virus: Methods
Reed Konsler (konsler@ascat.harvard.edu)
Tue, 22 Apr 1997 14:50:04 -0400 (EDT)
>From: "Corey A. Cook" <COOKCORE@esuvm.emporia.edu>
>Date: Mon, 21 Apr 97 10:33:33 CT
>
>Of late, I have become extremely interested in the various
>methods of thinking used be people, and am trying to get
>concrete data, so that I might one day form generalities.
>
>Data is everywhere, if you know where to look. Some places,
>though, are easier to find than others. Of particular note
>is when two individuals perform behaviors that are opposite
>from one another. This draws the question: "Are they using
>different methods of thinking?" One way to find out.
>
>The behaviors I have in mind are: 1) the .sig file recently
>used by Lee Daniel Crocker, stating that all ideas and whatnot
>are placed in the public domain, and 2) a paragraph from Robin
>Faichney, stating that a particular idea is property, and that
>theft of said property would not be greeted with exclamations
>of joy.
>
>Is it possible that this is an example of two different mind-sets?
>Or are they running the same basic program, just with different
>stimuli? If either of you would like to describe the thought patterns
>you experienced just prior to and during the writing of these
>statements, I would much appreciate it.
The question of intellectual property is a big one these days,
especially as publishing becomes more rapid and the number
and kinds of accesible media multiply. Exactly how public
and "real" is a publication via e-mail? Should we think of
it as a conversation, or as a magazine article?
The answer, I think, is that the internet closes the false categorization
between speech and print. That distinction was an arbitrary one
based upon infrastructure and technology, not a natural distinction.
This is a problem if you intend to make your money off of ideas.
But then, if you want to make your money off of ideas...you should
be a little adaptable, huh? In any free market you need to spend a
certian amount of your energy ensuring that you get some return on
investment...you need to make sure you get payed.
Reed
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Reed Konsler konsler@ascat.harvard.edu
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