ABSTRACT
Computer hacking has been interpreted as a form of deviant psychology, as the product of social labelling processes and as a uniquely odious kind of criminal behaviour. It has also been read in terms of its affinities with radical strains in contemporary political culture. This chapter argues that while each of these interpretations contributes unique insights to the problem, hacking needs to be understood against the background of the social problematics of technology construction. In Andrew Feenberg's terms, the early hackers were involved in the transition from 'primary' to 'secondary instrumentalisation'. Hacking is a thwarted vocation. Its political significance does not reside in any natural affinity with so-called 'real world' politics of direct action, but in its very banality as a daily challenge to the prevailing technological hegemony. The real politics of hacking concerns the relationship between social action and interaction, computer networks and technology design. The interface is the product of a set of hegemonic principles within technology design.
