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cc-eyebeam - Re: [cc-eyebeam] Re: OpenLaw, Chilling Effects, Creative Commons

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Subject: Creative Commons-Eyebeam Forum 2003 November 12-19

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  • From: marek_walczak AT yahoo.com
  • To: cc-eyebeam AT lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: Re: [cc-eyebeam] Re: OpenLaw, Chilling Effects, Creative Commons
  • Date: Mon, 17 Nov 2003 20:39:47 -0500 (EST)


> Along these lines -- of open-source influencing law and beyond --
> here's a great article from Wired this month:
>
&gt; <A Href="http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/11.11/opensource.html";
target="_blank">http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/11.11/opensource.html</A>

I have heard much theoretical discussion about opensource and artmaking. In
big structures, like operating systems and the Genome, opensource has created
astonishing results. Also useful are 'widgets', small bits of code/scripting.
I've asked quite a few artist/programmers if they make their stuff
opensource, and except for specific projects like Christian Paul's show, the
answer is mostly negative. Problem is, there is very little money in artworks
online or elsewhere, and opensource is massively time-consuming, you have to
make sure your code is written to be understood, and you have to document
like crazy.

Last year at Electrohype the theme was coding as art. J.Simon Jr gave his
talk on code - about the power to create something personal, and
Boredomresearch gave their talk on getting kids to do codegames. This was
being documented with a micro-camcorder. At one point the person opened the
thing to insert a new tape and when you peeked inside you saw an alien
landscape. About, what? 40 years ago anyone with some technical knowledge
could repair a camcorder/player. 5 years ago I know someone at Bell Labs who
took apart 9 camcorders, then reassembled them, only one of them worked. A
highly skilled individual. My point is that software is at the stage that
videocameras were 40 years ago. Its possible for many people to write code by
hand now. This will be impossible within about 5-10 years.

One of the previous posts mentioned that almost anyone with a computer and a
camcorder could create a movie that would compete directly with established
cultural systems. These objects are the product of massive corporate
identities. I would argue that the future of software tools will be in
similar hands (programming standards would be mutually agreed, but the tools
you use to create software will cost millions to produce, like camcorders -
Java authoring tools are not cheap to make).

Considering the explosion of video art, I would argue that the whole
opensource theoretical debate regarding artmaking is entirely misplaced.




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