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Hackers' Accounts

Hacking as a Social Entertainment

Tel-Aviv University

Hacking is a widespread international phenomenon, and hackers'actions occasionally reach the media headlines. This study was designed to explore hackers' accounts. Understanding the concept of accounts is important in itself because it enables us to comprehend how people view themselves within their cultural context. The research was based on unstructured, in-depth, face-to-face interviews with 54 Israeli hackers who where asked to tell their life stories. The interviewees were located by a snowball or chain referral sampling strategy. This study found that hacking in general, and penetrating computer systems or software in particular, constitutes a newform of entertainment for hackers. Thus, as it is based on the play-like quality that characterizes the use of digital technology, hacking often constitutes a new form of social activity.

Key Words: hackers • hacking • computer • crime • accounts • fun • entertainment

Social Science Computer Review, Vol. 23, No. 1, 8-23 (2005)
DOI: 10.1177/0894439304271529


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