ekrodomos.net> c300662c   
   From: joss@nospampleasewerebritish.nekrodomos.net   
      
   On Wed, 29 Oct 2003 05:47:53 -0800, FixinDixon wrote:   
      
   > The title may be a bit misleading at to the exactly thrust of my post,   
   > so allow me to clarify my question.  I'm a newbie to this group but have   
   > been interested in the notion of cyberpunk ever since my cousin   
   > introduced me it about 10 years ago.  I'm now 21, pissed off with the   
   > global government and starting to find myself in a position to make a   
   > difference.  The question is: How?   
   >   
   > The cyberpunk subculture is, as I understand it, about hassling those in   
   > power to allow freedom and not to prevent "freedom with limits". The   
   > world today means individuals with such an axe to grind have to:   
   >   
   > EITHER use their computer abilities to crash systems, send viruses, spam   
   > the hell out of letter-boxes and so on   
      
   Silly thing to do.   
      
   > OR use codes to ensure privacy   
      
   Better, but reasonably futile at the moment. A recent discussion on   
   cypherpunks (i think) pointed out that at the moment, using cryptography   
   makes you _more_ visible because so few people do it.   
      
   How about encouraging/enabling people to use codes. That's possibly a   
   better interpretation of cypherpunk (and maybe cyberpunk) at the moment.   
      
   > OR have raves.   
      
   Raves? How 1992 is that? Are you _sure_ you're 21? :o)   
      
   > So my question is probably this: bearing in mind that the average   
   > 'cyberpunk' (with additional use of fingers to emphasise that I'm using   
   > the word only because I have to) is around 29 years old, what   
      
   I'm 22. But then, I'm not really cyberpunk so I don't suppose it matters   
   that much.   
      
   > the (insert expeletive here   
      
   umm... "bugger". was that okay?   
      
   > ) has happened to all the old 'punks'?  Did they fade away, or are they   
   > still out there?  Did they make a difference?  Can the cyberpunk   
   > subculture make a difference?  Are there any formalised goals, other   
   > than the creation of a free world?   
   >   
   > In other words, what is the cyberpunk subculture?   
      
   I think that what tends to happen (from people that I've seen) is that   
   they grow up and stop being so overt. When you're young (like me) you tend   
   to want to scream to the world what you are. Wear black leather, pierce   
   your (bodypart*). As you get older you realise that for anyone to take you   
   seriously you have to wear sensible clothes and look like a human being.   
      
   Basically, most of these fringe/alternative things go underground or   
   become laughable. (You look _good_ when you're 18-25, when you're 37 and   
   fat and still trying to wear tight black leather trousers it's just   
   horrible. Apologies to any fat 37-year-old tight-leather-trouser-wearers   
   out there. Actually... no. Not apologies. Just stop doing it.)   
      
   I think it's more cerebral. The cyberpunks are still out there, they just   
   look like normal people. It's when you find out that their hard drive is   
   encrypted with 256-bit serpent because they just don't think that rijndael   
   is secure enough, and they can live with the slowdown, that you think   
   "wait a minute..."   
      
   j   
      
   PS: as to saving the world. that's not just cyberpunk, that's so many   
   people of our age/slightly younger (and older). it's a good thing, but   
   everyone has their own specialist area. i like crypto. my girlfriend likes   
   sustainability of resources and local production. other people try to ban   
   fox-hunting. i agree with so many of them, but my focus is on one. anyway,   
   most of cyberpunk literature seems to be about trashing the world.   
      
   if you don't like the global government thing then join people and planet   
   or some other group and go and protest at the next G8 summit. i think the   
   world is in a shocking state, but have a sneaking suspicion that it has   
   always been on the brink of collapse and just manages to keep tripping   
   along anyway. still, something big happening would be good. (collapse of   
   the US economy... *crosses fingers*. still, i suppose the formation of the   
    EU superstate that's going on is something big to look back on).   
      
   You know.... I write too much.   
      
   j   
      
   (PS: anyone interested in setting up (and actually using) an IRC chatroom?   
   real-time chat would be cool).   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)