It's Not So Bad After All

“What?! Are you kidding me?!”
That was my reaction when Emi told us that we had to maintain a blog for the semester as part of our grade for the class. Sure, I knew what blogs were; they were those online diaries that political super-junkies and Net lovers ranted on. Well, to be honest, that was my opinion of them. Now, I can’t say that I enjoyed posting to my blog everyday, but I can say that it was more enjoyable than traditional homework requirements. It was interesting to read the other blogs and see viewpoints that aren’t always expressed in the classroom, and I must admit, I liked being able to share my own opinions and get feedback. I don’t know if I’ll keep up my blog after the final, it could be fun, but regardless, I have Emi, Phil, and my classmates to thank for introducing me to this medium and changing my preconceived notions about it.

Copyright Extremes

I was really struck by the excerpt from Lawrence Lessig’s The Future of Ideas. I immediately thought of product placements in television shows and movies and how much companies pay for that “advertising.” So when someone turns down, not even turns down, but actually fights free advertising, I’m a little confused. I definitely think that people should be able to have their creative work protected, but it gets to a point at which it seems like certain people don’t just want their work protected, they want it hidden, but why? The examples Lessig gives from Twelve Monkeys, The Devil’s Advocate, and Batman Forever are examples of copyright law gone rampant. Lessig is right; these copyright law extremes are “burdens to the creative process” and will be the same burdens for innovation if they are not controlled.