Learning From Aaron Swartz: Content Must Not Be The End Game For Knowledge

from the serious-stuff dept

Thu, Jan 17th 2013 5:07am — Glyn Moody

In the wake of the suicide of Aaron Swartz, there have been many fine tributes to the man and his work. Another growing class of posts that have flowed from this unhappy event are people reflecting on the important lessons he taught them. Here, for instance, is Jeff Jarvis recounting his journey from a fairly traditional position on copyright to one that recognized how the Internet had reshaped that landscape.

Ten years ago, Jarvis appended this "mock copyright notice" to his blog posts:

It's mine, I tell you, mine! All mine! You can't have it because it's mine! You can read it (please); you can quote it (thanks); but I still own it because its mine! I own it and you don't. Nya-nya-nya. So there. COPYRIGHT ... by Jeff Jarvis.

But gradually, under the influence of key thinkers in this area, he came to see things differently: Lessig and company have taught me that content's value can lie in what it spawns and inspires. Locked away, unseen, unused, not discussed, not linked, it might as well not exist.

...

And Aaron Swartz has taught me that content must not be the end game for knowledge. Why does knowledge become an article in a journal -- or that which fills a book or a publication -- except for people to use it? And only when they use it does content become the tool it should be. Not using knowledge is an offense to it. If it cannot fly free beyond the confines of content, knowledge cannot reach its full value through collaboration, correction, inspiration, and use.
The tension between knowledge and content is no mere abstraction. As well as lying behind some of the most problematic sections of SOPA, ACTA and TPP, and the larger war on digital sharing they are part of, it was almost certainly a contributory factor in the death of Aaron Swartz too.

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Filed Under: aaron swartz, acta, content, sopa, tpp

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Ninja (profile), 17 Jan 2013 @ 3:58am

Why does knowledge become an article in a journal -- or that which fills a book or a publication -- except for people to use it? And only when they use it does content become the tool it should be.

Now that's freaking insightful. Whatever is made of copyright it should be mandatory to MAKE THE CONTENT EASILY AND WIDELY available in order to retain the copyrights.

Yeah, this should save movies, music and whatever from gathering dust, rust and rotting in some basement.
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Aleandnuts, 17 Jan 2013 @ 6:18am

While Donald think copyright is a good thing.

Youtube: DONALD DUCK GETS A BLOW JOB

Others question if he has any idea of what is happening.

Youtube: Donald where's your trousers
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Gregg, 17 Jan 2013 @ 6:18am

petition
sign it. Everyone needs to fight back on this event. This is exactly how the Nazi's started. Bullying.

https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/petition/remove-united-states-district-attorney-carmen -ortiz-office-overreach-case-aaron-swartz/RQNrG1Ck
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- erichwwk (profile), 17 Jan 2013 @ 6:43am
  
  Re: petition
  Yes, but also need to include Stephen Heymann
  
  http://huff.to/W58XV1
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erichwwk (profile), 17 Jan 2013 @ 6:19am

Stiglitz on knowledge and IPR
�It is more efficient to distribute knowledge freely to all rather than to restrict its use by restricting its use by charging for it� -- Joseph Stiglitz from

ECONOMIC FOUNDATIONS OF
INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS

http://bit.ly/XBzc6A

as Larry Lessing states.
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erichwwk, 17 Jan 2013 @ 6:35am

Who was stealing from whom?
"‎"The law locks up the man or woman who steals the goose from the commons, but lets the greater villain loose that steals the commons from the goose"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L7jaSjkd0jM

also try Gar Alperovitz and Lew Daley on most wealth (esp knowledge) as common property

http://www.c-spanvideo.org/program/283236-1
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dennis deems (profile), 17 Jan 2013 @ 6:42am

Not using knowledge is an offense to it
A powerful phrase worthy of supplanting the motto of every university in the world.
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jupiterkansas (profile), 17 Jan 2013 @ 7:54am

Knowledge isn't a book. It's only knowledge if it goes into people's heads.
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Anonymous Coward, 17 Jan 2013 @ 8:54am

Can someone here define knowledge for me? Because a lot of what's being said just doesn't make any sense.

Knowledge ≠ Information
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- John Fenderson (profile), 17 Jan 2013 @ 11:02am
  
  Re:
  Mandatory Zappa lyric:
  
  "Information is not knowledge. Knowledge is not wisdom. Wisdom is not truth. Truth is not beauty. Beauty is not love. Love is not music. Music is THE BEST."
  
  But seriously, knowledge is information understood. All knowledge consists of information in a context, but not all information is knowledge.
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