Tuesday, April 19, 2011

blog #12

There are many similarities, and connections between Lessig (225-252) and the documentery RIP. On page 226, Lessig discusses how artists participating in a sharing economy make sure to distinguish themselves as "sharers". They post free digital downloads, create works on their own terms and conditions, without record label and corporate interference, and, cater to a different audience (the technologically savvy youth). This example of sharers wanting to be seen as sharers is also seen in RIP. Radiohead (the band) released a cd to the web for free download, which prompted people to remix their own work with radioheads songs and videos. They were participating in a sharing culture and made a place for them selfs within it just through advertising.

Another point Lessig makes relates to the power and control the corporations have over intellectual property. Lessig says they maximize the controls they have, including intelectual property itself (228). This reaches all they way to WB owning the rights to one of the most well known songs in the world, Happy Birthday (RIP). The fact that this song is illegal to sing in a public or private place is completely insane. This example alone shows how far reaching copywrite laws are, and how restricting they can be.

Lessig also goes on to questions if sites like youtube "ride" on your work for free, or if you "ride" youtube for free (235). This idea made me think alot about how people generally dont realize the implications of interacting with specific texts. This is usually because they are blinded by the "free" services they are receiving. In relation to RIP, and the artists that girltalk incorporates in his remixes ... are the artists getting more play time and familiarity with fans or is girl talk receiving payment through the use of their material? it is similar to the question, which came first the chicken or the egg? who is profiting the chicken or the egg?

Tuesday, April 5, 2011

Blog #11

Commercial economy is defined as an exchange in terms of price (118), while a sharing economy is defined in terms of the value of an object or service compared to another, in a sharing economy goods are traded for their value not their monetary value. These two different economies are how we are trained to deal with the dispersion and exchange of goods and services. We swap one for the other in a sharing economy while we swap one for a dollar amount in a commercial economy. A good example, an everyday one at that is the basic exchange you make at a grocery store, you choose a box of cereal and then you trade it for a few dollars. An example of a sharing economy is wikipedia, you search their data base for information useful to you, and in exchange you contribute new information (156).

The distinction and difference between commercial and sharing economies matters to Lessig's main argument because he want to show the readers that both economies matter to one another, one cannot exist without the other, they provide each other checks and balances. Similar to RO and RW cultures discussed in earlier. Once there is a complete understanding of the two economies and how they function, then we can see how prosperous they can be to business success online.

Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Blog #10


This remix illustrates Lessigs point about the "digital cupboard" (71). This remix only uses a few ingredients from that cupboard, but it creates a whole new dish with just a few of the simple ingredients. This remix is one of my favorites because I love both of the original songs, I can not necessarily describe why, but this remix, although simple makes both of the songs even better to me when put under the remix light. Another point that is related to my remix and Lessig is his quote, "the meaning comes not from the content of what they say; it comes from the reference"(74). The lyrics in both songs reference several similar things. Mick Boogie uses those similar subjects to reference a new meaning, mixing the feelings of Adele and the male artists lyrics, almost creating a dialogue between the two. Another point that this remix is linked to (very related to my last connection)is the "mixing symbolic things together"(75). when combined, both songs create a new dialogue and message

Sunday, March 27, 2011

Blog #9

I see Lessig's key argument as focused around the problems, lawsuits, and copyright issues surrounding everyday people are faced with. He begins his book, titled Remix, by giving several examples of "everyday" people who have been caught up in the tangles of corporate greed. Large record companies like Universal Music Group, Sony, ect... target individuals who inadvertently use music in personal projects, and they set out to make examples of their "mistakes". These large companies are squashing peoples creativity and experiments, based on solely their monetary greed.

The difference between RW and RO culture as described by lessig and expressed by Sousa, is that RW culture is something of the past. It relates to a mind set where one would experience something and then add to it by using their creativity (in a similar way of the original). People would, "add to the culture they read by creating and re-creating the culture around them" (28). RO culture on the other hand, relates to the "couch potato" culture. The people who experience an art form and "recreate" it by using different (sometimes computerized means). These two cultures have many things in common, however I perceive RO culture to have more to do with the current trends and popular ideas. While RW culture is more based on an individuals personal experience and recreation, almost like paying homage to the original. I see these two cultures to have a lot of over lap, and depending on who you are talking to, both RO and RW have sufficient respect.

Lessig uses Sousa as an example because he expressed fear toward the "inevitable" merge into a RO culture. He was a critic of copy write law and he was concerned that the real art behind music, and music like his would disappear behind the noise of the phonograph.

