Hacking Cyberspace (Polemics) [Paperback]

David J. Gunkel (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0813336694 | ISBN-13: 978-0813336695 | Publication Date: March 16, 2001

In Hacking Cyberspace David J. Gunkel examines the metaphors applied to new technologies, and how those metaphors inform, shape, and drive the implementation of the technology in question. The author explores the metaphorical tropes that have been employed to describe and evaluate recent advances in computer technology, telecommunications systems, and interactive media. Taking the stance that no speech is value-neutral, Gunkel examines such metaphors as "the information superhighway" and "the electronic frontier" for their political and social content, and he develops a critical investigation that not only traces the metaphors' conceptual history, but explicates their implications and consequences for technological development. Through Hacking Cyberspace, David J. Gunkel develops a sophisticated understanding of new technology that takes into account the effect of technoculture's own discursive techniques and maneuvers on the actual form of technological development.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

David J. Gunkel is a multidisciplinary scholar, educator, and award-winning new media producer and multimedia designer. He specializes in the study of computer mediated communication, interactive media, and cyberspace. He is assistant professor of communication technology at Northern Illinois University.

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Westview Press (March 16, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0813336694
• ISBN-13: 978-0813336695
• Product Dimensions: 6 x 9 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.3 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,052,382 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Don't be so Literal, December 12, 2003

By 

Joseph Arada, IT grad. student (New York, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Hacking Cyberspace (Polemics) (Paperback)

Don't judge a book by its cover or even a cursory reading of its title. This book is only tangentially about computer hacking and hackers. Instead of examining the practices of hacking, this book itself functions as hacking. That is, it is a clever and resourceful investigation of computer technology that breaks into and re-purposes the texts and systems that comprise this thing we call "cyberspace." So instead of being a book about hacking, this book learns and uses the lessons of hacking to analyze and mess with information technology. Bottom line: If you are looking for a handbook about hacking or hoping to protect your network from a hack attack, this is not the book for you. But if you are looking for an insightful and eye-opening foray into the social, political, and philosophical aspects of computer technology, then this book is definitely something you will want on your bookshelf.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Well documented but..., October 26, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Hacking Cyberspace (Polemics) (Paperback)

This book is good if you want to know more about the philosophical understandong of the cyberspace. It is well written and well documented. The major problem is that the author seems to be affraid to go deeper in the topics that he talk about. For example, he speaks about the cyberspace as a "real" space and a new one (Terra nova). But, he does'nt leave us with a strong argument on it.

Still good if you want to know more on cyberspace and philosophy.

1 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Consequences of Hacking, April 1, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Hacking Cyberspace (Polemics) (Paperback)

This book helped me to understand some of the consequences for hacking into things.It also helped me to undertsand that hacking can really cause very serious damage. Hacking may seem harmless but it isn't. Buy this book if your wanting to know some tactics some hackers use. It can help you get prepared for a hack attack.