Hackers - cyberpunks or microcerfs Cybercrime, law enforcement, security and surveillance in the information age p, 36-55. Paul A. Taylor The author's paper 'Hackers - cyberpunks or microserfs', begins with an identification of the Hacker, as being either a Cyberpunk or Microserf, as popularized in literature or quotations he cites. He then uses this to show that 'Hackers' although [perhaps] considered anti-establishment in their own view, or the views of society, are actually well constrained and bounded to the social structures they believe or are believed to be against. It is unknown how the author established such a polarized, and well constrained definition of a 'Hacker' as the premise of his paper. The title of the paper represents this polarized view, and allows only two possibilities for the the [possibly] larger 'Hacker' population. It is not stated why such definitions were chosen, as a premise. Nor does it allow for any other definition to be included in the already ambiguous subject matter he choses to dissect. The author establishes a conclusion in the introduction, by defining his own interpretation of the subject at hand. He then uses his definition as a basis for his later conclusion on the subjects as part of a sociological analysis of integration. It is naive circular reasoning. He starts with his own ambiguous conclusive definition, and then proves his initial premise through supporting evidence. There is no analysis on the possibility of error in his scientific method, nor on the analysis or conclusions he states. -- Silvio Cesare