Monday, March 7, 2011

blog #8

"the selection of sound becomes narrative" (85). This quote means a lot of different things to me. Humans are story tellers, it is how we lean, interact, and make decisions. When a song is playing, we listen to the many different aspects that have been compiled, and we find a way of organizing all the signals we are receiving. We can hear the beginning, middle and ending of a song, and after listening to a song we can hear a story, which to each person may have a different meaning.

'the observer always alters the picture, the map always changes the route traveled"(93). I take this quote to mean something to this extent. Once we interact with a medium an impression is made. We become familiar with different aspects, and can apply our own knowledge to the medium.

"we live in a world so utterly infused with digitality that it makes even the slightest action ripple across the collection of databases we call the web"(89). This quote made me think about how quickly viral videos spread world wide. a video starts off being shared by a few people, it is then shared with several more, then hundreds share the video, until the vast majority of web browsers of a like community have all seen the video.

"the future is already here it is just unevenly distributed"(100). After reading this quote I immediately though about the digital divide. We now have enough resources and technologies that everyone in the would could own the same technologies, however because of the disparities in wealth not everyone has can. The distribution of the "future" is only available to those that have the financial and educational tools. Wealth and education are two "things" that will never be evenly distributed, therefor unevenly distributing the future to those who have the means to buy it.

"the sense of living in a racially divided culture that has lost the ability to think about anything but media entertainment"(109). A very scary idea, but very true. People who watch television shows, movies, ect... can have a distorted view about how people function in the real world. They are blinded by the exciting, glamorous images they see in the media, which inhibits the possibilities of progress. Unless people engage in the world around them not within the realm of media, our society will remain racially divided.

I chose to look at Steel Pulse "walking on a tight rope" and talib Kweli "Hostile Gospel pt2.
the main background vocals, and chorus from steel pulse are used in kweli's song. One of the most powerful parts of the song is the beginning "oh deliver me oh my father", which Kweli samples in his song. I feel that the sample helped inspire and construct the lyrics. Kweli's lyrics are all focused around deliver me from______. Both songs are talking about the fine line between struggle and survival, and i think the fact that Kweli samples fro Steel Pulse helps to strengthen his message.


Sunday, March 6, 2011

blog #7

The overall argument in the deBourgoing piece was about how hip-hop artists uses the idea of transmedia to promote their music, and gain a larger following. DeBourgoing lists 7 laws that are the basis frr transmedia. In brief these laws highlight the importance of community, visual appeal, believe in your message, collaboration, and respect.

In regards to connections between our readings, and discussions from the first half of the semester. One of the most important connections i drew between the two was the importance of utilizing multiple outlets to spread messages. Putting as many leafs on one branch as you can (Weinberger). Hip hop artists share and spread info through many different web medias, twitter, facebook, myspace, email,...

The Miller reading compares dj-ing is a media of it's own. It has its own voice, and message. This reading was clarified much more after reading, "today, the voice you speak with may not be your own". This is a crazy concept to try and wrap your brain around, however I find it to hold alot of truth. Especially in an age where videos go viral in a matter of hours, this age of technology enables us to share info to such an extent that we may not know the origin, and assume the idea to be of our own creation. Another quote that really resonated with me is, “rhythm science is not so much a new language as a new way of pronouncing the ancient syntaxes that we inherit from history and evolution…and infect our psyche at another, deeper level” (75). This quote makes dj-ing seem like an ancient practice that allows us to interpret the words and sounds around us.

A connection i drew between deBourgoing, Miller and other class concepts was how incredibly influenced and inspired everything is by the past. And how individuals are able to build upon a particular culture and add their own focus to it... TAGGING. Tagging even if it is only mental tagging helps create the diversity within dj-ing.
We have to be able to look back at our past to create the future.

Tuesday, February 15, 2011

Blog #6

the key point that I found in the Jenkins reading were focused around the impact and importance of convergence. The term convergence is used in this text to describe the flow of experiences across media platforms, and how users seek various entertainment sources through many individualized means. We then individually create our own relationship with the meta data and data (information) by collecting " bits and fragments of information extracted from the media" (3). I understood this to mean that users, by shaping their own habits and pleasures associated with the web, are creating how the web will function and operate in the future. In this way they are creating organizational systems (tagging).
The Jenkins reading had a very strong link to our previous Weinberger readings, especially based upon the idea of individual users shaping the way the web works. Both authors attribute the organization and direction of the web to be controlled mainly by the input from each user. Although I found the Jenkins reading to look more closely at the origins of media while Weinberger focused on the present.