In one of my classes today we were discussing the demise of the author and the internet was drawing heavy flak. In modern literary theory the work has become more important that the author who wrote the work, and such ideas are being reflected in all of society, and especially the internet. In business collaboration is encouraged, making it impossible to give individual credit. On the internet personal property is becoming more and more public as ideas are “borrowed” and many people fear out right robbery. Being a web page editor I felt obliged to defend the internet. After all, it’s not the internet’s fault that people are crooked.
Of course the whole discussion wasn’t simply an attack on the internet. But what I did come away with is an understanding of how the internet has changed our ability to break the law. If someone is going to steal copyrighted work, they’re going to steal copyrighted work. In the pre-internet days that meant photocopying a magazine article or simply retyping it yourself, or making a cassette of your friend’s record, tape, or CD. Now with the internet we have massive information deliverable instantaneously. Hence it’s easy to steal written work, and more usefully, recorded songs. Look at the proliferation of mp3’s and the fuss it has every major recording company in. Trading songs without buying the CD isn’t anything new. Bootleg tapes have been around since tapes were invented. Mp3’s have just enabled people to get the exact songs they want faster, easier, and cheaper. The internet hasn’t brought about any new disrespect for personal work, it has simply allowed that disregard for the author to magnify itself.
People complain about the internet being such a threat to copyrights and an individual’s work. But we’re not dealing with anything new. We’re dealing with plain and simple human ethics, the same thing we’ve been dealing with since the apple.
Have you ever learned something that allowed you to attack your work in a whole new way? I love opening my eyes like that. I love to fiddle with web pages and HTML. It’s a little hobby of mine. I also love to pretend like I’m a graphic designer. The combination presents some special challenges because designing in HTML is like swimming with one arm tied behind your back. It’s easy to think of a cool way of doing something, the hard part is making it work. Today I learned a whole new way of manipulating things. It’s actually not new, and it’s not really that profound. It’s just one of those neat little tricks the pros use. It was there the whole time, I just never knew it. It’s kind of like Geometry. If you think hard enough, you could figure out all those theorems yourself. If only I were that smart. I think tomorrow I’ll be spending the day playing with my new toys.
I received an interesting response to Sunday’s thoughts (you may want to read the thoughts from two days ago so you know what I’m talking about). They started by asking how you can know if a person is sinning. Anger, hatred, and jealousy can all be sins committed entirely in your mind (of course anger, hatred, and jealousy are not always sins, I’m just using them as examples of emotions that can be taken to the point of sin). So then how do you know if someone is sinning? Secondly, the response pointed out that our only job is to love people. An interesting addition to the dialogue. I need to think a little more about that one before I just start rambling. Just thought I’d add a little to the thinking.
By the way, I’m still writing the date as “99”. You’d think with all the millennium hoopla I’d be able to remember that it’s “00”. But oh no. Did you ever notice that the ReAL Thoughts dating system isn’t Y2K compatible? If these are around for another 99 years we’re going to have some major problems.
Break is finally winding down and school starts up again on Monday. It’s been a pretty relaxing break, and I actually got a few things done. I’ve once again noticed how I can’t go very long without doing something. I have this innate desire to be useful, to accomplish at least something. I suppose that’s probably a good thing. Of course I don’t think I quite accomplished as many somethings as I wanted to this break, but oh well–it’s supposed to be a break.
(Hey, just because the ReAL Thoughts are back doesn’t mean they’re going to be deep. I’ve gotta work my way back into this.)
Sorry about that multiple day break. I was too stuffed with Turkey to drag my bloated body to the computer and actually compose something worthy of your time. But don’t worry, I’m back. And I’ll stop skipping days.
I’ve spent several hours in the past few weeks looking up Christian web sites for a school project. I’ve found the whole thing kind of depressing. In the past hour it’s been a frenzy of links, partners, counters, banners, and a Christian version of everything. I’ve never seen so much repeat content and interrelated webs. I suppose that’s what the web’s all about, but it’s just weird. How many online Christian music stores do we need? Do we need a site for Christian mouse pads? How about Christian backgrounds for your desktop? How about a Christian Banner Exchange Program? A Christian web counter? I’ve found Christian alternatives for virtually every site you could possibly be interested in. I can’t help but ask a few questions here. Is this healthy? Should Christians really be sucking in on themselves like this? Shouldn’t we be using the net to reach out? I also wonder how many of these sites are trying to make a fast buck? All most every single site accepted advertising. On the positive side, a lot of the sites I saw were well designed, at least from a graphics point of view. Of course you also have to take everything I’m saying with a healthy dose of irony. You are, after all, reading this on a Christian site on the web.
I just can’t help but wonder what happens when we flood the internet with cheap Christianity? Is it doing any good, witnessing to people online? Or do we need to step away from our computers and actually talk face to face with our neighbors?
You know, some days you try and force yourself to find an issue to discuss, and it just doesn’t get you anywhere. You would have been better off with a few short, rambling sentences. Oh well, that’s what you get with ponderings. You ponder the issue and see where it takes you. I never promised these would be good, I just said they’d hopefully make you think a little bit. Just a little bit.
A work-at-home dad wrestles with faith, social justice & story.