Archive for May 1st, 2007
Hello all Flash designers, script developers!
I need to know how this was created! Mouse over on the right hand side over the text. Is it Javascript?
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Who is a leader in higher education?
Some hallmarks of a leader in academia – Integrity, dedicated, compelling presence, empathy, critical thinking skills, creativity (think outside the box), patience, good listenig skills, magnanimity, dependable, credible, articulate, understanding of global integration in a diverse environment, gracious, and a sense of humor.
Leadership is not a secret code, it is an observable set of skills, (Kouzes, 2002), it is an attitude that permeates, influences the environment around us (Wikipedia). Leadership is to be able to influence, motivate and enable others to be their best and contribute toward the effectivenss and success of the organization.
Listen to the team, the faculty , the student body, their parents, and consider new alternatives. Current times are challenging businesses and higher education institutes to engage in unprecedented ways within the global communty. Today’s students will need to be intellectually resilient, cross-culturally comfortable, technologically savvy, and scientifically literate. Change is overtaking every aspect of society especially the media. Will tomorrow’s gradutes succesfully navigate these changing waters with global integration in the work place?
It is the teachers and faculty who can make grassroots change actually happen due to the fact that they come in direct contact with students. They will need to take the lead with knowledgeable scholars in developing innovative guidelines, curricula, and assignments so that American students are better equipped for an increasingly Flat World of the 21st century. It might be truly worthwhile investing in school teachers and adjunct college faculty with a much needed appreciation system of better scales and incentives. A system of strong faculty support, appreciation and reward will attract and retain bright teaching talent in our high schools who will prepare our students for the real world challenges. Adjunct faculty enrich the campuses with their expertise and real world knowledge.
In a demanding economic and international environment students need access to liberal arts studies balanced with skills in technology. “Of all the civil rights that the world has struggled and fought for 5000 years, the right to learn is undoubtedly the most fundamental,” (W.E.B. Dubois). The education should be affordable to all.
Effective leaders can play a vital role in the strategic planning of academic policies in conjunction with student affairs to improve the quality of student learning. Do we have leaders with a black belt in 6 Sigma in education leadership?
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Virtual felony Law suit in RL court
“A suit was filed in a real US state court on behalf of a man whose avatar was ousted and his Second Life land confiscated after Linden Labs concluded he got the property via rigged online auctions. Hackers broke into Second Life computers last year and stole membership data, raising concerns that the avatars could be stripped of the anonymity that frees them to express their inner selves in the fantasy world.”
This loss of privacy is an important change to society. It means that we will leave an even wider audit trail through our lives than we do now. And it’s not only a matter of making sure this audit trail is accessed only by “legitimate” parties: an employer, the government, etc. Once data is collected, it can be compiled, cross-indexed, and sold; it can be used for all sorts of purposes. It can be accessed both legitimately and illegitimately. And it can persist for your entire life.
Paul Virillio paints a morbid picture in his book, ‘The Information Bomb’, about the loss of privacy in our lives. He warns against the long-term physiological, psychological, and cultural impacts of an environment suffused and fueled by digital information. “A digitally dominated environment is one in which the capacity to distinguish between reality and virtual reality atrophies because people no longer possess the mental ability necessary to actually know the world—or even themselves. The power of information technology to penetrate, stupefy, de-fuse the human mind, and wreak havoc on information infrastructures is akin to the power of radioactivity to penetrate matter—to destroy, mutate, and contaminate for centuries. An information bomb ticking away in those short nose-to-screen distances between mind and machine, tethering what is “known” to what is selected/presented/transmitted/packaged/advertised/highlighted.”
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Mobile Media and your Health
In the last twenty years there has been a leap in the technological development of wireless communications, cell phones, cordless phones, monitors and high voltage lines. Content like music videos, movies and online games are delivered via mobile media thereby adding to its use much more than conversation and text messaging. The need to be digitally connected all the time from everywhere has spawned the use of cell phones, with little regard to how it affects our bodies and overall well being. “Cell phones are like cigarettes, we all know they’re bad for us, but alas, we won’t do anything about it until the medical reports come out 10 years from now” Matz.[i] This paper explores various studies conducted in Sweden, Germany, England and the USA on the potential risk factors for cancer and other afflictions due to the proliferation of cell phones and the need for health safeguards.
The cell phone companies are in denial about the negative effects due the constant use of cell phones. Despite the persistent denial of the big telecom companies, current research has shown without a doubt that the prolonged use of cell phones results in myriad issues in human health.
There are direct and indirect affects of prolonged cell phone usage. Direct affects include cancer, nervous system, brain tumors, Alzheimer’s, etc. Indirect affect includes: harmful affects from high blood pressure, DNA damage, and infertility. Protection against the harmful effects of electromagnetic radiation has become a growing need. The cell phone is a microwave transmitter, radio frequency emitter, and generates harmful heat in our cells and tissues.
Cell Phone Microwaves
Microwave energy oscillates at millions to billions of cycles per second. The Journal of Cellular Biochemistry[ii] reports that these frequencies cause cancer and other diseases by interfering with cellular DNA and its repair mechanisms. Microwave’s promotes rapid cell aging. Italian scientists have recently demonstrated that cell phone radiation makes cancerous cells grow aggressively. Research by University of Washington professor Dr. Henry Lai shows brain cells are clearly damaged by microwave levels far below the US government’s “safety” guidelines. Dr. Lai notes that even tiny doses of radio frequency can accumulate over time and lead to harmful effects. He warns that public exposure to radiation from wireless transmitters “should be limited to minimal.” The connection between microwave exposure and cancer has been documented for years. During the Cold War, the Soviets irradiated the US Embassy in Moscow, Russia, with low level, twin-beam microwave radiation. Two successive ambassadors developed leukemia. Other staffers also developed cancer–or their blood showed DNA damage, which precedes cancer. A cell phone must greatly increase its field strength to maintain communications within the metallic cage of an auto. Thus, the effect of microwave radiation inside a vehicle is especially intense. Volkswagen of Europe has warned that cell phone usage inside a car can be “injurious to health due to the extremely high electromagnetic fields generated.”[iii]
Specific Absorption Rate
Cordless phones marked 900 megahertz or 2.4 gigahertz emit the same dangerous microwave radiation as cell phones. A common measure for microwave radiation is the Specific Absorption Rate (SAR). The SAR of a device, measures the quantity of radiofrequency (RF) energy that is absorbed by the body. The US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has imposed a maximum SAR limit of 1.6 W/kg.[iv] It is the average power density absorbed in a given volume per average weight density (Watt/Kg). This is the standard used by cell phone companies, among others, to measure levels of radiation. When microwave energy impinges upon body tissue, part of it is absorbed and converted to heat due to ionic conduction. [v] This heat manifests itself as a temperature increase inside the tissue, resulting in cell damage. Cell phone SAR is rated at 1000 MHz, while that of a cordless phone is 100 MHz. When held to the ear it creates a hot spot, the area most exposed to radiation. Exposure to high levels of RF energy can damage the structure and function of the nervous system as well as the eye.
