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 Friday, February 13, 2004
My ETCON talk, in the Public Domain. I have just given a talk at the O'Reilly Emerging Technology Confernece called Ebooks: Neither E, Nor Books, which is something of an anomaly for me in three ways:
- I wrote out this talk, word for word, in advance of the presentation
- I am releasing that written text as a free, public domain file, right now, moments before I get off the stage
So here's the text of that talk, dedicated to the Public Domain, for you to do with what you will.
This isn't to say that copyright is bad, but that there's such a thing as good copyright and bad copyright, and that sometimes, too much good copyright is a bad thing. It's like chilis in soup: a little goes a long way, and too much spoils the broth.
From the Luther Bible to the first phonorecords, from radio to the pulps, from cable to MP3, the world has shown that its first preference for new media is its "democratic-ness" -- the ease with which it can reproduced.
(And please, before we get any farther, forget all that business about how the Internet's copying model is more disruptive than the technologies that proceeded it. For Christ's sake, the Vaudeville performers who sued Marconi for inventing the radio had to go from a regime where they had *one hundred percent* control over who could get into the theater and hear them perform to a regime where they had *zero* percent control over who could build or acquire a radio and tune into a recording of them performing. For that matter, look at the difference between a monkish Bible and a Luther Bible -- next to that phase-change, Napster is peanuts)
Link [Boing Boing Blog]
A very important talk. There are good and bad copyright, as there are good and bad patents. We need to make sure that the bad does not drive out the good, that shamelessly following one path does not hurt the entire community. We will eventually figure all this out but I wish some more of the comon sense ideas got adopted before there was an outright revolt. 11:58:39 AM 
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Disney/Dali Oscar nomination has execs in a tizzy. Sam sez, "Disney/Salvadore Dali film Destino nominated for Oscar. Disney PR isn't happy with the thought of Roy Disney speaking to 200 million viewers."
"This is really a lose/lose situation for the Walt Disney Company," said one studio insider. "If the studio doesn't mount a really aggressive promotional campaign in order to claim a Best Animated Short Oscar for 'Destino,' Roy and Stanley get the right to complain that the Disney Company deliberately torpedoed this film's chance. Out of fear over what Walt's nephew might say once he gets up on stage at the Kodak Theatre."
"On the other hand, if Disney does put together a great Academy Award promotional campaign for 'Destino' and the short does actually win, all the suits still have to sit there and sweat. Wondering if Roy is going to use his opportunity -- standing there in front of over 200 million television viewers worldwide -- to talk about his campaign to remove Eisner."
Link [Boing Boing Blog]
I feel so sorry for Disney. Boo Hoo. I say never piss off a relative of Walt's. GOod riddance to Eisner, I hope. 11:55:12 AM
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Guantanamo Detentions May Last Years. This floors us. The Pentagon is now saying that the detainees at Guantanamo may be held for years or even... [TalkLeft: The Politics of Crime]
Wow. I am sure glad I live in a country that can incarcerate people forever, without actually charging them with a crime, without benefit of any legal system. I am sure glad we are a country of laws, because I just do not see this sort of behavior lasting very long. We finally got real and released those 3 boys who had been held for over a year, even though they were described in horrible terms by our government just a few months ago. The goodness of the American people, the ones who tried to help these kids, teach them English, etc., will eventually alter the course that this Administration is taking towards this prisoners (These are not detainees. They are prisoners.) 11:37:39 AM
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What Did Robert Novak Know and When Did He Know It?. WHAT DID ROBERT NOVAK KNOW AND WHEN DID HE KNOW IT?....Writing in The American Prospect today, Murray Waas adds an interesting tidbit to the ongoing saga of Valerie Plame. He says that a pair of sources he's talked to dispute... [Calpundit]
Novak could be in trouble if he was told NOT to release her name and did anyway. And I am sure glad that things still get leaked. Ain't life wonderful? 11:30:45 AM
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Drip, Drip, Drip. DRIP, DRIP, DRIP....You may recall the full text of George Bush's answer to Tim Russert on Sunday regarding his National Guard files:Russert: But you authorize the release of everything to settle this? President Bush: Yes, absolutely. We did so in... [Calpundit]
Why are they doing what is exactly the wrong thing, coming up with a new document every day? Then the press expects a new one every day. If you then stop providing them, you look like you are stonewalling, even if there are none left. Better to rip the bandaid off quickly. 11:28:10 AM
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Disney Special Assistance Passes. Disney theme parks have stopped providing Special Assistance Passes to to special needs guests. [New Urban Legends]
One more reason DIsney is on my list. Even if it was being abused, to completely cut off EVERYONE until a new policy is issued can only be the idea of a cold-hearted MBA-type whose bottom line view will destroy the trust that keeps Disney in business. Dumb move. 11:07:55 AM
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I am wondering if this is some sort of Turing test and that Scott McClellan is really a computer program who we are supposed to believe is really a human? I mean, reading his responses to a question are as incoherent and odd as some of the reposes from AI computer programs. Poorly written ones at that. The inability to answer a question. The wild changes in tone. All act to make a reasonable reader believe that there is something more here, not less. He is doing a poor job for his masters if this is the case. I never thought I would be wishing for Ari Fleischer but this is getting pathetic. 11:01:06 AM
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John Kerry. Another Photograph shows Senator John Kerry with Jane Fonda at an anti-war rally. [New Urban Legends]
This is the photo mentioned in the NYT. It would help for reporters to check Snopes. There wis already a lot of photomanipulation going on. I expect there to be a lot more to trip up the unwary.
I still say that is Rush next to Kerry in the real photo. 10:55:34 AM
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The White House Press Briefings are getting to be almost as much fun as those during previous scandals. Instead of simply responding to Hellen Thomas' question by saying he would mention it to the President, he went off on a tangent that smelled like stonewall to the reporters. Like blood to the sharks. Read the transcript. I would not be surprsed to read that Scott has decided to spend more time with his family soon. He does not seem to be helping the Administration here. 10:33:22 AM
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