The hackers commit to certain goals but as long as they keep the goals they want to be free to organize the use of time themselves. Because of the fundamental link between creativity and the information economy, the hacker relation to time is slowly spreading from the computer professionals to other information professionals. And it could spread even much more. Computer hackers have always emphasized that being a hacker doesn't ultimately have anything to do with computers. Some time ago I even met a person who said that he's a tractor hacker.
Information wants to be free.
The Electronic Frontier Foundation being founded to protect and promote this idea. Today, information is far from free. Even DNA is patented by multinationals in the pursuit of profit. Do you think that this element of the hacker ethic can survive in the next century as we enter it with increasing pressure to commercialise all information sources. You are absolutely right that the dominant trend is closing off more and more information.