Cancer
According to research conducted by Professor and Inventor Theodore Litovitzan, electromagnetic radiation emitted from cell phones or power lines can cause biological changes at the cellular level. He said that, “Because stress proteins are involved in the progression of a number of diseases, heavy daily cell-phone usage could lead to great incidence of disorders such as Alzheimer’s and cancer.” This article was published in The Washington Post [vi] on May 6th, where it was mentioned that Litovitzan created an electronic chip to shield cell phone users from harmful electromagnetic radiation. He was inspired to conduct his own research after finding out that using cell phones over 2000 hours caused increased incidences of brain cancer. In addition the cancer occurred on the side of the face that it was held.
Electromagnetic hypersensitivity
Electromagnetic energy fields are generated by electrical appliances, computers, digital clocks, power lines, WiFi spots, microwaves and cell phones. The human body too generates its own EMF called a biofield. The electrical field generated by cell phones is powerful enough to interfere with our natural biofield, affecting physiological processes like reduced sperm count in men. We are under a constant barrage of electromagnetic radiation. Blake Levitt, author of Electrical Fields, states:
“Prolonged chronic stress is detrimental to every anatomical system, including the reproductive one. Subliminal stress may affect fertility and elevate blood pressure, which can lead to heart disease and strokes, as well as suppressed immune function. . . . Even short EMF exposures, like the use of a cordless phone on and off throughout the day, could cause spikes in such hormone levels.”[vii]
When the cell phone is held to the ear it radiates six to eight inches of microwave energy which penetrates directly into our brain. This causes DNA damage, cell mutation and brain tumors. It also disrupts the hormonal balance for instance increased estrogen levels and reduced testosterone. EMF’s are termed as ‘The 21st Century Smog’. Using Bluetooth technology emits stronger radiation, often it is left attached to the ear even after users’ are done speaking. EMF stresses the endocrine system, especially pancreas, thyroid, ovaries, and the testes. Motorola[viii] advises consumers to avoid pointing a cellular antenna toward exposed parts of the body. But independent tests show that cell phones can also leak huge amounts of radiation from the keypad and mouthpiece. This radiation deeply penetrates brain, ear and eye tissues, which are especially susceptible to microwave damage. Belt clip cases allow cell phones to deliver radiation to the liver or kidney areas when a wired, hands-free earpiece is used.
Visual Damage
The duration of exposure is as important as the intensity of the cell phone radiation. The total energy absorbed is measured as the Specific Energy Absorption (SA), and is defined as the energy density absorbed in the tissue divided by its weight density. A research conducted by Technion of Israel showed that the lens of the eye suffers a twofold damage due to the SA which is the total energy absorbed by the tissue. It caused macroscopic damage affecting the optical quality of the lens. The radiation also caused friction between cells resulting in microscopic damage in the form of bubbles, which precipitates cataracts, retina damage and eye cancer.
3 G Cells
The 3 G cell phones transmit more information but need greater bandwidth. The new 3G antennas radiate more than the older models. Debate ranges over how harmful would the installation of these antenna be in crowded urban areas. According to Dr. Zamir Shalita,[i] a retired microbiologist, studies have shown that even 5 microwatts of radiation is harmful. The dangers from antenna radiation maybe less than cell phones, but it is a threat doubtless because these antennae will proliferate. A study conducted by the Dutch technological research institute TNO exposed subjects to third generation base stations. The group got headaches, felt nauseous and had tingling sensations.[ii]
Electrosensitivity
This is a physical impairment in which there is a heightened reaction to electric energy. In 2000 Sweden recognized electrosensitivity as a physical impairment in which that people can suffer nausea, headaches and muscle pains when exposed to electromagnetic fields from mobile phones, electricity pylons and computer screens. The symptoms can include dizziness, irregular heartbeat and loss of memory as reported in The Sunday Times, London.[iii] Since we live in an electrically polluted environment, some of us will be more affected by sensitivity to electricity. Two studies into the condition, funded with £750,000 from the Department of Health and the telecommunications industry, are already under way. [iv] Electricity sickness is not a myth. A documented case of Brian Stein details life modifying steps that he has had to make due to electromagnetic hypersensitivity which was discovered when he suffered severe pains in his ear while on the cell phone.
Deadly bacteria (key board), skin infections
Cell phones are a breeding ground for bacteria because they are constantly handled and then stored in closed cases or purses. There are other items in the purses and this makes it a risky device. The keys of a cell phone can harbor bacteria which can cause skin infections. Young people exchange their cell phones contributing to spread of infection. People cough and sneeze into their phones, or if they speak in crowded areas others may be doing so. The phone could harbor streptococci bacteria or meningococcal meningitis bug. It would be wise to regard the cell phone as a personal piece of equipment like a lipstick. It should not be shared with others. To maintain secrecy children use cell phones in toilets and rest them on infected areas. A recent study in Arizona, USA found that nearly a quarter of cell phones tested came up positive for MRSA (Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus). A new study has found that infectious agents can travel by mobile phone in a hospital. That is, as a doctor goes through a hospital, the phone may pick up some nasty germs and take them along for the ride. Blackberries, PDA’s and cell phones should be cleaned on a regular basis, since they get contaminated and then the germs pass on to the hands of hospital workers[v]. Bloodstream infections can be triggered off by information technology devices in hospitals. Patients are vulnerable to VRE and MRSA bugs, and contaminated cell phones transmit these bugs.[vi] MRSA usually hides in hospitals, but infections have occurred in general community buildings, inside locker rooms and cell phones. These germs can take the form of antibiotic-resistant germs that can contaminate the hands of nurses or doctors and then are passed on to patients. The phones are germ prone, especially the keypads and mouthpieces. Every time we dial a number or send a text message, the germs on our hands transfer to the phone and then straight into the mouth. The germ Acinetobacter baumannii, a common source of in-hospital infections, is found on many hospital cell phones. “The results are disturbing because Acinetobacter baumannii has the propensity to develop resistance to almost all available antibiotics”.
