I have now taught a course on computer hacking 3 times and will do so again next year. I think it is also time to develop a new course that overlaps some with the hacker course but goes in a slightly different territory and I think THIS is what I am inspired to teach…
The Rude Boys of Technology: From Phreakers to Griefers (and everything in between)
Or maybe it should be:
The Rude Boyzzzzzzzzzzzzz of Tech: From Phreakers to Griefers (and everything in between)
Syllabus coming soon!
update: here and on facebook, a people noted the problematic use of rude boys. It is gender specific and indeed there are of griefers who are not boys or men but girls, women, and transgender folk too. I picked Rude Boys though as it references one of my favorite icons, the Jamaican Rude Boy.
The connection is also not just incidental. I have written a long time ago about how smack talking among geeks and smack talking among Carribeanites has a few formal similarities and would love to explore that further.
Perhaps I will change to reflect something more gender neutral or make explicit my reference and of course explore the politics of gender among these shadowy characters 
Sounds like a fun class.
Random point: shouldn’t that say “The Rude Kids of Technology”? (Due to the limitations of plain text, a clarification: I mean this seriously, not in an attempt to joke or use sarcasm.)
Comment by Anonymous — August 4, 2009 @ 7:53 am
“one of my favorite icon’s” ?
The apostrophe disease has made inroads in academia, it appears.
Comment by Joe Buck — August 4, 2009 @ 10:18 am
Heh, more like Biella splet 5.5 hrs, woke up at 6 am, and is sick disease.
thanks for pointing it out. Now fixed.
Comment by Biella — August 4, 2009 @ 11:09 am
Hi Biella. I’m writing a chapter about trolls. I wonder if we could convene a panel or make up some other kind of excuse to get people together and think about anti-social behavior online (I’m not sure I’d want to frame it as “anti-social,” but I tend to think, initially, through the categories that popular discourse uses to categorize Web events). Or I could just attend your class. BTW: I was working in the Bobst last week. -k
Comment by Kris Cohen — August 5, 2009 @ 1:48 pm
Wow, cool Kris. Can’t wait to read! Yes well we def should. Are you living in NYC now? Or in NYC and going back to Chicago? Get me invited to one of those Chicago workshop’s and I can talk trolls until the cows come home, which they never do in Hyde Park
)
Srsly, we should talk MOAR
And I will send this message via email!
Comment by Biella — August 5, 2009 @ 1:56 pm
Dandy Livingston’s got the solution for you. Listen to the song “A Message for You, Rudy” (or listen to the Special AKA’s cover if you prefer). Instead of “rude boys” or “rude girls” just go with “rudies”.
Comment by Mackenzie — August 12, 2009 @ 11:42 am
yikes. “A Message to You, Rudy” not “for”
Comment by Mackenzie — August 12, 2009 @ 11:42 am