PowerPoint Presentation Slide 1

“Hacktivism”

• Development of Open Source Code: Linux which is free open source operating system challenges Microsoft
• File sharing “coops” of the type of Napster ( trading MP3s) growing
• “junk” and growth of viruses
• Romantic vision of small content providers surging on the net
• Eg. The ‘garage bands’ now can find an audience; the poet self publish, the digital video camcorder allow the production of broadcast quality documentaries for $20,000 versus 1.2 million in the TV industry
• A technologically optimistic view: technology as emancipatory, “revolutionary” shattering the powers of entrenched business, cultural authorities
• What Winseck in the courseware calls ‘fantasy’