16:53:44 GMT