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Devs and the Culture of Tech (unserious.substack.com)

Hello all,

TLDR: I've written some stuff about tech ideology via the TV show Devs. It's all free, no paid subs etc. Would love it if anyone interested wanted to take a look - link is to my blog.

Longer blurb: Firstly if this is severely poor form please tell me to do one, throw tomatoes etc.

I'm a Sociologist that focuses on tech culture. Particularly elite tech culture and the far right. I started off writing about the piracy cultures of the 2000s and their role in the switch to digital distribution back in 2013. Just by virtue of paying attention to tech ideology I've now ended up also researching far right extremism and radicalisation and do a lot of data analysis with antifacist orgs. I also used to flirt around in the Sneerclub post-rat spaces on reddit and twitter a few years back too.

Anyway, I've been researching NRx and the wider fashy nature of tech since 2016 but because of "issues" I've not yet got much out into the world. I'm working on a book that more closely examines the way that the history and ideologies in tech culture play well to far right extremism and what it might say about the process of radicalisation more generally.

However, because I'm tired of glacial academic publishing timelines I've also started a research blog called Unserious Academic and for my first project I use the Alex Garland TV show Devs to illustrate and explore some of the things I know about tech culture. I've put out three parts so far with a fourth one ready for Monday. I'm not looking for paid subs or anything, all free I just figured some people might be interested.

I also desperately need a place where people know what a neoreactionary is so I can more easily complain about them so I'd like to hang around longer term too. Thanks for your time!

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[-] jax@awful.systems 8 points 5 months ago

Hello, and welcome!

I also desperately need a place where people know what a neoreactionary is so I can more easily complain about them so I’d like to hang around longer term too.

Sounds like you're in the right place. Please complain as much as you need, so we can all scream, sigh and sneer into the void in unison.

for my first project I use the Alex Garland TV show Devs

I haven't read your piece yet, because I'd like to watch devs, unspoiled, at some point, but have bookmarked to come back to at a later point :)

[-] V0ldek@awful.systems 9 points 5 months ago

We span the wide range of people who intimately know what NRx beliefs are and how to define it, to me, who just knows they suck and are the worst and somehow literally every single bad idea in my lifetime can be traced back to them.

[-] UnseriousAcademic@awful.systems 5 points 5 months ago

Thanks for the welcome, and yes please watch first!

this post was submitted on 17 Jul 2024
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