Response – Remix

Today in class someone brought up the fact that when we buy tangible goods we are allowed to share them. So why can’t we share things that we purchase and download from the Internet? From a young age we are taught to share and now it seems like we are being told not to. Digital media is sometimes less expensive (a kindle books costs less than a hard copy) but do we really own it? Since its digital and controlled by a company we don’t have the freedom to do with it what we please. Hard copies of books can be passed around to friends and read by an infinite number of people. A kindle edition of a book could be shared, but only if the owner is willing to loan out their kindle. Although kindle books can be read on different platforms (ipad, computer, iphone, andriod) it can not be taken off the kindle platform.

I can see how some people may see breaking the law and pirating music as a slippery slope but I am not sure that it is that serious. I don’t think that it will lead to violent crimes but it may lead to a disrespect for the law in regard to petty theft. If you can download media online illegally and not get punished then maybe you think that stealing a magazine or dvd is not a big deal. I wonder if a lot of the kids that are downloading illegally even know that it is not allowed. They have grown up with the internet and might not even know that downloading media, something that is easy to do and widespread, is illegal.

I also thought it was interesting seeing how things have changed in such a short period of time. Jackie went to UM starting in 2004 and I started in 2001. When I lived in the dorms I don’t remember there being a block on file sharing. People downloaded music all the time because our internet connection was so fast. I don’t think that movies were downloaded that much but I think that was readily available. Three years later when Jackie started they had a ban on file sharing and apparently would cut off your internet if they saw that you had file programs on your computer. Also, napster was available to students in the dorms. They had accounts where they could download music for personal use. The music was only licensed to them while they were students.

I still don’t know if I have made a decision how I feel about remixing. I go back and forth because I really think that people can be very creative through the process of remixing and I enjoy consuming remixed media but at the same time I can relate to the content creator who is upset. I don’t want to stifle creativity but I also don’t want someone to use my work and manipulate it in a way that I am not pleased with. If someone “remixed” some of my images and created a negative message with them by changing their meaning I would not be happy. But, if someone wanted to used my stuff to create a positive message I would probably not have a problem with it. I guess I feel like I would just want to be asked. Its not hard to get in touch with me like a large company would be.

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