Hacking provides an introduction to the community of hackers and an analysis of the meaning of hacking in twenty-first-century societies. On the one hand, hackers infect the computers of the world, entering where they are not invited, taking over not just individual workstations but whole networks. On the other hand, hackers write the software that fuels the Internet, from popular web programmes to software fundamental to the Internet's existence. Beginning with these two main types of hackers, categorised as crackers and Free Software/Open Source respectively, Tim Jordan provides an insight into the varied identities of hackers, including:
Hackers end debates over the meaning of technological determinism while recognising that at any one moment we are determined by technology. Hackers work constantly within determinations of their actions created by technologies as they also alter software to enable entirely new possibilities for action in the virtual world. Through this fascinating introduction to the people who create and recreate the digital media of the Internet, readers will gain new insight into the meaning of technology and society when digital media are hacked.
Will hackers be the nemesis or the agents of pro-social innovations of the network society? While stating his affinity to central tenets of the hacker community, Tim Jordan makes the case that hackers form the core of a social movement that has shaped the development of information and communication technologies. This book should be read by anyone interested in the social dynamics of hacking or in research into social movements.
William H. Dutton, Oxford Internet Institute
Tim Jordan gives us the most thoughtful, reasoned and thorough analysis of hacking to date. His focus on the meaning of hacking is a refreshing change from the typically celebratory and polemical treatises that seem intended to leave the reader breathless rather than informed. Jordan's analysis surveys the entire range of hacking, putting it in perspective and context by examining its social, political, cultural and economic dimensions. Hacking will be a useful guide to the world of nerds and geeks for newcomers, veteran hackers, students or scholars.
Steve Jones, University of Illinois at Chicago
ISBN: 9780745639727 / £13.99 GBP / $19.95 USD - Buy from Polity Books
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