(no subject)

[kradeelav]

THIS is why i wanted to pick up my to-reads list again so badly; i find the weirdest coolest rabbit-holes...

so i started reading "When Technocultures Collide" because i think it's the book that this post about blind phreakers came from, and I'm quite interested in the thematic and practical connections between computer hobbyists and disabled folks.

the book itself could be better written (it's academic-heavy enough for my tastes i'm skimming through large chunks), but i cracked up at this throw-away line with an unrelated guy bitching about zines going mainstream; seems like this is one of those evergreen pieces of wank.

Although cultural critics like Hal Niedzviecki (2004: 120) are quick to cry sell-out or, more urbanely, note the spread of the virus of conformity by a variety of means when zines go glossy (imitations and intimations—however paradoxical—of the mainstream), Infiltration went posthumously to self-published book form.

but it's in a chapter about another dude -Ninjalicious- who spent good chunks of a decade in a hospital (ayyyy i see you dude), and going urban-exploring in renovated wings, and eventually wrote a reasonably famous series of zines about the experience. apparently he's the godfather of urban exploring in general, wrote *the* manual for it, and even though he's since passed away, there's a cool as hell personal site still online in his honor??

love hearing about people on the margins like this.

Comments

[numinousdread]

Ooh, this looks interesting-- subcultural history is very fun so I may check this out.

[kradeelav]

it really is so much fun hearing about early hacker groups. :D "hackers and slackers" is a much more fun book about a group that intersects with media and art for something similar.

[numinousdread]

I'll look into that one as well!