Coding Freedom: The Ethics and Aesthetics of Hacking by E. Gabriella Coleman is an ethnographic study that explores the emergence and significance of the free and open source software (F/OSS) movement in the United States and Europe. The book delves into the ethics behind hackers’ devotion to F/OSS, the social codes that guide its production, and the political struggles through which hackers question the scope and direction of copyright and patent law.
Recommended for: Anyone interested in understanding the values of contemporary liberalism, the politics of access, and intellectual property. It is particularly relevant for scholars and researchers in the fields of anthropology, sociology, computer science, and intellectual property law.
You will:
• Explore the rise and political significance of the F/OSS movement in the United States and Europe
• Examine the ethics behind hackers’ devotion to F/OSS and the social codes that guide its production
• Investigate the political struggles through which hackers question the scope and direction of copyright and patent law
• Delve into the aesthetics and humor of hacking culture
• Understand the significance of hacking as a technical, aesthetic, and moral project
• Discover the ways in which hackers sustain their productive freedom and reformulate key ideals including free speech, transparency, and meritocracy
Detailed Overview
Coding Freedom is a comprehensive ethnographic study that provides an in-depth analysis of the F/OSS movement and its significance in the contemporary digital landscape. The book is based on extensive fieldwork and interviews with hackers, developers, and activists involved in the F/OSS movement.
The author, E. Gabriella Coleman, explores the ways in which hackers collaborate and examines passionate manifestos, hacker humor, free software project governance, and festive hacker conferences. The book demonstrates how hacking, often marginalized or misunderstood, sheds light on the continuing relevance of liberalism in online collaboration.
The book has received widespread acclaim from scholars and experts in the field, with many praising its insightful and fascinating portrayal of the F/OSS movement. It has been recognized as one of Choice’s Outstanding Academic Titles for 2013 and has been praised by Cory Doctorow, James Grimmelmann, Danah Boyd, and John Gilbey, among others.
Overall, Coding Freedom is an essential read for anyone interested in understanding the complexities of the digital world and the significance of the F/OSS movement in shaping our online experiences.
Citation and Licensing
E. Gabriella Coleman. Princeton University Press. (2013). Coding Freedom. https://gabriellacoleman.org/
This ebook is published under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 International (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). The full licence terms are available at https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/
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