You're not looking hard enough, which is also part of the problem.

Back in the "golden years" you'd have to put effort in to finding and participating in the community. The real hackers are still somewhat underground simply because they're anti establishment; actively seeking out the high effort, loss making niches that attract fringe thinkers and the unique characters required for true innovation.

Crypto parties, maker faires, get to one. If nothing exists locally, build it and they will come. (And admittedly I need to take my own advice).

We have an open space workshop and hack shop in my town, and it’s frequented by quite a lot of people. You’ll see anything IoT, 3D printing and Linux you can imagine being hacked upon. You can also see people building race cars, or ideas that eventually turn into businesses.

Everyone has an Apple or android device, and macs are easily make up 90% of the personal workhorse laptops. Because at the end of the day, technology that just works, is nice too.

I get that it’s probably very different in crypto communities, but we don’t really have any of those around here. I wouldn’t say that real hackers aren’t using walled gardens though.

Maker faires perhaps, but crypto parties seem a lot like pyramid scheme parties on steroids.

Long gone. The last time I had a conversation here about what a "hacker" is, there was a sizeable contingent who defined it as "someone who knows how to write computer programs".

If that hacker ethic lives, it's not in people labelled "hackers" anymore.

It's alive and kicking, but certainly not on "hacker" "news" or SV.

See all the events like CCC and the fediverse.

I know so many CCC people who have trouble to make a living or are (un/happily) employed by companies that went all in Apple, Google, Mirosoft, AWS.

Many for sure are brilliant brains but they lack to monetize it. To break or stop near-monopoly/walled garden systems you have to dismantle them through the market. Build better/cheaper (primary) alternatives which are free and open (secondary).

IMHO mainstream only values convenience and price, freedom is only a "nice to have" item and when it requires more work it is a no-starter.

> Many for sure are brilliant brains but they lack to monetize it.

...as if selling your brain was the most important thing in life.

> you have to dismantle them through the market

Citation needed.

The large majority of modern technology was developed with public money.