Stress, irritable and Blood Pressure
Teenagers and the young adult spend hours connected to their cell phones. Their developing brain and physique is under high electro magnetic radiation for long stretches of time. This induces stress and anxiety. Mobile phone users are ’stressed out’.[i] It is the ‘always on’ nature of mobile technology that causes irritability and stress. The use of cell phones has impacted our social and cultural lives. Why is it necessary to be always available? Research has shown that limiting the use of cell phones reduces blood pressure. Prolonged usage damages the nerves in the scalp as well as alters the brain’s electrical activity during sleep. Children are more susceptible. The cell phone alters electrical activity of a child’s brain for hours, causing drastic mood changes and possible behavior and learning disabilities. There is good reason to worry. We are awash in EMR, children specially are more susceptible to the irreversible damages caused due to the cell radiation. The cell phone’s deep penetration into children’s brains and the resulting disruption to the subtle electronic exchanges between brain cells could cause kids to lose the ability to concentration and remember, making it impossible to learn.
Dramatic photographs from a recent Spanish study show radio waves from mobile phones penetrating deep into the brains of an adult, 10 year-old and five year-old child. The results show that children’s brains are affected for long periods even after very short-term use. Their brain wave patterns are abnormal and stay like that for a long period. Scientists say that children’s skull is thinner allowing radiofrequency waves to travel through to the brain more easily. New research from Sweden’s Lund University Hospital corroborates the Spanish findings. The Swedes also found that exposure to radiation emitted by mobile handsets and neighborhood relay towers can destroy cells in the parts of the brain responsible for memory, movement and learning. This could result in Alzheimers’.
Infertility
According to results released on 22nd October 2006 at the American Society for Reproductive Medicine annual meeting in New Orleans, the more that men who use the cell phone, the lower is their sperm count. Cell phone radiation could damage human embryos, as well as reduce the number and efficiency of white blood cells. Hungarian scientists are saying that mobile phones may damage men’s sperm. Doctors believe the damage could be caused by the electromagnetic radiation emitted by handsets or the heat they generate. Men who used the cell phone for longer than four hours had lower sperm counts.[i] Professor Aggrawal director of the Reproductive Research Centre at the Cleveland Clinic, Ohio, who led the study, said that, “The eyes, breasts and testicles are the areas of the body most likely to absorb the energy and many men carry their mobiles attached to their belt.“ The jury is out on these findings. They argue that the reason that the sperm count could be low would be due to other unknown lifestyle factors like sedentary behavior, eating junk food and stress.
Mobiles ‘quadruple crash danger’
It is an accepted fact that mobile use while driving distracts, delays reaction time, causes poor reflex, and leads to fender benders. People gabbing on their phones drift off lanes and forget to signal. Most authorities have a ban on driving while speaking on the cell phone.
The mobile telecommunications and health research program (MTHR) has been set up to look into the possible health impact of Mobile Telecommunications, An amount of £7 million have been allocated to the program by industry and Government in the UK. So what is happening between the telecom giants and health companies in corporate America? The world’s largest mobile telephone manufacturers have rejected claims of any health hazards. We see the efficient workings of a capitalist industry; they created patents to shield users against radio waves used by phones. U.S. neurologist Christopher Newman last year filed a lawsuit against leading U.S. phone companies[i] including Motorola, stating that his use of cell phones caused a malignant brain tumor. He said the patents were designed to make mobile phones more effective by using fewer radiowaves — rather than to specifically prevent brain tumours. The Times also quoted Nokia Vice-President William Plummer as saying that the patents did not prove the existence of any health hazards through the use of mobile phones. The discovery that manufacturers have apparently “hedged their bets” by applying for patents[ii] on irradiation-reducing components has alarmed consumers’ groups and some scientists. Dr Alan Preece, a medical physicist at Bristol University points out that, “I think they are hedging their bets by doing this so that if the evidence does emerge, they have products up their sleeves.” After the studies of the 1993 telecom industry research proved that the cell phone microwave exposure was unsafe, what has the industry done to resolve the issues surrounding cell damage and tumors? Despite damning evidence, the FDA still prevaricates: “There is no reason to conclude that there are health risks posed by cell phones to consumers.” Meanwhile, the telecom industry has been pressing to increase by more than ten the allowable human exposure to cell phone radiation. “Manufacturers stressed the increased efficiency, safety and flexibility that the devices offered, while critics lamented the detrimental impact on driving, privacy, health, etiquette, and even society itself.”[iii]
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) each regulate wireless telephones. FCC ensures that all wireless phones sold in the United States follow safety guidelines that limit radiofrequency (RF) energy. FDA monitors the health effects of wireless telephones. Each agency has the authority to take action if a wireless phone produces hazardous levels of RF energy. In February 2002, the Federal trade Commission (FTC) charged two companies[iv] that sold devices that claimed to protect wireless phone users from radiation with making false and unsubstantiated claims. According to FTC, these defendants lacked a reasonable basis to substantiate their claim. They were Stock Value 1 from Florida and Comstar Communications from California.
The big telecomm companies deny the possible health issues. The uncertainty of inconclusive research, should caution users to reduce their exposure to the radio frequency waves emitted by cell phones by keeping their calls short. It is best to carry the unit in a purse or briefcase rather than on the trouser belt. According to the Federal Communications Commission choose a phone with a low SAR, (the FCC safe limit is 1.6 watts per kilogram). If the rate isn’t listed on the phone or package, use the model number and FCC ID number (look under the battery) to check with the FCC at http://www.fcc.gov/cgb/sar/ The attorney general of Connecticut stated on Sixty Minutes on June 16th 2002, “Should we be trusting this industry with our brain tissues and our very lives?” It is unfortunate that physical well-being and connectivity come at the cost of our health. We need a series of safeguards so that users can buy into technology without fear. You cannot feel electromagnetic fields. The cell phone towers and power lines may cause leukemia in children, but there is no conclusive evidence. There is no need for public panic or hysteria. What it really comes down to is the responsibility that the big telecom corporations should take as they peddle their goods to the unsuspecting user. It is widely believed that industry has never given health concerns anything better than a back seat in pursuit of a profit. While some studies show that cell phone radiation does not cause harm, there is enough evidence to support the theory that cell phones do cause harm. Cell phone companies need to not just market the product or sell an experience, but also establish a healthy symbiosis with technology and the user.
