Correlations between Steampunk and Hacking

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We are all familiar with the concept of hacking. For those of us who take it at face value, we understand it as some sort of pasty nerd who knows way too much about computers, sneaking around through the back alleys of the internet and for some reason being able to skirt the normal boundaries of computer security. For those of us who know a bit more about it, we understand that hacking is not confined exclusively to technology. Rather it is a drive to create an easier existence by modifying that which is already there. A "hacker" might be able to break into your email account, but he might also know nothing of this, but be able to modify a simple webcam and some spare parts into a home security system, or be able to set up some way to tell his coffee maker to start brewing remotely from his smartphone by wiring it into a bluetooth device connected to his home computer. Hacking is much more diverse of than simply breaking past electronic security; it is an understanding of how to use technology to make life easier, often by modding things to work in ways they were not designed to.

Steampunk is similar to this drive, but remains somewhat different. Rather than creating an easier path for things to function, the focus is on innovation and aesthetics. Steampunk goes hand in hand with invention. Rather than change something to function better, it is about creating something lasting, visually appealing, and distinctly unique. While many steampunk creations are not exactly the most practical of devices, they are distinct in both form and function, making use of materials beyond the typical cheap plastic and disposable stylings of our current society. You will find that steampunk is largely about creating your own existence, just as hacking is. Not merely accepting that which is given to you, but breaking free of what we are told is "good enough" for our consumption to create something unique, lasting and personal.



Here Dr. Steel describes his hypothesis of Reality Engineering, and how realization of this frees us from a great deal of the restraints that are put on us by the world we live in. Realizing this, we are given a choice as to whether to simply accept what is already there, or to put in the effort to create our own way.