If you are interested in the cause of free idea exchange, you should know about (and support) the Electronic Frontier Foundation and Public Knowledge.
These are both digital rights advocacy groups engaged on behalf of citizens on the issues of copyright, fair use, and government regulation of our digital information landscape.
Do you know who has the most lobbying power in the halls of government? The rich people. The corporations. Is that a surprise? I’m not espousing a Marxist worldview by sharing this. This is just a fact.
And whose agenda and viewpoint do you think most of these lobbyists are advancing, when it comes to our digital culture? If you answered, “Joe Citizen,” you get an F on this quiz.
Creative Commons is a wonderful resource and a superb way to educate students and teachers about many of the issues that matter in this arena. But without policy advocacy, guess who is going to write the legislation? Answer: The people with the money, who have hired the lobbyists and the lawyers.
It wasn’t a coincidence that House Bill 4 failed in the Texas legislature last session. The textbook companies oppose the change that digital curriculum would bring to their near-monopoly. As Lawrence Lessig observed in his presentation on “Free Culture,”
The past always tries to control the creativity that builds upon it.
Our culture is moving at the speed of creativity, I do believe that. This is exciting as well as challenging. But the statist forces (as defined by Virginia Postrel) are doing more than just standing at the gate of change, they are trying to build a new gate with a tamper-proof lock.
And we should be more than just “concerned” about that. We should all be taking action.
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On this day..
- 5th EdCampOKC Coming to Del City High School March 4, 2017 – 2016
- Inspired by Ashley Vance’s Biography of Elon Musk – 2015
- Brainstorming the Digital Sharing Map: Classroom Edition – 2015
- Come See “One Incredible Moment” in Edmond This Weekend – 2014
- Building Virtual Bridges Through Sharing and Transparency – 2013
- Al Jazeera, Arab Spring, & Opposing Extremism in Our Midst in the USA – 2012
- Mobile Video Editing with ReelDirector on an iPhone4 #edapp – 2010
- Tech Support for Parents – 2010
- No alternative to the RTTT / Duncan Education Reform Plan Offered by Fallin – 2010
- Reasons I love Blip.tv and Screenr – 2009