18. “Ericsson denies cancer shield report.” http://www.cellular.co.za/news_2001/06152001-ericsson_denies_cancer_shield_re.htm (accessed 11/20/06).
19. MTM, “CELL PHONES & HEALTH.” http://www.marymattingly.com/html/humanconditphone.html (accessed 11/20/06).
20. Arcenaux, Noah. “The World is a Phone Booth: The American Response to
Mobile Phones, 1981–2000.”
21. “Manufacturers stressed the increased efficiency, safety and flexibility that the devices offered, while critics lamented the detrimental impact on driving, privacy, health, etiquette, and even society itself.”
http://www.emf-health.com/reports-eyecancer.htm
16. Hope, Jenny. “Men who use mobile phones face increased risk of infertility.” 10/23/06.http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=412179&in_page_id=1770 (accessed 11/29/06).
15. Staff, “Mobile phone users ’stressed out’.” 08/13/06.http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/5343000.stm (accessed 11/28/06).
9. Matti Friedman 2005. Cellular Discontent. The Jerusalem Report, August 8, 12. http://www.proquest.com/ (accessed).
10. Reuters, Null. “3G Mobile Signals: Health Effects.” 09/30/03.http://www.wired.com/news/wireless/0,1382,60641,00.html (accessed 11/3/06).
11. “Mobiles, computers can make you feel sick.” 08/12/05.http://infotech.indiatimes.com/articleshow/1227977.cms (accessed 11/10/06).
12. Fleming, Nic. ” Scientists serious about ‘electricity sickness’ claims.” 01/25/05.http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml;jsessionid=MRGG4KOQJNL5DQFIQMGSFFWAVCBQWIV0?xml=/news/2005/01/24/nelec24.xml (accessed 11/3/06).
13. Emily. “Mobile phones used by healthcare personnel in the hospital can spread dangerous infectious agents.” 09/19/03.http://www.textually.org/textually/archives/2003/09/001671.htm (accessed 11/10/06).
14. News Staff, “Computer keyboards havens for superbugs: study.” 04/11/05.http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNew%20s/1113222607687_2/?hub=TopStories (accessed 11/20/06).
1. Drew Matz, a fourth year college student. Deady, Anne. “Cell phone radiation, diseases linked.” 11/22/2004.http://www.cavalierdaily.com/CVArticle.asp?ID=21576&pid=1224 (accessed 10/2/2006).
2. Hossmann, K.-A., and D.M. Hermann. “Effects of electromagnetic radiation of mobile phones on the central nervous system,” Bioelectromagnetics 24, 1 (2003): 49-62. http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/bem.10068 (accessed October 27, 2006).
3. Worthington, Amy. “Brain cancer and Cell phones.” March 6, 2005.http://www.safecell.net/reports04.html (accessed 11/11/06).
4. http://www.cellular.co.za/health.htm
5. Yaffe, Tomer. “ISRAELI RESEARCH: CELL PHONE RADIATION MAY CAUSE VISUAL DAMAGE.” 7/25/2005.http://www.isracast.com/Articles/Article.aspx?ID=57 (accessed 11/2/06).
6. Patricia Sullivan 2006. Professor and Inventor Theodore Litovitz :[FINAL Edition]. The Washington Post, May 6, http://www.proquest.com/ (accessed )
7. Sherrill Sellman 2006. Hormones, Breast Cancer: EMFs, Cell PHONES. Total Health, April 1, 24-25,11. http://www.proquest.com/ (accessed).
8. Worthington, Amy. “Brain Cancer and Cell Phones.” 03/6/05.http://www.safecell.net/reports04.html (accessed 11/5/06).
Add comment May 1, 2007
Copyright and Converging Technologies of Media
Copyright laws will need to address the producers of the content, the medium of distribution and the technology to access the content by the end user. The unauthorized use of copyrighted digital content like audio, video, text, and images which had not been previously anticipated by the law has led to the creation of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act. Copyright grants limited control over the use of content to a copyright owner. So we have the protection of digital media on the one hand, and the freedom of speech and fair use on the other hand. We ought to request permission to use any printed or electronic graphics, photographs, cartoons, musical works, text, etc. Since a set of digits is used to represent all types of digital media, be it audio, video or text, there will soon be a tremendous convergence of technology. According to Fenton the digital computer is a universal machine, it can be programmed to do anything with digital media, if you know how to write the right program.
Anyone with a rudimentary knowledge of the internet, a PC and cable connection is uploading, downloading material onto the internet. Young people are very involved in using the internet and mobile media in a variety of ways. They think the material posted there, is theirs for the taking. The recording industry has evidence that they have lost revenue. MGM v Grokster illegal downloading of copyrighted material, music. Grokster provided the software to help download music. The courts said that they were aiding and abetting the users in doing illegal downloading copyrighted material. According to the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI), which represents the world’s music companies, the music industry has launched a fresh wave of 8,000 lawsuits against alleged file-sharers around the world (Holton ). This drive is to stamp out online piracy and encourage the use of legal download services in 17 countries, especially Brazil where 1 billion music tacks were downloaded last year. Both criminal and civil suits are aimed at “uploaders” — people who put copyrighted songs onto Internet file-sharing networks to offer to music fans without permission, and at parents whose children had been illegally file-sharing. John Kennedy, chairman and chief executive of IFPI pointed out that the music industry had benefited from its settlement of more than $100 million in July this year with long-time antagonist Kazaa, one of the world’s best known file-sharing networks.
After the popularity of file sharing programs like Napster waned there is new player in the market. You Tube/ Gootube is extremely popular nowadays. It is in the news because folks put up copyrighted videos and songs. Although YouTube has diligently been pulling down such material, it is a law suit waiting to happen for copyright infringement. From a copyright stand point, YouTube has a massive distribution of streaming video sharing market. How do you make money out of other peoples’ content without being sued for copyright infringement of songs and 100 million videos that you tube delivers every day? It is an amazing user generated phenomena. More than 34 million Americans visit YouTube each month. Users add up to 65,000 clips. It is very easy to use, is free, and devoid of advertisements. It accounts for 43% of the online video sharing market, while Google video accounts for 6.5% -10% of online video sharing market. Mark Cuban warns that it can be sued into oblivion. So far there have been no law suits against YouTube, because it isn’t really making any money right now. Besides it has made alliances with music companies like Warner Music. They partnered in September to distribute music on site. All said and done, analysts said that YouTube is in a precarious legal position.
