The Hacker Ethic
Hacker code of morality that was originally formed by the MIT hackers in the late 1950s to the late 1960s and articulated by Steven Levy in his book HACKERS: HEROES OF THE COMPUTER REVOLUTION. The creed is as follows:
1)Always yield the Hands-On Imperative! Access to computers-- and andything else which might teach you about the way the world works-- should be unlimited and total.
2) All information should be free.
3) Mistrust Authority-- Promote Decentralization.
4) Hackers should be judged by their hacking, not bogus criteria such as degrees, age, race, or position.
5) You can create art and beauty on a computer.
6) Computers can change your life for the better.
While many of the 1960s hackers claim that modern hackers have rejected this code, it has actually strongly influenced all hackers for the last thirty years.
1)Always yield the Hands-On Imperative! Access to computers-- and andything else which might teach you about the way the world works-- should be unlimited and total.
2) All information should be free.
3) Mistrust Authority-- Promote Decentralization.
4) Hackers should be judged by their hacking, not bogus criteria such as degrees, age, race, or position.
5) You can create art and beauty on a computer.
6) Computers can change your life for the better.
While many of the 1960s hackers claim that modern hackers have rejected this code, it has actually strongly influenced all hackers for the last thirty years.
The Hacker Ethic by LarstaiT November 6, 2003
