K. Wenz

Theorycrafting. Knowledge Production and Surveillance

This article investigates theorycrafting, a cultural practice of gaming communities, to analyse the differences in participation, knowledge production and dissemination and to show the effect that this has on the community itself. Theorycrafting describes a process of reverse engineering, a process of extracting design ‘blue prints’ to understand a technology better, whose design is not accessible. The ‘design’ not accessible in this case is the game algorithm. The concept of scientification of gameplay is used to highlight the scientific approach of theorycrafters to their gameplay. Their ‘scientific’ approach is described by using Aristotles concepts episteme, techne and phronesis. His concepts have been chosen as they help us to analyse the different layers of the meaning of ‘theory’ in theorycrafting. This article investigates which understanding of theory and science is central in the practice of theorycrafting. How is a specific concept of science part of mechanisms of participatory surveillance? T...This article investigates theorycrafting, a cultural practice of gaming communities, to analyse the differences in participation, knowledge production and dissemination and to show the effect that this has on the community itself. Theorycrafting describes a process of reverse engineering, a process of extracting design ‘blue prints’ to understand a technology better, whose design is not accessible. The ‘design’ not accessible in this case is the game algorithm. The concept of scientification of gameplay is used to highlight the scientific approach of theorycrafters to their gameplay. Their ‘scientific’ approach is described by using Aristotles concepts episteme, techne and phronesis. His concepts have been chosen as they help us to analyse the different layers of the meaning of ‘theory’ in theorycrafting. This article investigates which understanding of theory and science is central in the practice of theorycrafting. How is a specific concept of science part of mechanisms of participatory surveillance? Theorycrafting can be understood as the desire of players to gain control over the game and share this knowledge with other players. The production of knowledge for the community leads to formulas that are used to improve playing skills, but through the spread of add-ons and forms of social control, it can also be described as a tool for surveillance.

Making and Hacking: Introduction

In August 2014, hackerspaces in the Netherlands issued an open letter to the Dutch Public Prosecution Service (PPS): in this document, members of hacker communities from Amsterdam, Heerlen, Utrecht and other cities called upon the governmental institution to revise the definition of ‘hacking’ as presented on its website (Walboer et al. 2014). While the PPS described it as “breaking into computers without permission”, the hackerspace members highlighted that hacking refers to citizens’ creative engagement with technologies. Opposing the reduction of hacking to illegal activities, they described hacking as exploration of technological possibilities and boundaries in unforeseen, innovative ways. Even though this particular initiative was started in the Netherlands, the letter echoes wider, historical as well as ongoing negotiations regarding the meanings and origins of hacking. It seems closely related to earlier requests such as an open letter to the Wall Street Journal which was written more than 20 years ago by Richard Stallman (presumably). In this letter, the founder of the Free Software Foundation states: