Category: culture-and-politics

See it all adds up…
The BBC Creative archive + icommons + Sara Geater = BBC adopting a CC licencing scheme.

“By applying a CC-type license to the content, the BBC will enable individuals in the UK to download released content to their computers, share it, edit it and create new content. Commercial reuse of the content will not be allowed.

Professor Lawrence Lessig, chair of the Creative Commons project was clearly excited: “The announcement by the BBC of its intent to develop a Creative Archive has been the single most important event in getting people to understand the potential for digital creativity, and to see how such potential actually supports artists and artistic creativity.” He went to enthuse “If the vision proves a reality, Britain will become a centre for digital creativity, and will drive the many markets – in broadband deployment and technology – that digital creativity will support.”

Now we've got lots to talk about tonight at the Creative Commons in a Connected World (don't get me started on the site, reminds me I need to send my email once again…) I'm hoping Sara Geater will be there otherwise I will be emailing her about icommons in the very near future. Now I remember why I wanted to join the BBC.

I've posted my notes online in html and opml formats.
And here's some photos of the event which by the way was good but nothing much more that what I read in free culture and heard before from Lessig. However Lessig did make reference to two fundimental critical thinking ideas. As the uk was the motherland of copyright for America, what can the uk teach america about the next era of copyright? Think about how a mother desaplin its children… and more of a statement. when people start writing their opinions down (case in blogs), they discover they are just… idiotic.

Some other useful links
BBC prepares to put TV archive on Web by ZDnet UK and Rupert Goodwins comment is good too.
Official BBC Press Release. BBC prepares to put TV archive on web by ZDNet Australia. Slashdot view from last week – BBC creative archives based on creative commons licences.

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I just wrote a reply to John's email to the college on Friday.

Thank you John,

I would like to say a public thank you to everyone involved.
Miles and John for there support. Harry for running out of the lectures to attend to external visitors. Dave for all his hard work. Most of the Interaction design course for helping out when ever possible, even with project deadlines looming. John for collecting Stallman from Waterloo, Kevin and Roman for there network knowledge and speedy deployment in the face of unreasonable demands. Armin for fighting off a cold to moderate. Lisa for helping out in anyway possible. Adam for helping with the streaming and transporting of equipment. CNDI generally for all there support. And last but not least, to Cathy who allowed the event to go ahead without the draconian restrictions others would have placed on the event.

And to all those who came or tuned into the live streams. As John said it was a major coup for the college that we were able to gather some a line up of international guests.

And it showed because we recieved external visitors from as far as oxford and cambridge universities. It was a shame other departments including marketing didnt get involved because it was a great day for the college and will not be repeated or bettered anytime soon.
The overall turn out was about half ravensbourne students and half external visitors. We also recieved great response from our listeners who tuned in through-out the whole day, even during the breaks. I am still recieving great feedback through my email today.

Copyright is a issue which keeps raising its head in the college and no one really tackles it in the way we did on Thursday 20th May.

Thank you once agin to all involved…

Ian Forrester – BBC worldservice new media

The archived streams will be up some this week or next week. Keep an eye on http://cubicgarden.com/copyright for more information and feeback

> Hi All
>
> i just thought you all should know that yesterdays lecture series
> “Copyright vs The Community” was not only successful and informative
> but went off without a hitch. This was due largely to the efforts of Ian
> Forrester, late of this org but now with the BBC.
> This was an event that is unlikely to be repeated anywhere ever again.
> To get the likes of Fravia, Richard Stallman & Cory Doctorow together
> for one event would be cosiddered a coup for a major international
> event.
>
> Once again many thanks to Ian for his efforts.
>
> regards to all
>
> john

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Cant leave your machine to listen to the lectures?

Listen right now…

http://tributary.rave.ac.uk:8100/copyright.ogg – for the ogg vorbis stream (prefered)

http://tributary.rave.ac.uk:8100/copyright.mp3 – for the mp3 stream

http://cubicgarden.com/copyright

Some of the referals on the day and the day before…
http://nobodynet.ddts.net/palm/palmntk.htm – found a more palmtop accessable version of NTK?
http://persone.softwarelibero.org/event/show.php?id=88 – Wow, can someone translate? Lycos can.

Hello to all, I invite to you to watch this link:
http://cubicgarden.com/copyright/ One beautifulst conference to the
standard of the defense of the digital freedoms them. I go to us with
a group of friends, excused if I have it marked with a little delay,
but they are enrolled to me only now

http://fravia.2113.ch/phplab/mbs.php3/mb001?num=-1&thread=1084567600 – Someone from Fravia's site jumped to cubicgarden.com/copyright without a link?
A few people came from my own blog pages which is useful to know
The link on free london list worked a treat – http://www.londonfreelist.com/details.asp?id=11024
Yahoo and Google bots were all over the site, hence – http://search.yahoo.com/search?fr=fp-pull-web-t&p=copyright+vs+community and http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&q=copyright+vs+community&btnG=Search
Jeeves/Teoma and MSN also got into the action by the way…
Thanks Nico – http://www.aiga.org/content.cfm?contentalias=edlondon
Thanks David – http://www.blockey.com/bhd/links.html
Thanks Louise – http://www.louiseferguson.com/events.htm
Thanks Harry – http://www.harryjones.net/home/#000080

Got a few referes via
http://www.theinquirer.net/?article=15797
http://news.netcraft.com/
http://www.londonsocialforum.org/wiki/upcoming_events
http://udoo.org/events
We hit indy media – http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/regions/london/2004/05/291150.html
And of course NTK was the main referer page – http://www.ntk.net and unexpectly http://www.pixelsurgeon.com/news/news.php – Thanks for that.

What on earth is this? http://radiocomments.userland.com/profiles/$6153

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This weeks NTK says it all

And following on from next week's ID card event semi-frenzy –
you wait all year for a hard-hitting look at copyright
extensions, and then 4 or 5 of them come along at the same
time. RICHARD STALLMAN, as ever, is responsible for some of
the most uncompromising anti-IP positions, starting with the
COPYRIGHT VS COMMUNITY event (from 11am, next Thu 2004-05-20,
Ravensbourne College, 20 mins from London, nr Elmstead Woods
station, Kent, free as in “Don't sign up, just turn up”, the
site advises), also featuring “cosmic” websearcher FRAVIA and
the (relatively) down-to-Earth EFF Outreach Co-ordinator CORY
DOCTOROW.

http://cubicgarden.com/copyright
– I think that square is top of cool shape in the world. What on earth is NTK on about?

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When Adam phoned me today I was very suprised to hear Ravensbourne College was in the times higher education supplement but for the wrong reasons. We had a terriable QAA this year and its hit the college hard. But honestly we knew there were things which should have been sorted along time ago, but just dragged on. No the interesting thing was the faults were focused at management rather than the people on the floor everyday. Which I would say is pretty true, even though there would be some people who I would like sorting…

Anyway so the full audit report has been available incomplete form since this year (the audit is still ongoing). While the the published piece is available here if you subscribe to the times. I have copied it for those of who do not.

College comes under QAA fire

Phil Baty
Published: 07 May 2004

Quality watchdogs have “limited confidence” in the control of degree standards and course quality at Ravensbourne College of Design and Communication.

In an audit report published last week, the Quality Assurance Agency orders the college to put in place a proper quality control system and clear quality management structures “as a matter of urgency, to ensure that the academic quality and standards of the awards… are maintained”.

The college is affiliated to Sussex University and awards Sussex degrees under a validation arrangement.

The QAA report highlights the fact that student numbers have increased almost 40 per cent in the second half of the 1990s. At the same time, academic staff numbers have decreased from 72 full-time equivalents to 45, with the institution relying more heavily on casual staff.

“Over the same period three sets of new managerial and administrative structures have been implemented,” the QAA says.

“The college maintained that it chose to restructure… in response to changes in the industry and growth of student numbers. The audit team was informed that (the restructures) resulted from staff changes and was not presented with evidence that alternative strategies had been considered.”

The QAA says that the college has not properly engaged with the “national higher education agenda on quality and standards” and is only beginning to engage with the agency's code of practice.

It added that the lines of responsibility were confused.

“In discussions with a range of staff, the audit team heard different views as to where responsibility for quality and standards lay,” the report says.

The college was “unable” to provide the QAA team with key documents.

Problems were “exacerbated” by a number of relevant documents that were supplied for the team's scrutiny without indication of source, date or purpose.

The QAA concludes: “Limited confidence can be placed in the soundness of the institution's present and likely future management of its programmes and the academic standards of the awards which it makes on behalf of the University [of Sussex].”

In its response to the report, published as an appendix, the college says:

“Ravensbourne graduates have an excellent reputation in the creative industries.

“The college is therefore disappointed that the judgement was only limited confidence… Nevertheless, the college is committed to addressing the recommendations in the report.”

Pretty damming if I do say so myself…

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So yes, I've almost completed Free Culture. (300 pages out of 352). My Palmtop Tagged version is up for all to grab if you want to read it on the go. I've been limiting myself to reading it only on the way to work and from work. Get some very funny looks from London commuters on the Train to Cannon Street from Elmers End. Wont tell you what time I leave for work however.

Anyway I was reading on owrede's log that there is now a wiki for people who want to remix the text while reading. Nice idea and I was thinking aloud with Dave about it yesterday. Was thinking about a Wiki based editor for async devices like palmtops and smartphones. So you can read it and edit it then upload the changes while your online. Kind of like a checking in checking out CVS or Webdav model. Only this time for ebooks?

Anyway getting all wound up ready for the copyright vs community lecture now. Reading lots and getting dave to do bits in college while I'm away as such. Need to watch Lawrence Lessig on the screen savers and I see he's also in London on the 27th may at the lift 2004 event. What ever happened to accessable sites? Thank god Lawrence put some detail down in his post

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Places I've posted to:
united diversity – WTF events, Louise Ferguson's london events list, London social forum, London free list, NTK event queue, European social forum, radicalendar, GLLUG,

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Things have got bigger, alot bigger… Not only do we have the one and only Richard Stallman at 1400, we now have the recently moved to London Cory Doctorow from the EFF at 1630. and the legendary Fravia from Searchlores at 1100.

Found a useful video of Cory talking earlier this year at an american university.

Let me just clear it up again…
Fravia, Stallman and Doctorow on the same day in Ravensbourne College… Boy oh boy this is going to be the best day in Ravensbournes history. Even beating all the Rave on air's I reckon. But on with the plan…

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25th March in the Lecture Theatre, Ravensbourne College at 2pm

And now theres a site… cubicgarden.com/copyright

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Watching this well made and captivating documentary about Racism in the UK. Wish I'd made a copy of the programme now. Its truly haunting to see how the BNP have changed there image and used clever propaganda to gain support in critical areas where the local community are split.

Mon 15 Mar at 01:55 on BBC Three

Ten years ago, 21 year-old Matthew Collins fled the country, a wanted man. As a far right activist, he'd witnessed the formation of the terror group Combat 18, and been involved in some violent attacks on innocent people. But there was something about Matthew that his friends didn't know. He'd become an informer, working against them from the inside. Eventually his evidence led to convictions and he was forced to flee Britain for Australia at short notice.

But Matthew Collins isn't hiding any more. Now he's come back to face the demons he left behind and rebuild his life in Britain. Dead Man Walking charts Matthew's return journey as he tries to find out what's changed on the far right since he left a decade ago and prepares to face the race hate groups from the outside this time.

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EU backs tighter rules on piracy. Its all too late… Here are some more stories. Anti-piracy directive could expose consumers
Can you believe this all went through without much media coverage? All the web finds nothing. Yahoo news. Altavista news. Shame on you searchlores.

Thank god for slashdot. and ip justice.

I saw this while browsing – European Union Copyright Directive lecture. and this is great – Why America’s Mistake is Europe’s Future. Can you trust your computer? by Richard Stallman. Lawrence Lessig's comments. And finally spiked-online has a debate in the same area, while I was reading Lawrence again…

Some more fall out later after the date. EU Tightens Copyright Laws

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European is about to vote for or against the European Union Directive for the Enforcement of Intellectual Property Rights, which would ultimately create a intellectual property legislation that copies and extends the American DMCA.

The legislation would allow copyright owners, such as record labels, to raid P2P users' homes if they suspect the user for sharing copyrighted material via P2P networks. It would also allow copyright owners to seize users' assets and get their bank accounts frozen whether they had any financial — or any other — gain from file sharing or not.

Briefing Materials on the European Union Directive on Data Protection
Campaign for digital rights – European Union Copyright Directive

European Union directive – Wikipedia
Use this page to contact EU Parliament members with a pre-written message from EFF

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Keep on forgetting to send people who ask different questions about the stallman lecture this bunch of links. Well hopefully just look at my blog will do now.

http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/free-sw.html
http://www.gnu.org/gnu/thegnuproject.html
http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/free-software-for-freedom.html
http://www.gnu.org/gnu/linux-and-gnu.html
http://www.gnu.org/gnu/why-gnu-linux.html
http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/free-doc.html

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Miles sent a few of us, an article to get us ready for Stallman. A Radical Theory of Property. I've also been reading the Open sources book again, to get a full grip of stallmans thoughts on different matters. I'm also going to bid for the Free as in Freedom book on amazon soon as I get paid again. I believe theres no need to invest in the selected essays book because there all online at GNU.org. Really looking forward to the lecture…

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Birch sent me a link which basicly said all what I had said about the twin cities. In Birch's own words I coined it, that article is everything you already iterated.
Birch (19:29:05): Did you ever call it or what? Cars are the biggest problem. Whether driven or parked, they require enormous amounts of space. Unless auto dependence is reduced, the classic neighborhoods that Minneapolis plans for cannot happen. More transit and more walking are the only answers.

At the same time I was talking to Miles about the whole Twin cities thing and he pointed me towards Jane Jacobs which I'm sure I've either read or heard of before. I know we had talked about her thoughts along time ago but I'm sure i've read her books. She thought all this through 40 years ago and no one took her serioulsy till 25 years ago. How many times do we hear the same story? McLuhan, Chomskey, etc etc… Its a shame because we could be in such a better state if we did.

Miles asked a important question regarding the twin cities.
italicdj (20:00:51): Is through planners – or is it social change? that things are happeing in twin cites?

Birch replies
Birch (20:27:26):
I believe we are all products of our environment. Regions of climate extremes tend to embrace femenine qualities. Not at the individual level, but at a cultural level. Social structures are of course evolutionary abdaptation that ensure survival. Public transporation, health care, public schools, etc are all natural aspirations now that colder cultures as able to satify Maslow's hierachy need



Birch (20:29:57):
urban planning is logical social step on the cultural latter. social change is a bi-product of the history/climate. we are what we are. nothing nobel about it.



Birch (20:33:26):
Geert Hofestede is a Dutch author who developed this theory by make cross cultural comparisons. It is Hofestede's 'Masculinity-Femininity' theory to which i am referring. It shreds perspective on why Sweden exists in one frame of mind while Texas exists in another.


Birch (20:36:17):
The theory would suggest why northern U.S./Canadian cities tend to fall on the far more socialistic end of the spectrum. Why they might adopt social change more quickly then cities of the south

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