stumbling toward clarity, balance, and insight
Posted in Creative on Aug 19th, 2008
I thought this comment on a TechCrunch post was wonderfully snarky (and accurate) enough to be quoted and shared:
Let me see if I have it right. The discussion centers around:
Thieves (illegal downloaders)Freeloaders (can be thieves too, believe Everything should be freeee!!)Stupid Mules (stubborn labels)Artists (content producers: will play for biscuits, new strings, one sheet of [...]
Posted in Creative on Jun 21st, 2008
I’ve been collecting posts, videos, etc. related to the copyright controversy in my Del.icio.us account, tagged copyright.
As a writer, English teacher, lover of film and literature, and friend of many artists, I’m very concerned about this issue (as a survey of recent posts here should indicate). However, the more I learn, the less sure I [...]
Posted in Creative on Jun 6th, 2008
Paul Krugman has an op-ed piece entitled “Bits, Bands, and Books” in The New York Times today about the influence of digital content on existing business models. His focus is on “books.”
The basic argument is that, as it becomes easier to duplicate and distribute digital content, the ability to make money from that content will [...]
Posted in Creative on May 31st, 2008
I keep trying to understand the position of the “copyright abolitionists,” but so far, I’m still not convinced. Here are a few points I’m stuck on … and there are probably others as well. I think this is an extremely important issue, though, so I’ll continue to learn and think about it.
Freely Sharing Ideas
Thomas Jefferson [...]
Posted in Creative on May 16th, 2008
For my needs, Windows Live Writer (WLW) is the best desktop blogging application I’ve found.1 WLW makes it easy to insert elements and format posts, even allowing you to write using your blog’s stylesheet so you know exactly how the post will look once it’s published. I also appreciate the easy access to drafts and [...]
Posted in Creative on May 14th, 2008
I received an email from a teacher/friend asking for tips on script format to pass on to her creative writing students. I sent a quick reply,1 but I also mentioned that the students should consider using some software that was developed specifically for writers (instead of business professionals).
I’ve tried a number of these tools, but [...]
In mythology, crows are bad news. In the Resident Evil games, crows are things you shoot for fun and occasional reward. But Joshua Klein has some ideas that might turn these creepy winged pests into humanity’s helpers. This TED Talk shows how smart, and potentially useful, crows can be.
Still, it’s best not to get them [...]
Posted in Creative on May 11th, 2008
Neil W. Netanel defines the problem newspapers face in the digital age:
Newspapers thus suffer from the classic public goods problem. Producers of quality journalism invest heavily in investigating, reporting, editing, and fact checking. But once they make their work product available, they cannot prevent many others from copying from and reading their work without payment. [...]
“Closer to Fine,” the first hit from the Indigo Girls‘ first album, is a song that I’ve returned to at different points in my life. Recently, while searching around for what others have said about this song, I was surprised to find a sermon [doc] online based on the lyrics, so I gave it [...]
Posted in Creative on Apr 13th, 2008
I just finished watching Bruce Sterling’s speech at the “Innovationsforum Interaktionsdesign” conference. Though a science fiction writer by profession, he’s become more and more immersed in the world of design, first as a vehicle into his fiction and eventually as the direct object of his study and thinking.
Primary Point: Reducing Cognitive Load
The main thesis [...]
