This essay says little, although it is indicative of the uncertainty in the 90s as people tried to figure out exactly what was going on. 'Computer Culture' doesn't exactly have a lineage. By nature of the challenges that are faced in computing there is a high concentration of systems-thinkers who enjoy thinking about entire systems in their totality. This group of people are going to at least see the draw of libertarianism - as a philosophy it advocates a robust and highly fault tolerant system. Athoritarianism is a bad system because at some point a critical part becomes corrupt and then it delivers worse outcomes for pretty much everyone.
One area the essay tries to pick up on this but doesn't quite manage is the detour past IP law. There are people in the computer world who recognise that IP law has created a system that is clearly terrible. Trademarks are fine, copyright and patents have substantially hindered the development of good software. It isn't encouraging new ideas, it is delaying fast-follow-up of ideas that were always going to be discovered very quickly when someone turned their mind to a problem. Systems thinkers would naturally unite against a system so bad at delivering its stated outcome. The Open Source movement is indicative of what happens when people with system thinker ideals are left in charge (ie, people like Stallman and Torvalds).
People who have dedicated their lives to understanding data organisation aren't necessarily the ones who should be running the world; but the libertarian undertones aren't primarily about escaping from the world, they are a natural discovery on the path of someone looking at politics from a whole-system perspective and trying to optimise.
One area the essay tries to pick up on this but doesn't quite manage is the detour past IP law. There are people in the computer world who recognise that IP law has created a system that is clearly terrible. Trademarks are fine, copyright and patents have substantially hindered the development of good software. It isn't encouraging new ideas, it is delaying fast-follow-up of ideas that were always going to be discovered very quickly when someone turned their mind to a problem. Systems thinkers would naturally unite against a system so bad at delivering its stated outcome. The Open Source movement is indicative of what happens when people with system thinker ideals are left in charge (ie, people like Stallman and Torvalds).
People who have dedicated their lives to understanding data organisation aren't necessarily the ones who should be running the world; but the libertarian undertones aren't primarily about escaping from the world, they are a natural discovery on the path of someone looking at politics from a whole-system perspective and trying to optimise.