“What would the Internet be without ‘content’? It would be a valueless collection of silent machines with gray screens. It would be the electronic equivalent of a marine desert – lovely elements, nice colors, no life. It would be nothing” (Edgar Bronfman, Jr.,). The internet is a huge stockpile of multimedia material and text. It is our responsibility to avail of this in the proper way. The public needs to be educated of the implications of using unauthorized copyrighted material. More awareness among the younger generation will pave the way to proper use of copyrighted material in the future, and avoid big law suits at the hand of the media moguls. To this end, Boy Scouts will be instructed in the basics of copyright law and learn how to identify five types of copyrighted works and three ways copyrighted materials may be stolen. The program is being introduced to the 52,000 Scouts in the Los Angeles area, with plans to offer it to other California councils early next year. The program will reach Scouts ages 6 to 21(AP). Dan Glickman, chairman of the Motion Picture Association of America, recently said that, “”Working with the Boy Scouts of Los Angeles, we have a real opportunity to educate a new generation about how movies are made, why they are valuable, and hopefully change attitudes about intellectual property theft.”
Photographs also fall within the realm of copyrighted material. (In accordance with Right of Privacy laws), it requires employees to obtain consent to publish from individuals who are photographed. Right of privacy laws gives an individual the right to control the use of their image by others. Need a release to use the pictures of models. If the subjects are minors, then parents or legal guardians must sign the photo release. Get a release right away. Photo Releases are obtained when consent won’t work, as in the case of a minor, mentally unstable individual, and materially altered pictures.” Educational use is not a protection against copyright infringement. Request permission to use any printed or electronic graphics, photographs, cartoons, musical works, text, etc. The lack of a copyright statement does not preclude protection” (Copyright Regulations). Copyright is fixed at the time a work is created. Registering a copyright is not required for protection, and the owner is not required to display the copyright symbol — ©. An artistic rendering is not a problem. Artists use the likenesses of well-known individuals as a means of expressing messages within the content of their artistic creations. On the other hand unmistakably and readily identifiable pictures or a direct copy is more problematic. The First Amendment to the Constitution assures freedom of speech, and, beyond any question, art is speech. Courts recognize a right of privacy, “to be left alone” the individual’s right to protect their image from use by others. When Tiger Woods complained that a lithograph appropriated his celebrity, (the 2000 lawsuit Tiger Woods brought against the sports artist Rick Rush), he was dismissed by the court on the grounds that it was an artistic rendering and the artist has every right to create the lithograph. It has become primarily the artist’s own expression rather than the celebrity’s likeness. It could be argued that it was a fair use taking.
Fair use takings: “An appropriate exercise of fair use depends on a case-by-case application and balancing of four factors as set forth in a statute enacted by Congress: the purpose or character of the use; the nature of the copyrighted work being used; the amount and substantiality of the work being used; and the effect of the use on the market for or the value of the original. Because of the flexible and interpretive nature of fair use, Congress provided significant protection for educators. Fair use must be determined according to the circumstances of each situation, taking into account the unique burdens, missions, and responsibilities of the academy” (Intellectual Property).
Just as there are copyright infringement cases for music, photographs and motion pictures, people need to be careful about Internet software piracy too. Not too long ago it was reported by Jerry Markon in the Washington Post that, the owner of one the nation’s largest Internet software piracy Web sites was sentenced to 87-months in prison. He was accused of selling products copyrighted by companies such as Microsoft Corp. and Adobe Systems Inc. at a huge discount on his Web site. In addition, he was ordered to pay restitution of more than $5.4 million and to forfeit the proceeds of his scheme, which included homes, cars and a boat (Markon ). Media convergence is bound to happen in the near future where the flow of content across multiple media platforms, the cooperation between multiple media industries, and the migratory behavior of media audiences who will go almost anywhere in search of the kinds of entertainment experiences they want.
In conclusion, it cannot be stressed enough on the need to be careful of how and where we access media. Copyright is a form of protection provided by the laws of the United States (title 17, U. S. Code) to the authors of “original works of authorship,” including literary, dramatic, musical, artistic, and certain other intellectual works. This protection is available to both published and unpublished works.”
“Remember: If in doubt, always ask permission.”(Intellectual Property).[1]
Always give credit where it is due in the prescribed format.
References:
Felton, E. (2004). Rip,mix, burn, sue: Technology, politics, and the fight to control digital media. Princeton University President’s Lecture Series, no 1.
Holton, Kate. “Music industry in 8,000 new file-share lawsuits .” Reuters-London Tue Oct 17 8:30aET <http://today.reuters.com/news/articleinvesting.aspx?view=CN&storyID=2006-10-17T101539Z_01_L17771857_RTRIDST_0_MEDIA-MUSIC-LAWSUITS.XML&rpc=66&type=qcna>.
“Be loyal, kind and don’t steal Movies.” Associated Press Sat Oct 21, 5:00 AM ET 22/10/06 <http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20061021/ap_on_re_us/scouts_piracy_patch>.
Markon, Jerry. “SOFTWARE PIRACY.” WashingtonPost.com Saturday, September 9, 2006; Page B03 22/10/06 <http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/09/08/AR2006090801739.html>.
“Communications and Marketing Resources.” Copyright Law Fair Use and Photos. 04/07/04. University of Missouri Extension. 9 Oct 2006 <http://extension.missouri.edu/staff/marketing/copyright.html>.
“The Curators of the University of Missouri”. “Collected Rules and Regulations .” 100.030 Copyright Regulations Chapter 100: Patent and Copyright Law. 09/27/04. University of Missouri. 9 Oct 2006 <http://www.umsystem.edu/ums/departments/gc/rules/business/100/030.shtml>.
“Intellectual Property.” Copyright Permission Form. 2005. Wesleyan University. 9 Oct 2006 <http://www.wesleyan.edu/ip/forms/Copyright_Permission.doc>.
“Copyright.” Copyright Permission Form. 07/11/06. U.S. Copyright Office. <http://www.copyright.gov/onlinesp/index.html>.
