The Voice of Authority
Today I returned to my alma mater, where I successfully impersonated an expert. In exchange for a speaker's fee, which was donated to my Mysterious Employer, I spoke in front of two classes of digital design students about intellectual property. I frightened them with stories about the NSA, raids on game companies, and tee-shirts that are munitions. I showed them footage of the dancing baby and Barbie Girl. I explained CDA 230 and the DMCA. I ranted about digital rights management. I told them about my adventures with the Scientologists. I explained the difference between satire and parody, using Dr. Seuss v. Penguin Books. I uttered the words, "I am familiar with the works of Coolio."
With the exception of the person who walked up to me afterwards and asked what, exactly, the Fourth Amendment was, most of the students asked smart questions. They're concerned about file sharing and piracy. They chafe at DRM. They were appropriately shocked to discover what companies could get away with tossing into a EULA. As producers, appropriators, and consumers of digital media, they were intrigued by the Creative Commons license options. They thought I was joking when I explained that copyright had been extended to protect Mickey Mouse. I geeked out with one of the students about hardware hacking during the coffee break and directed him towards Noisebridge. I live in hope that even tomorrow they may remember a couple of the things that I talked about. This is the age of Barack Obama, people: anything is possible.
I'm just glad that I don't have to grade their papers.
With the exception of the person who walked up to me afterwards and asked what, exactly, the Fourth Amendment was, most of the students asked smart questions. They're concerned about file sharing and piracy. They chafe at DRM. They were appropriately shocked to discover what companies could get away with tossing into a EULA. As producers, appropriators, and consumers of digital media, they were intrigued by the Creative Commons license options. They thought I was joking when I explained that copyright had been extended to protect Mickey Mouse. I geeked out with one of the students about hardware hacking during the coffee break and directed him towards Noisebridge. I live in hope that even tomorrow they may remember a couple of the things that I talked about. This is the age of Barack Obama, people: anything is possible.
I'm just glad that I don't have to grade their papers.