So the year resumes. Thanks to the guest bloggers — Cass Sunstein, the Free Culture Movement, Jimmy Wales, and Hilary Rosen. And thanks to all who’ve written worried about my silence, or asking for my return. I hadn’t realized how long it would take to dig out from my time away. I’m almost there.
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Meta
Welcome back, Professor Lessig!
I must say that I was extremely disappointed in the Wales and Rosen blogging efforts. Wales was particularly poor.
I’m glad you are back!
Well, they don’t owe us just because they’re guest webloggers.
But hey! Bring back Cass Sunstein any time. I’ve been working on a long post going up somewhere else which addresses exactly what he was asking about. Two long related posts, in fact, one for thinking and one for doing.
Damn! I didn’t mean to expose my e-mail address. If someone were to fix that, I’d be grateful.
Anyway, that’s an awful short poem–are you sure you’re within the bounds of fair use with those three words?
I totally agree with Kal-el. Wales dropped the ball. Rosen could have done more as well. For both of them, it is free publicity. Why not take advantage of Professor Lessig’s hospitality?
I got the impression Jimbo was swamped with work.
Jimbo:
Perhaps the same was true with Hilary, but she gave no indication that that was the case and left the impression that she was not interested in dealing with hard questions.
Sometimes I wonder how genuine she really is when it comes to her association with Lessig. I think it does magic for her image when associating with his name and work. That is fine – if it is serendipitous. But one now wonders if that is her driving motive.
I do hope such a speculation is inaccurate, but what is one to think after such a showing? Was “blogging inexperience” to blame? Was she SO swamped with work that she couldn’t even quickly let her audience know with a quick post?
Regardless, I learned a tremendous amount during her session albeit from Collusive Computing/DRM supporters like poptones and “Magna Carta” property flatlanders like the 3 Blind Mice.
So…uh…um…thanks Hilary!
Neither Rosen nor Wales lacks for publicity or voice (Rosen especially!) .
You don’t get to Hilary Rosen’s level of executive position without knowing how to be extremely careful about what image you present. She’s a professional flack. Anything she writes in public will serve that interest, almost by definition.
And self-revelatory public diary-ism isn’t for everyone. I don’t think Jimbo Wales particulary inclines that way (no criticism intended, essay/discussion writing is a hobby or a job for some people, but I don’t think it’s one of his interests).
Guest columnists/discussion-leaders who are chosen for (local) celebrity may or may not work, since their position may not correlate with any skill – or even interest – in the gig.
What I want to know is if the world could very well end. If the Public Domain vanishes and if all we are left with is oligarchies ruling the world, then why would anyone want to have kids who will be forced to grow up as peasants with the tyranny of Kings and Queens who crush young kids and their bright ideas with patents, DRM, etc. … is the world likely to go that dark?
Cass Sunstein is scheduled to be on Fresh Air Wed. Sept. 7th
http://www.npr.org/templates/rundowns/rundown.php?prgId=13
Prominent law professor Cass Sunstein has called Chief Justice William Rehnquist “one of the most important figures in the entire history of American law.” Sunstein discusses Rehnquist’s career, the appointment of John Roberts and the future of the Supreme Court.
From the referenced article:
When William summoned his wife, Princess Mary, by royal yacht from Holland after his victory, she made a point of bringing along John Locke, one of the revolution’s intellectual backers, who had been very busy during his exile in Holland composing what turned out to be major statements on natural rights, representative government, and the pursuit of life, liberty, and property.
I think some still cannot grasp the notion that the intangible can take on the attributes of physical property – and that it must if this next “revolution” is to actually be a revolution rather than just another scalp hanging from the corporate belt.
I think some still cannot grasp the notion that the intangible can take on the attributes of physical property
I think you mean “can legally or technologically be represented as having attributes generalised and extended from physical property”.
and that it must if this next ‘revolution’ is to actually be a revolution rather than just another scalp hanging from the corporate belt.
Making ideas into alienable property will not help individuals against large vested interests.
Rob Myers:
I agree.
But then again, maybe we’re both deluded and freedom actually is slavery.
Ideas are not protected as property even now – specific implimentation of ideas are protected. If the patent system is screwed up beyond this you correct the problem by fixing the patent system, not by nonsensical restrictions to our technology. If copyright law is broken you don’t correct the problem by denying society technology that has significant uses for the common good.
Have none of you “free culture” people ever read the first cypherpunk novel? Have you absolutely zero grasp of the concept of “virtual reality?”
Better, can anyone offer a better (practical) vision? It’s easy to complain, but I have yet to hear anyone offer a fair and balanced alternative – or any alternative at all, really, save for keeping things just as they have been since 1983 only with smoother icons and wizzier desktop widgets.
I am sorry but I must defend Jimmy Wales here, he was swamped because Wikimania was coming up and there was lots of work still to be done. So cut the guy some slack and research before you criticize.
On the other hand, if he was going to be too busy, perhaps he could have said, “No, thanks–maybe during your finals week?” Still, the fact remains that no one owes any of us a blog post, or a comment response.
I have to back up Seth F.’s comments on Rosen. I can see why you might have thought it would be interesting to have her guest blog here, but there is no reason to invite her back.