Paper Info
Title
Hacker Culture and the FLOSS Innovation.
Abstract
This article aims to contribute to our understanding of the free/libre open source software FLOSS innovation and how it is shaped by and also shapes various perceptions on and practices of hacker culture. Unlike existing literature that usually normalises, radicalises, marginalises, or criminalises hacker culture, the author confronts such deterministic views that ignore the contingency and heterogeneity of hacker culture, which evolve over time in correspondence with different settings where diverse actors locate. The author argues that hacker culture has been continuously defined and redefined, situated and resituated with the ongoing development and growing implementation of FLOSS. The story on the development of EMACSen plural form of EMACS-Editing MACroS illustrates the consequence when different interpretations and practices of hacker culture clash. The author concludes that stepping away from a fixed and rigid typology of hackers will allow people to view the FLOSS innovation from a more ecological view. This will also help people to value and embrace different contributions from diverse actors including end-users and minority groups.
Year
DOI
Venue
2012
10.4018/ijossp.2012070103
IJOSSP
Keywords
Field
DocType
hacker culture clash,hacker culture,deterministic view,diverse actor,ecological view,different setting,different interpretation,different contribution,floss innovation,criminalises hacker culture,media
Situated,Plural,Sociology,Knowledge management,Typology,Hacker,Perception,Open source software,Contingency
Journal
Volume
Issue
Citations 
4
3
2
PageRank 
References 
Authors
0.59
2
1
Name
Order
Citations
PageRank
Yu-Wei Lin1595.47