Techdirt Podcast Episode 26: Silicon Valley's Secret Ingredient

from the often-ignored dept

Many people have tried to figure out what factors contributed to making Silicon Valley a center of rapid innovation, usually so that they might replicate it elsewhere. But most of these efforts focus on superficial aspects and miss the most important feature of Silicon Valley's culture: the open and free flow of ideas, information and talent. This week, Mike, Dennis and Hersh discuss their personal experiences with Silicon Valley and their observations about what really makes it so special.

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Filed Under: california, innovation, openness, podcast, silicon valley

Techdirt Podcast Episode 25: EFF's Parker Higgins On Correcting Copyright Misconceptions

from the mythbusting dept

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Filed Under: copyright, copyright misconceptions

Techdirt Podcast Episode 24: EFF's Parker Higgins On Common Copyright Misconceptions

from the clarifications-and-corrections dept

Copyright is one of the most important fields of law in the digital age, and also one of the most widely misunderstood. The EFF's Parker Higgins joins us to discuss to most common misconceptions about how copyright works, and how it's been abused.

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Filed Under: copyright, eff, parker higgins, podcast

Techdirt Podcast Episode 23: Is AirBnB Good Or Bad For Cities?

from the everyone's-a-hotelier dept

AirBnB has become a massive, popular service despite many people balking at its introduction. But in the big picture, though it's clearly been great for travellers, what effect is it having on the urban centers where it thrives? Are the complaints from some city-dwellers valid?

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Filed Under: hospitality, housing, podcast, urban planning
Companies: airbnb

Techdirt Podcast Episode 22: Are Smaller Online Media Players Doomed In The Age Of Buzzfeed?

from the we-hope-not dept

The future of online journalism and related businesses continues to be uncertain. Following the recent shutdowns of GigaOm and San Francisco's The Bold Italic, we ask a critical question that is, of course, of personal importance to us here at Techdirt: how can smaller online media players survive in this age of goliaths like Buzzfeed?

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Filed Under: business models, journalism, podcast

Techdirt Podcast Episode 21: How The Patent System Can Be Fixed

from the (assuming-it-can-be) dept

Last week, podcast co-host and patent attorney Hersh Reddy helped us navigate the many ways in which the patent system is broken. This week, we turn our attentions to the ways in which it might be fixed, whether by small changes or sweeping reforms. For music, we've got more of Destroy All Patent Trolls by Jonathan Mann (CC-BY).

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Filed Under: patent reform, patents, podcast, uspto

Techdirt Podcast Episode 20: How The Patent System Is Broken

from the beyond-repair? dept

Hersh Reddy, co-host of the Techdirt Podcast who has been away the past few weeks, is a patent attorney with a computer science degree and a long history of working in the tech industry. In this first half of a double episode, he discusses the many ways in which the patent system is broken, and how it got that way. This week's music is Destroy All Patent Trolls by Jonathan Mann (CC-BY).

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Filed Under: patents, techdirt podcast

Techdirt Podcast Episode 19: From Lulz To Activism, With Gabriella Coleman

from the internet-culture dept

Last week, Gabriella Coleman joined us to discuss her new book Hacker, Hoaxer, Whistleblower, Spy: The Many Faces of Anonymous and share her insider view of the nebulous group. Gabriella is back this week to continue the discussion with a broader look the astonishing and still-recent shift in the digital world towards real, widespread political engagement on issues like privacy and surveillance.

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Filed Under: activism, anonymous, gabriella coleman, geek culture, lulz, podcast

Techdirt Podcast Episode 18: The Many Faces Of Anonymous, With Gabriella Coleman

from the we-are-legion dept

People (especially those in the news media) love to talk about Anonymous, often making bold, sweeping and generally inaccurate proclamations about the group's nature and goals. Gabriella Coleman, on the other hand, has spent years closely studying and engaging with Anonymous in the real world, and developing a nuanced understanding of the nebulous phenomenon. Her new book Hacker, Hoaxer, Whistleblower, Spy: The Many Faces of Anonymous provides insider details about Anonymous that you won't find anywhere else, and she joins us to discuss it on this week's episode.

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Filed Under: anonymous, gabriella coleman, hacktivism, podcast

Techdirt Podcast Episode 17: Musicians Making Money, With Composer Adam Fong

from the music-business-models dept

For more than a decade and a half here on Techdirt, one of the common themes we've discussed are business models for musicians in the internet era. On this week's podcast, we have composer Adam Fong on to discuss his thoughts, both as a composer and as the founder and director of the Center for New Music in San Francisco (which is also where we record many of our podcasts). Fong provides a different perspective — especially discussing those who are classically trained, and not looking to be rock stars, noting the different challenges and opportunities for such musicians. The music on this week's episode is Adam's own composition, Five Times Remembered.

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Filed Under: adam fong, business model, music industry, podcast