guided response 19
The documentary Hackers: Wizards of the Information Age offers a unique view into the world of computer design and programming during the early 1980s. Through interviews with early “hackers” — including individuals who would become leaders in the new computer industry — we gain insight into their backgrounds, motivations, and aspirations for the future of computing.
In this response, please address the following questions:
1) How do individuals interviewed in the documentary define the meaning of a “hacker”? What is a “hacker,” in their view?
2) How did many of these individuals learn how to use computers? How do they describe getting access to computers before the development of home or personal computers?
3) What is the “price of electronic democracy,” according to the narrator and people interviewed? What does Steve Wozniak think about the growth of products and services? Remember, this is in 1984, a decade before the internet became popular!
4) What do almost all of the people at the hacker’s convention have in common? In other words, who is *not* there? How might this have influenced the goals and development of computer technology today?
Double space, 1 page
