Underground Publishing
Tue, Feb 13
Today's lecture continues the discussion on the writing produced by hackers in the low bandwidth BBS and dotcom Internet eras. Here we focus on 'Zines', the DIY publications of the computer underground. The emergence of zines demonstrated a growing sophistication in the collection and dissemination of cutting edge information on computing by computer hackers. By the time the late 1990s rolled around, the zines were unrivaled in their breadth and depth in computer security. We have three learning goals for today. By the end of our lecture class, you will:
- Learn how very advanced technical information was compiled, edited and transmitted by amateur communities as opposed to single individuals.
- Appreciate the unique style and culture surrounding each underground zine produced by hackers.
- Understand that zines represented certain political and philosophical stances that were in dialogue with, or sometimes in opposition to, other zines.
The digital artifact for today is Phrack Magazine.
The slides for today's lecture are available here.
Read This:
The first reading for today is Phrack Issue 31 (1990), which includes, among other things, an interview with Markus Hess (the LBL hacker tracked by Cliff Stoll) and articles on the Telenet and Tymnet networks.
The second reading for today is from mass communication scholar Douglas Thomas, who included an outsider's guide to reading the hacker zine Phrack in his 2002 book Hacker Culture. Not just a vehicle for technical content, Phrack contained a variety of recurring cultural features including profiles (or "Pro-Philes") of notable hackers, letters to the editor (or "Loopback"), and computer news relevant to hacking ("Phrack World News"). All of this material is of significant historical interest in the present day.
Optional Reading: Underground: Hacking, madness and obsession on the electronic frontier by Suelette Dreyfus.
Do This:
Writing Reflection 02
See the instructions posted on the assignment's page.
This writing reflection is due on 2/20 at 5pm.
Once you have completed the readings, fill out the following quiz. It is based on both the reading and video for today's class. If you can't see it, try this direct link.