January 20, 2012

  • Things I think that will probably annoy people...

    I know I promised to write more here, but I've been busy. It's budget time. 'Nuff said.

    However, while in the midst of all that "doing", I have also been thinking....and I'm pretty sure that some of what I've been thinking, would, if shared, annoy some people.

    Oh well, here goes.

    SOPA:
    I know where I stand on protecting intellectual property. I think, however, that some of the fuss over SOPA comes as an age divide rather than a philosophical one.

    Let me explain. If you are under a certain age, I will make a blanket statement and say that you have come of whatever age you are now with the expectations that technology can and should provide you with whatever you seek, with little or no limitations. If you are above that age, you will, and again I boldly state this, use the technology to provide what you want, with perhaps a twinge of guilt that maybe you shouldn't, because someone else actually owns what you want to use.

    Have my ageism annoyed you yet?

    I am astonished by what people will fuss about in the "real world" if they owned it, someone borrowed or took it without permission and they were not getting paid for it. Call the police! I've been robbed! Those same folks will blatantly take and use whatever is in the "digital" world because it's easy and they can and the likelihood of repercussion is slim. It's flattery, right? Nobody is really being harmed, right?

    The wonder of the digital world is that even those of us with minimal creativity can put together websites, blogs, twitter accounts, vlogs, youtube videos and the like simply by using another's stuff. And we can look like real professionals doing it.

    The problem with that is that what makes us look good, with the exception of our own words (at least those we haven't stolen from someone else), probably was the creation of another person-the creativity of their minds, their hands, their vision. And those folks should have some say, unless they give up that say, in where and how their work is being used. Yes, I know that some folks put their creations on the internet freely for others to use. But others have a lot of time, expertise and money tied up in their product.

    Those who have lived awhile understand the toil that comes with creating really good, useful things.

    Those who have grown up in a world where the technology has come easily and the availability of software, digital images, music, programming, etc has been easy to come by, find the idea of paying for something rather quaint.

    Those born under a certain age view the creative process as one shared, or at least one imitated. The concept of someone stealing from them is alien. If someone takes their stuff, it must be because it is good. Therefore, that is the payment-flattery.

    Those born after a certain age have labored in different worlds of creativity-where materials and sweat and time invested meant that an expectation of being compensated is not unrealistic.

    Has the law caught up with the technology? Obviously not. Is the structure of SOPA the best we can come up with. Obviously not.

    Creativity has a price attached to it. How we can express ourselves often involves the need for music, images, etc. Those who created them should have a reasonable expectation that they will be compensated for their work. The age groups differ in how they view this.

    But, the concept of taking the work of someone else, something which belongs to them, without express permission is still stealing. No matter how good the reason, it's still stealing.

    No matter what your age.