Hey, New Orleans! At this very moment, I’m flying your way for an event tonight at Octavia Books at 6PM. Tomorrow, I’ll be in Houston, and then to Austin for a bookstore event and a benefit for EFF-Austin. I’m not done, either: there’s plenty more cities left! Come on down and say hi!
My latest Publishers Weekly column, “I Can’t Let You Do That, Dave,” is a look at the dangers of redesigning our computers to boss us around instead of doing what they’re told and trying to help us:
Contrary to what’s been written in some quarters, Aaron Swartz didn’t attempt to download those journal articles because “information wants to be free.” No one cares what information wants. He was almost certainly attempting to download those articles because they were publicly funded scholarship that was not available to the public. They were scientific and scholarly truths about the world, information that the public paid for and needs in order to make informed choices about their lives and their governance. Fighting for information’s freedom isn’t the point. It’s people’s freedom that matters.
All of which makes the publishing community’s embrace of DRM and its advocacy for badly written, overly broad legislation to support DRM, fraught with peril. Since Frankenstein, writers and thinkers have recoiled in visceral horror at the idea of technology overpowering its creators. But when we actively build businesses that require censorship, surveillance, and control to thrive, we make a Frankenstein’s monster out of the devices that fill our pockets and homes, and the network that binds them all together.
My latest Publishers Weekly column, “I Can’t Let You Do That, Dave,” is a look at the dangers of redesigning our computers to boss us around instead of doing what they’re told and trying to help us:
Contrary to what’s been written in some quarters, Aaron Swartz didn’t attempt to download those journal articles because “information wants to be free.” No one cares what information wants. He was almost certainly attempting to download those articles because they were publicly funded scholarship that was not available to the public. They were scientific and scholarly truths about the world, information that the public paid for and needs in order to make informed choices about their lives and their governance. Fighting for information’s freedom isn’t the point. It’s people’s freedom that matters.
All of which makes the publishing community’s embrace of DRM and its advocacy for badly written, overly broad legislation to support DRM, fraught with peril. Since Frankenstein, writers and thinkers have recoiled in visceral horror at the idea of technology overpowering its creators. But when we actively build businesses that require censorship, surveillance, and control to thrive, we make a Frankenstein’s monster out of the devices that fill our pockets and homes, and the network that binds them all together.
After nearly two weeks on the road, I’ve finally resolved the niggling technical issues I was having with the free, CC-licensed electronic edition of Homeland. Many, many thanks to Nat Torkington and Ralph Amissah for their invaluable assistance. You can download and share the free ebooks from the official Homeland site. Go nuts!
After nearly two weeks on the road, I’ve finally resolved the niggling technical issues I was having with the free, CC-licensed electronic edition of Homeland. Many, many thanks to Nat Torkington and Ralph Amissah for their invaluable assistance. You can download and share the free ebooks from the official Homeland site. Go nuts!
Hey, Memphis! I’m appearing tonight at The Booksellers at Laurelwood at 6PM! Tomorrow, I’ll be in New Orleans, followed by Houston on Thursday. And lots more to come!
Hey, Memphis! I’m appearing tonight at The Booksellers at Laurelwood at 6PM! Tomorrow, I’ll be in New Orleans, followed by Houston on Thursday. And lots more to come!
Hey, Memphis! I’m appearing tonight at The Booksellers at Laurelwood at 6PM! Tomorrow, I’ll be in New Orleans, followed by Houston on Thursday. And lots more to come!
Hey, Oxford, MS! I’m coming to town today, and signing at Square Books at 5PM on the tour for my new book Homeland. I’ll be in Memphis tomorrow, and then I go to New Orleans on Tuesday. Though I can hardly believe it, the tour is only halfway along, and there’s tons more stops to come.