(Digital Millennium Copyright Act,) http://www.copyright.gov/legislation/pl105-304.pdf
Scott, Brendan. “First Monday, volume 6, number 9 (September 2001),.” Copyright in a Frictionless World: Toward a Rhetoric of Responsibility. 08/17/01. First Monday. 9 Oct 2006 <http://www.firstmonday.org/issues/issue6_9/scott/index.html>.
Edgar Bronfman, Jr., Remarks As Prepared For Delivery by Edgar Bronfman, Jr. Real Conference 2000, San Jose, California, 26 May 2000,
http://www.mpaa.org/copyright/EBronfman.htm
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15157075/
[1] “Intellectual Property.” Copyright Permission Form. 2005. Wesleyan University. 9 Oct 2006 <http://www.wesleyan.edu/ip/forms/Copyright_Permission.doc>.
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Ethics and control of our digital lives
Digital memories created by lifetime recordings can only be valuable if we find solutions for the resulting technological, legal, and social issues to safeguard our rights and privacy in a free society. Due to embedded processors and network connectivity with low cost storage for media, the future of networking and storing reams of life data collected from any device, any place, and at any time is getting easier. The question arises then, who has access to and control of this personal information and memories. As more data is stored, the chances of compromised personal information increase, resulting in a privacy crisis. “Any one piece of information – cell phone records, purchasing records, car location, etc, is not that damning or intrusive. But if you put them together, you’ve got my life,” writes David Holtzman, an Internet security researcher and former Network Solutions Chief Technology Officer. “It’s very hard to hide things when you have that level of analysis” (Shankland).
Today we conduct banking online, have our medical histories stored digitally on a server, VOIP’s, web searches, mortgage details, investments, etc. Are these methods providing more security? Are the risks associated with these procedures being properly assessed? Thanks to the First Amendment’s freedom of speech, every person is free to post their thoughts online, be they good or bad. According to Mindy McAdams, “In this era of global media monopolies, the Internet is the only place left where the voice of the people might be heard” (Glaser 2004). The Internet is a platform, a forum for countless individuals and groups to communicate without the intermediation of media organizations. All of this communication and transfer of information leaves a digital trail forever. We see a proliferation of surveillance cameras in our shopping malls, most public areas, and streets. They are mindlessly watching and recording volumes of data.
For the cameras are on their way, along with data networks that will send a myriad images flashing back and forth, faster than thought.
—David Brin, “The Transparent Society”
The impending loss of privacy and the subsequently expanded possibilities of abuse by corporations, the military, and the government puts individuals at risk. Even now, personal information is open to manipulation and cross-indexing by insurance companies, law enforcement agencies, and employers. It is an accepted fact that knowledge is power. Thus, all authorities feel compelled to retain their hold, and attain more power as well, by acquiring and possessing as much information about their countrymen and enemy states as possible. By creating an all-intrusive, all-pervasive viewing capacity, they can monitor, protect, or destroy—controlling lives and careers and becoming a true power. Surveillance does have its benefits, for example: telephone help desks sometimes record customer conversations in order to help train their employees. Surveillance, particularly of infectious diseases, has allowed the detection of outbreaks and has provided for the long-term monitoring of disease incidence. Footage from London’s half-a-million cameras helped lead to arrests in the July 7, 2005 subway bombings.
As technologies emerge, so do questions about law enforcement access to communications. The Internet Engineering Task Force has decided not to consider requirements for wiretapping as part of the process for creating and maintaining IETF standards. The most recent case of U.S. wiretapping was the NSA warrantless surveillance controversy discovered in December 2005. It aroused much controversy, after several people accused President George W. Bush of violating a specific federal statute (Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act|FISA) and the United States Constitution. The president argued his authorization was consistent with other federal statutes (AUMF), other provisions of the Constitution, and was necessary to keep America safe from terrorism, and could lead to the capture of notorious terrorists responsible for 9/11. Since 9/11, the government has granted sweeping powers to law enforcement agencies for “sneak and peek” searches. Now, with the advent of invisible remote sensing technologies there will no checks to the electronic eye. How much privacy should we sacrifice for security?
The World Wide Web now has an estimated one billion users. “Inaccurate or incomplete information in databases is routinely used to determine whether someone should be hired, rented to, insured, given credit. The readily available data can lead to discrimination, harassment and even physical danger” (Shapiro 1999). Professor Callan said that although no one disagreed on the importance of protecting privacy, “there’s also a strong belief that it is very important for the scientific community to have access to data of this kind in some anonymized form.” One partial solution to heightened privacy concerns could lie in more stringent “scrubbing” of data in a way that did not diminish its quality as a research tool. This could entail, for instance, replacing numbers that carry identifying information — like Social Security numbers and ZIP codes — with zeros, or replacing the word “New York” with “X17” (Hafner 2006).
China’s Internet filtering regime is the most sophisticated effort of its kind in the world. Compared to similar efforts in other states, China’s filtering regime is pervasive, sophisticated, and effective. It comprises multiple levels of legal regulation and technical control. It involves numerous state agencies and thousands of public and private personnel. It censors content transmitted through multiple methods, including Web pages, Web logs, on-line discussion forums, university bulletin board systems, and e-mail messages. The implications of this distorted on-line information environment for China’s users are profound, and disturbing.
Mobile phones are, in surveillance terms, a major liability. This liability will only increase as the new third-generation (3G) phones are introduced. This is because the base stations will be located closer together. For mobile phones the major threat is the collection of communications data. This data not only includes information about the time, duration, originator and recipient of the call, but also the identification of the base station where the call was made from, which equals its approximate geographical location. This data is stored with the details of the call and has utmost importance for traffic analysis.
Even as privacy concerns grow, a project is quietly taking shape that will magnify such issues by several magnitudes. Wireless communications sensor technology is going to be coupled with miniaturization–that is, nanotechnology—to create the ultimate instrument of surveillance invisible to us. In the past twenty years, The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) has been dedicating significant resources to the development of SmartDust: miniature computers that will eventually have the ability to see, hear, and collect everything in their immediate environment. They will be practically invisible and will be deployed in swarms or clouds hovering in the air, watching continuously with their dispassionate eye. They may be immersed in waterways, or they could slither, bug-like, on land—watching, listening, and recording. The SmartDust motes will be networked into a wireless web and those it scrutinizes will be the subjects of constant electronic monitoring. Soon these remote sensors will be able to identify people by sifting through enormous databanks of compiled information and by using face-recognition techniques. In addition, the sensors will be clever enough to, at a moment’s notice, cross-index all collected information, which would essentially include the life history of every individual. It is conceivable that, one day in the next few decades, there will be a machine watching every single move every single person makes, resulting in a near-complete loss of personal privacy. This is a very intrusive technology and can be easily abused. How far do we let this go?
