Entries Tagged 'Cory Doctorow' ↓

Plenty of Cowbell (I think his name is Roger) is, “very troubled by [Cory Doctorow’s] recent post defending the auto link features in the google toolbar.” He provides a screenshot to demonstrate why he thinks Cory should be against it - a screenshot of his Easter Standard Tribe news page.

The page doesn’t come close to making the case that the Auto Link stuff is “Evil” though! Sure, in the screenshot the ISBN has been made into a link. But the mouseover text clearly indicates that it is a link that was added by the Google Toolbar, and he (or any user) had to click a clearly-marked button to make anything happen in the first place.

Roger goes on to write, “Was it your intention when you made your book Eastern Standard Tribe available as a DRM-free download for anyone who wanted it, that google would make money from YOU?” The problem is that NOTHING in the AutoLink provided by Google does anything of the sort. First of all, there is no evidence that Google has any intentions of making money of the link. Secondly, the DRM-Free version of the book is still available, and just as easily as before. The AutoLink has not in any way prevented anyone from going to get it - in fact, the link to the free versions is WAY more prominent than the little AutoLink.

If anything, this screenshot proves that AutoLink is in fact NOT a threat to someone like Cory. In fact, the unhindered availability of the DRM-free versions are likely the very reason Cory supports the AutoLink feature - he has been absolutely consistent about the fact the user should have the freedom to do what they will with digital content they have received through legal means.

For me, alarmist posts like the one Roger made, with his big red “Evil” scribbling on the screenshot, are part of the problem not the solution. I and others who have no problem with AutoLink know very well the difference between user-controlled AutoLinks and not-user-controlled Smart Tags. So quit with the alarmist rhetorical posturing and make the case. Cause it hasn’t been made yet, by anyone.

to try to convince them to get out of the DRM business. An uphill battle, it is easy to assume. Find out for yourself - read his talk.

What’s in Your Gadget Bag, Cory?. Cory Doctorow empties his pockets and more. In particular, I draw your attention to his Prague plumber’s bag, which is the bag I’ve been looking for about three years now.

At Boing Boing! today yesterday, Cory posted a link to Techfocus magazine’s act of blocking RIAA and MPAA domains from accessing the site. A symbolic move, perhaps, but interesting nonetheless.

remember bOING bOING the magazine? It was wonderful, eclectic, fun. Back in the day, it was one of the things that heralded that something new was coming. I wasn’t sure what it was. But I think of it, and Mondo 2000, and a few others as this sort of canary in a coal mine in reverse. The atmosphere was changing, and instead of dying, this canary was thriving.

Anyhow, I love Cory Doctorow’s blogging over at boing boing the website. Cory’s one of those people I virtually bump into all the time, though we’ve never met. I went over to a great friend’s place once while I was in Ottawa, my friend who most closely approaches the ideal of the evil genius (though he’s not really evil at all). And he’s telling me about this new friend of his Cory… the same guy who I had asked that week (by email) about a DSL config problem I was having. Coincidence.

So anyhow I’ve been enjoying his and Mark Frauenfelder’s work/fun for ages now. And it bugs me a bit that somehow boing boing the website has seemingly become identified simply as Cory’s personal weblog. Cory has a personal site: it’s at craphound.com. Boing Boing is, as far as I can tell, a collaborative project including a weblog, a guestlog, and a directory, plus archives of Mark’s illustrations and lots of other fun stuff. To identify that with just one person is misleading and, I think, somewhat of an insult to the other contributors.

I’m sure I’m making too big a deal of this, but whatever. Misattribution has always gotten to me.