The Political Compass

[Pitkin]

Hey, no one should be pressured to participate still. Individual freedom.

[Chocofreak13]

still, it's interesting to see where everyone stands.

part of me wants to know all your responses to certain questions. :\

[Bella]

Actually, most of us are more on the libertarian side, if that has any importance.

According to the great compendium of Hacker Folklore that is the Jargon File, most hackers (that's in the OLD SCHOOL sense of being a programmer/enthusiast, not cybercriminal) are left libertarian-leaning and anti-authoritarian. From the entry on politics:

There is a strong libertarian contingent which rejects conventional left-right politics entirely. The only safe generalization is that hackers tend to be rather anti-authoritarian; thus, both paleoconservatism and 'hard' leftism are rare. Hackers are far more likely than most non-hackers to either (a) be aggressively apolitical or (b) entertain peculiar or idiosyncratic political ideas and actually try to live by them day-to-day.

(For the record, I fall into category A), aggressively apolitical.) -w-

That seems to describe most of the people who've responded here quite well so far... could OSC be a den of old-time-hacker spirited people? x3

If I may be a bit silly for a moment, I find it interesting that the three people who identified as authoritarian-leaning are more into "corporate computing" - there's Kriz, who's an Apple fan, Red, who's a huge Windows fan, and Stew, who's a... classic IBM/CDC/DEC fan? That would have made him diametrically opposed to the hacker culture back in the day.... and now I'm rambling and will stop now.

[NejinOniwa]

Well, if one would count the entire Pirate movement into a new age of hackerism - which I certainly would - that falls true for me, at least...

This thread might be interesting OwO

[Pitkin]

part of me wants to know all your responses to certain questions. :\

Any specific question in mind? xP *expects a bloodbath* I withdraw that question!

If I may be a bit silly for a moment, I find it interesting that the three people who identified as authoritarian-leaning are more into "corporate computing" - there's Kriz, who's an Apple fan, Red, who's a huge Windows fan, and Stew, who's a... classic IBM/CDC/DEC fan? That would have made him diametrically opposed to the hacker culture back in the day.... and now I'm rambling and will stop now.

An interesting theory. :3 On the apolitical-political setup, I'm definitely on the more political side, though I stay away from party politics as much as possible. But well, the fact that there are more than two serious parties here, makes it easier to find something for myself. :/

[Chocofreak13]

i'm quite political. i just hide it well. -w-

[Aurora Borealis]

I remember taking that test some time ago. I should try it again (to see how much or little I've changed), but am not sure how accurate it'd be since there's no neutral option for any of the questions.

[Chocofreak13]

that's the only flaw with it, i think. :\

[Simonorged]

exactly what I thought it would be.

[Bella]

Economic Left/Right: -4.75
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -3.23

[Nichi]

Economic Left/Right: -4.25
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -5.18



That feels fairly accurate

[alfonso_rd_30]

[Chocofreak13]

Economic Left/Right: -6.75
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -4.87

[stewartsage]

Economic Left/Right: -5.12
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -1.74

[Chocofreak13]

how did i wind up the furthest left one here?