Social media ideology derives from the hacker ethic of sharing and DIY

Evidence

The hacker’s information sharing and “do it yourself” (DIY) ethic is the core of social media ideology and deeply woven into the free and open-source movement. The hacker appears in popular culture like Hackers and Wargames as a talented technological aficionado, or, more typically, an antisocial young man hunched over a laptop, wreaking havoc. In actuality, hacking is a philosophy and a diverse, varied global subculture of programming enthusiasts devoted to openness and transparency. The term “hack” refers to a clever and elegant solution to a complicated problem. Originally applied only in technical contexts, the concept was broadened, leading to terms like “lifehacking,” which involves solving everyday problems to increase productivity. Although hackers are often maligned and grouped with spammers, phishers, “cyber-terrorists,” or malware distributors, the liberal ideals embodied in the hacker ethic are still evident in technologically mediated cultures, and are intimately tied to the philosophy and culture of social media and its affiliated projects. — Alice E. Marwick, Status Update, 67

Categorization

• DEFINE: Defines ‘hacking’ as a philosophy of openness and transparency, not as crime — a core corrective to popular caricature.
• XREF: Connects to the free and open-source movement and later scholarly work on ‘participatory culture’ (Jenkins) that the reader’s influencer-culture reading builds on. — connects to: Traditional and social media differ by institutional gatekeeping versus open reciprocity — Crystal Abidin, Internet Celebrity: Understanding Fame…, 55; Web 2.0 ideology diluted hacker radicalism through Silicon Valley orthodoxy.; Freely sharing information defined the early hacker culture and drove technological invention — Alice E. Marwick, Status Update: Celebrity, Publicity,…, 71 (+4 more)

Broader Connections

• Web 2.0 ideology diluted hacker radicalism through Silicon Valley orthodoxy. #qualifies (0.80)
• Freely sharing information defined the early hacker culture and drove technological invention #corroborates (0.80) — Alice E. Marwick, Status Update, 71
• Web 2.0 ideology framed information sharing as the bedrock of social and political revolution. #corroborates (0.80) — Alice E. Marwick, Status Update, 52
• Traditional and social media differ by institutional gatekeeping versus open reciprocity #qualifies (0.75) — Crystal Abidin, Internet Celebrity, 55
• Web 2.0 severed its DIY lineage by abandoning punk critique of labor #qualifies (0.75)