Study: Alternative Data Streams

I tend to shy away from groupthink oriented idealogies, but ocassionally I
am stricken by a concept that is worth subscribing to. The
Hacker Glider
is one such concept.

The Glider (shown above) was created by
Eric S. Raymond, and is the symbol of the hacker culture. The symbol comes from a project
called
The Game Of Life, and its history is quite interesting.

In case you’re wondering, this isn’t the hacker you hear about in the
news. A true hacker, as
described by Eric
himself is a creative problem solver who gives back to the community and
supports ideals such as freedom, efficient communication, and a strong sense
of community. As he points out, there are many types of hackers; they can be
found in music, mathematics, and even art. Most often, however, the term
hacker is associated with computers.

My own personal definition of hacker is based on Eric’s and others’, but
it’s somewhat more broad:

At any rate, if one or both of the definitions resonate with you, take the
time to purchase a piece of
merchandise
(the money goes to the
EFF), and find a way to display the logo. Also, be prepared to explain the
concept behind it and why the connotations most people link to the word are
not accurate.

Alas, we probably won’t make a difference, but as Ghandi pointed out —
that’s no reason to not make the effort.