[Icommons] Aboriginal archive's new DRM: Cultural Solution?

joy.garnett at gmail.com joy.garnett at gmail.com
Tue Jan 29 16:04:21 EST 2008


>
> I think there's an important question about whether or not we can come to
> terms with cultural practices and mores with respect to knowledge and
> cultural dissemination.  We can either accept that there are distinctly
> different (and perhaps they're pre-modern) systems of thought that conflict
> with our modern or western (and forgive the phrase, "enlightened")
> perspectives. Or our other option is to, as many western cultural
> imperialists before us have done, force our own world view on indigenous
> people.
>

Absolutely: it's interesting to see something we ordinarily associate with
commercial or corporate strictures re-purposed for cultural needs we don't
even begin to understand. (I had to relax my knee-jerk negative reaction to
just the letters DRM in order to read the article.) I wonder what the
anthropologists of the region have to say about it...?

Rob, what do you think we should say to the anthropologists that want to
> educate tribal members about their own history through technology? Should we
> tell them "Listen, these tribes have (sexist? classist?) social practices
> and traditions that are essentially incompatible with how we understand
> access to culture, so just ignore them and continue the slide show." OR
> should we make an effort to accommodate their perspectives?


That's the point: Australian aboriginal tribal cultures have taken a
pounding; this seems a use of permissions and technology that we really
should have no say in.

I think this is an immensely interesting "conundrum" because it parallels
> how "tribes" within culture work. The tribe of photographers, for example,
> has different mores and expectations on how its work is released and
> distributed to the public than the "tribe" of musicians.


Or the 'tribe" of painters....That's a great point, one that's close to my
heart ;)

>
>
> On the other hand, I don't think DRM is being used in the right way in
> this article.


You're probably right on that score Fred.

cheers!
J

-- 
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