However, given the extent of contemporary surveillance, we could be tracked continuously in the future, because we’ll be wearing, eating and carrying objects that are carefully designed to do so. Aren’t some of these techniques discriminatory, and what is happening (and what will happen) to civil liberties? With the future deployment of SmartDust for surveillance there will be no place to hide. Machines do not always function properly; mistakes are easily made and overlooked when a society relies absolutely on technology. In the context of surveillance, computers can malfunction, data can be contaminated by the methods of collection, and the process is open to high-jacking and manipulation by tech-savvy hackers. Our exposure to new technologies will create new challenges for our societies, our personal lives and possibly change our very fabric of lives.
The public is entitled to confidence that they are free from unlawful searches and seizures in their dealings with others. Individual communications carried out by electronic means must be as secure as practices consistent with data protection will allow. Technology has provided governments with virtually unchecked wealth of surveillance devices and interception capacity. Governments gather communications information on a broad scale, indiscriminately capturing private conversations of people innocent of any national or international crime. Privacy protects our dignity, autonomy, solitude, and the way we present ourselves to the world. We shouldn’t have to pay a premium price for internet privacy. If you put privacy up for sale it gets the unceremonious status of a commodity, rather than an assumed fundamental right.
Bibliography:
Glaser, M. (2004). On the wild, woolly internet, old ethics rules do apply. Online journalism review. August 8. [ html ]
Hafner, K. (2006, August 23). Researchers yearn to use AOL logs, but they hesitate. New York Times. [ html ]
Kabay, M.E.. “Security Applications for ‘SmartDust’”. Network World 23 Aug. 2005.
Shankland, Stephen. “Digital Dog Tags: Would You Wear One?” News.com. Aug. 2002. c/net. <http://news.com.com/Digital+dog+tags+Would+you+wear+one/2100-1001 3-833379.
“Anatomy of a Next-Generation Mote”. Scientific American. 290:6 Jun. 2004: 87-87.
Bill of Rights. http://www.law.cornell.edu/constitution.billofrights.html 29 Nov. 2005.
Brin, David. “The Transparent Society: Will Technology Force us to Choose Between Privacy and Freedom?” Official Website. http://www.davidbrin.com/tschp1.html
http://www.potaroo.net/ietf/idref/rfc2804/
http://home.flash.net/~bob001/echelon.htm/
http://educate-yourself.org/mc/satellitesurveillance31jul03.shtml
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is it a reality…
Cyberspace. A consensual hallucination experienced daily by billions of legitimate operators, in every nation, by children being taught mathematical concepts.
William Gibson
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Maybe the blogs will unite the world
Blogs
The fastest means of acquiring news today is through citizen blogs. During the tsunami that hit SE Asia, news poured out of that region through blogs. Coordination of resources, aid, donations and volunteer agencies was set up and maintained successfully via blogs. Ground zero information in the form of photos and videos were broadcast throughout the world. Blogs became the seek and share information hub.
Blogs are powerful because they are unedited copy, photos and videos of the public. You can blog from your office, living room, dorm room. It is free, and you can connect with anyone, anywhere on the planet. It is freedom of expression, anybody can comment, bloggers are basically citizen journalists. How do you leverage concepts of blogging and pod casting on websites. According to Shwartz from Sun Microsystems, blogging is part of a new “Participation age. He has inspired a thousand employees to blog, and this in turn helped the company “experience a strong turnaround in developer relations”(Scoble). For expanding a business blogs are useful. A direct link is established with the customers and according to Scoble “you will save a ton of money by dumping expensive marketing tactics, that not only don’t work but annoy the people they target.” Managers and executives thought that blogging was a passing fad, and not much attention was paid to it. Blogs have proven to be powerful in swaying public opinion, in resurrecting old companies like Sun Microsystems. Honest human feedback from within Microsoft has given the evil borg corporation a positive appeal.
The world’s top corporate, entrepreneurial, small business, and marketing-oriented firms are stepping into the world of blogs. Advertising agencies rely on instant messaging to communicate, specifically Trillian which aggregates all IM windows in to one message window. In a business to business setting the inexpensive technology of blogs provides an easy-to-edit, network spot to archive needs-requirements documents, tech specs and other details to ensure that a project stays on track. Blogs could play a part in an enterprise’s project management toolbox. Collaboration between members of a team in remote areas is facilitated through blogs where everyone can see and contribute in one meeting place. This helps in cutting down on numerous looped emails and project managers can track progress easily.
There are no limits to blogging. Enter one blog and you will get caught up in a huge web, the blogs link out to many others on every topic imaginable. According to John Hiler the Blogosphere is a biosphere of its own, a Media Ecosystem that lives and breathes just like any other biological system. The most popular is Boing Boing, has a tremendous readership. If you have something to say, blogging is the way to go. A new medium of conveying our voices. To increase traffic one has to write something meaningful regularly, have readable content, be interesting, network and link extensively with other bloggers. “If you’re worth it, you’ll get readership. If you’re not, you won’t. And artificial attempts to inflate hits and bandwidth don’t really matter, in the end” (Posted by Boyd on May 05, 2004 at 2:26 PM).
The Blog Business Summit conference in Seattle on October 25 promises to take the techniques blogging, videoblogging, and podcasting to the next level. According to Melanie McBride on the future of weblogs, “whether blogging is really that wild frontier of digital democracy they had imagined or if it is merely an echo chamber of privileged and increasingly commercial interests.” Blogs are all about capturing and preserving information about our lives. They are a record of events, thoughts, commentaries, stories and discussions. Efforts will be made for more select and filtered readership. In additon how to allow people to read certain posts and create blogs that aren’t cluttered or confusing. Increased use of tags and ‘tagging applications, wiki-style pages, RSS feeds’. Complement traditional media better. Installation of translators so that there are no barriers. Possibly the blogs will bring together ideas in a common melting pot. Maybe the entire world will be connected through a network of blogs.
