The most important word of the future: CONTROL
It is now 30 years ago that I first sat in front of my computer, a Commodore 64. It had no tape recorder, no disk drive and no cartridges to it. So every time I wanted to do something meaningful, I had to type the code into the C64, for there was no way to store it. So, as a kid I learned to love the code.
Later on I had a disk drive and a new world opened up: the thrill of using programs.
Back in 1988, most of the programs came by swapping disks with friends. And with it came a fresh new mix of arts and knowledge.
Back then most swapped software was pirated software. And this meant flashy intros, really cool chiptunes and an insight into the world of the elite: the Scene. I had to admit: the Scene fascinated me. For what it was, for what message it carried. It was all about CONTROL. It was all about a loud laugh that ‘We were able to beat this and that copy protection. . . easily. . .” . . . just like that.
And then there was a sense of belongingness. Warez groups popped up east and west, north and south.
And in a bit different domain, but at the very same time youthful hackers emerged to replace the yippie phreakers culture and to start an era of human history that is still with us.
Hackers of the late ’80s and early ’90s were all about the CONTROL. They weren’t into reverse engineering or circumventing copy protection codes, they were into hacking huge infrastructures of the day. And they did that because they were eager to learn how to control key features of the systems. They shared they knowledge with their peers, and did everything in a Robin Hood-esque manner.
And I became addicted to this culture, to the imagery of the intros, to the 8-bit sounds, to the notion that systems could be owned and to the up-and-coming cyberpunk world where youngsters will at once control what they know best: the machines.
And the promise of a coming new world was all over: there was Phrack, there was Chaos CC, there was Bruce Sterling to immortalize the fallen… so I was all too confident that the new world awaits us at around the corner.
But that world never came.
The Internet came, a tidal wave of unnecessary and banal information came and it washed the cyberpunk dream away.
At first it seemed that the underground actually got a traction, but it turned out that the sheer availability of pirated warez actually triggered a crackdown-style outlook on all things fit into a vague description of ‘non-official computing’.
The international busts of international cracker groups and hacker collectives finally forced the individual attendees deeper into the ground.
From these depths they were still able to do magic
time after time,
but the feeling of belongingness and a feeling of being part of a unique culture
had been lost forever.
As for me, I found myself gotten quite far from the computers. It happened so that I served almost 15 years in the army. It was an entirely different sphere, but very soon I realized that by the phenomenal and unknowable way of life it bore some resembleance to my former life. And it was because of the CONTROL. In the army it’s not just you, who is under control 24/7, but it is expected that you too CONTROL all aspects of your life, let these be your attitude, your appearance, equipment or subordinate soldiers. To cut it short, I entered the system as a conscripted private and got discharged 7 ranks higher, as a Master Sergeant from a Special Squad of the Military Police.
Three years ago, when I came back to the ‘civvie street’ I picked up a job of IT security consultancy. My papers permitted me to consult in physical and human security issues related to IT systems and as I was doing it the world started to spin with me.
I had to realize that in the IT world no-one is having a total CONTROL over hardware, software or workflow processes.
What more, no-one is having CONTROL at all.
It is a merry-go-round world, where everything needs updating and updating and updating, while the core functions are owned by the Service Providers (Software-as-a-Service, anyone?). All hardware and software elements are prone to be connected to outside servers in order to be able to update timely.
Even the most senior staff knew absolutely nothing about the actual processes their computers were running.
“What for? We have the licences, we have the standards compliance audit reports, what else matters?”
And I was puzzled: whatever happened to all those good kids of the days back in the late ’80s?
Perhaps they realized that there were not much to do and went about their lives. Being talented and in the know, they surely climbed those proverbial ladders and are now sitting atop large and important institutions here and there.
But surely, they won’t forget who they really are.
Our collective dream was to create and disseminate knowledge in order to CONTROL machines.
But the life instead made many of us to become architects of how to create machines that can CONTROL people. Because in reality, that is what is needed and that is what actually pays.
But I stayed where I was. And I kept an eye on how the technology and the society are progressing. And I never gave up to bring about the ‘revolution’ we stood for.
And I worked on a Conceptual Framework of the future for almost 20 years. And it is ready now.
It is named NEW COMPENDiUM, and you can see it for yourself at https://newcompendium.com
And I dedicate it to you, with whom I dreamed together.
You could tear it to pieces and attack it from all angles.
My defence is: at least, I tried.
I dropped everything to be able to publish it and share it publicly for free. So, I did my part.
And now I shouting out to my former co-dreamers: if you understand it, if you can ‘feel’ it, if you find it worthwile — do your part and help me.
You know who you are.
If you can afford it, come and help build a contributing Community.
Thank you for your attention.
Yours truly: Korvin AG