References:
Hiler, John. “MicroContent News.” Blogosphere: the emerging Media Ecosystem. 05/28/02. a Corante microblog. 10 Oct 2006 http://www.microcontentnews.com/articles/blogosphere.htm
Scoble, R. & Israel, S. (2006) Naked Conversations: How Blogs are Changing the Way Businesses Talk with Customers. Hoboken: John Wiley & Sons, pp. 1-62.
http://www.mindjack.com/feature/linkedout.html
http://weblogs.asp.net/fmarguerie/archive/2004/02/26/80366.aspx
http://www.smartmobs.com/archive/2005/10/20/what_is_the_fut.html
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Online Pedagogy
Student-centered pedagogy using digital technologies is where the future of education lies. Collaborative online learning and asynchronous learning networks are a great social equalizer; there is no gender or class to be concerned about when you participate in an online environment. According to Hiltz & Turoff online learning will produce learning systems of a blended nature that are far better than the prior “gold standard” of the face-to-face class. For the internet generation it will be a natural medium for instruction. They do not have to make any effort to change or to adapt to technology like the previous Gen Y and others have to. Truly the future of education will be online not just in colleges but in schools too. Warren Arbogast, a tech consultant for colleges says “It’s going to get bigger and bigger, and I see a proliferating arms race” (Davidson).
The always connected society of today, has been shaping how we work, make new friends and find suitable matches. Students are connected with other students, their teachers, their families and friends in a multitude of ways. USA Today reports that “the American college campus, long an oasis of scholarship and coming-of-age, is now being transformed by a more palpable force: an armada of laptops, cell phones and perpetual connectivity” (MacMillan ). How are we equipping society to deal with this influx of technology? In this ‘information age, we need to understand how ethical issues are impacted by technology. It is taught at every grade level to cite your reference sources. As an educational technologist it is vital to understand and implement the correct use of electronic media with current knowledge of copyright issues. Tiene and Ingram discuss the possibility of instructors putting course material on the web and the potential copyright difficulty it might pose for people who were not members of the class to access such material. They state that “one solution is to password protect the materials to restrict level of use, but not many college instructors have the Web sophistication to establish such protection.” Almost all colleges and universities have made available course management systems. Online courses are either downloadable self-paced courses to real-time, instructor-led courses.
The New Copyright Law for Distance Education provides details about the role, requirements and duties of instructors and institutional policy makers. The community colleges have WebCT-Vista which provides a platform for teachers to put up lessons and assignments. It has the facility of online testing and a box for submitting grades with comments. Blackboard which most colleges follow has now taken over Web CT Vista. All of these online learning tools come under instructional technology department. These techniques are referred to as mentored- learning because there is periodic digital contact with the professor through emails and with the other students on the discussion boards. Students get timely feedback on their assignments electronically. The internet is changing lives by increasing the ability to connect with others any time any place. It is rightly stated by Hiltz & Turoff that the researchers in online learning have an ethical obligation to help consumers and the public understand the effectiveness of the alternatives that will be available. On the other hand some professors worry, too, that in the rush to expand connectivity, something intangible is being lost. “Once you post lectures to the Web, it implies the face-to-face encounter of a classroom doesn’t matter,” says Duke history professor Elizabeth Fenn. (MacMillan ).
According to a survey conducted by The Princeton Review, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute comes in at No. 1, as the most wired campus. The top 10 include Temple, Cornell and the University of Pennsylvania. In every college campus you come across students hooked to laptops, cel phones, iPod’s and constant texting or instant messaging their buddies. Connectivity and online learning comes at a cost. Typical costs of educational technology would be the materials needed like disks, video tapes, cables, and the varied software and hardware components. In addition there will be the expense of training personnel to run the systems and facilitate optimum use on campuses, not to mention the maintenance and utility bills. Not every state or university has the funding in their budgets to support new technology which has no measure as yet of its effectiveness. This hike will of course be borne by the student body. So will it be worth it to install online learning systems?
For the schools of the future what might be the impact of technology on them? Artificial Intelligence may be used to deliver units of instruction. Expert systems with a supporting database and a profile of every student could custom tailor the curricula to each and every individual. Every one learns at a different pace, and come with various levels of preparedness. These intelligent systems would adjust according to the requirements and provide a multi media based instruction best suited to the individual. Immersive and holographic environments maybe incorporated to visit the past ages to study and experience the Hellenic culture, or the Stone Age. First hand experience is a great learning method.
We are in a transitory phase today, we have the hybrid online models as well as the fully online models. Lately universities like Harvard and Quinnipiac have utilized exciting online technologies to conduct classes in an online 3 D world. A virtual reality world helps students better visualize and appreciate the context or scenario being studied. The role of teachers would be more as a guide and a moderator then, rather than the standup face to face lectures. ‘Some experts suggest that the anywhere-anytime access yields tangible benefits’ (Davidson ). The classroom will not be in a physical structure where students and teachers congregate, learning will take place wherever there is a connection to a modem. New skills will be needed by teachers and the student of the future in using technology extensively. This can be best summed up by the following words of Tiene and Ingram, ‘Technology in teaching will really revolutionize learning only if teachers learn new ways to teach that take advantage of what the various technologies do best’ (257).
References:
MacMillan, Robert. “Generation Z, Meet Generation A.” Random Access 03/30/2005 <http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A12363-2005Mar30.html>.
Davidson, Paul. “Gadgets rule on college campuses.” USA Today – Tech 03 /29/2005 <http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/2005-03-28-college-tech-usat_x.htm>.
Hiltz, S.R. & Turoff, M. (2005). Education goes digital: the evolution of online learning and the revolution in higher education. Communications of the ACM, 48(10), 59-64.
Tiene, Drew, and Albert Ingram. Exploring Current Issues in Educational Technology. 1st. ed.. NY: McGraw-Hill, 2001.
http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/technology/2005-03-29-wired.htm
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Will MaxiWaxi live on forever by the fountain?
As I read the enthralling Snow Crash, it came to me that my two avataars in the SL cannot ever be erased or killed in a fight. The Lindens have better algorithm than the metaverse where you could be shredded in a sword fight. “The Nipponese businessman lies on The Black Sun’s floor. Surprisingly (he looks so real when he’s in one peice), no flesh, no blood, or organs are visible throughthe new crossections that Hiro’s sword made through his body.”
Is there a way to not exist in the second life? MaxiWaxi is sitting by the fountain in Rome in a meditative pose for the past month contemplating her existence in both worlds.
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