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unit2textithegreat
Warm-up
SmallGroupDiscussionandWriting
WhatbenefitsanddrawbackscanthefollowingWebonlineactivitiesbringtosocietyHaveasmallgroupdiscussionandcompletethefollowingtable.
Webonlineactivities
Benefits
Drawbacks
Downloading,uploadingandsharingimages,audios,andvideosonwebsitesorweb-basedcommunities
Usingorcontributingtoopenlyeditable,web-basedencyclopedia.Wikipediaandbaidu百科)
Viewing,sharing,andcommentingonnewsonsocialnetworkingsites
Downloadinganduploadingebooks,e-articles,etc.ontext-sharingwebsites
Prompts:
Theseactivitiesmayspeedupdisseminationofknowledgebutdamagetheinterestsofsomecontentownersorproducers…
RolePlay(P23)
Workinpairs.StudentAassumestheroleofamovieproducer,andstudentBamusicproducer.HaveachataboutthepositiveandnegativeimpactoftheInternetonyourownbusiness.Theteacheristoaskafewpairstodemonstratetheirtalkinclass.
Discussion(P23)
1.WhatopportunitiescantheInternetoffertoworksofintellectualproperty
2.Whatproblemsdoesitholdforworksofintellectualproperty
TheGreatSeduction
LoriOliwenstein
【1】Firstaconfession.BackintheNineties,IwasapioneerinthefirstInternetgoldrush.Withthedreamofmakingtheworldamoremusicalplace,Ifounded,oneoftheearliestdigitalmusicsites.Once,whenaskedbyanewspaperreporterhowIwantedtochangetheworld,Ireplied,halfseriously,thatmyfantasywastohavemusicplayingfrom“everyorifice,”tohearthewholeBobDylanoeuvrefrommylaptopcomputer,tobeabletodownloadJohannSebastianBach’sBrandenburgConcertosfrommycellularphone.Soyes,IpeddledtheoriginalInternetdream.IseducedinvestorsandIalmostbecamerich.
【2】Mymetamorphosisfrombelieverintoskepticlackscinematicdrama.Ittookplaceoverforty–eighthours,inSeptember2004,onatwo–daycampingtripwithacoupleofhundredSiliconValleyutopiansinSebastopol,theheadquartersofO’ReillyMedia.Eachfall,O’ReillyMediahostsanexclusive,invitation-onlyeventcalledFOO(FriendsofO’Reilly)Camp.Thesefriendsofmulti–millionairefounderTimO’Reillyarenotonlyunconventionallyrichandrichlyunconventionalbutalsoharboramessianicfaithintheeconomicbenefitsofthecultoftheamateurandculturalbenefitsoftechnology.Whatunitesthemisasharedhostilitytowardtraditionalmediaandentertainment.Fortwofulldays,wecampedtogether,roastedmarshmallowstogether,andcelebratedtherevivalofourculttogether
【3】TheInternetwasback!
ThisshinynewversionoftheInternet,whatTimO’ReillycalledWeb,reallywasgoingtochangeeverything.NowthatmostAmericanshadbroadbandaccesstotheInternet,thedreamofafullynetworked,always-connectedsocietywasfinallygoingtoberealized.TherewasonewordoneveryFOOCamper’slipsinSeptember2004.Thatwordwas“democratization.”Media,information,knowledge,content,audience,author–allweregoingtobedemocratizedbyWeb.TheInternetwoulddemocratizeBigMedia,BigBusiness,BigGovernment.ItwouldevendemocratizeBigExperts,transformingthemintowhatonefriendofO’Reillycalled,inahushed,reverenttone,“nobleamateurs.”
【4】AlthoughSebastopolwasmilesfromtheocean,bythesecondmorningofcamp,Ihadbeguntofeelseasick.AtfirstIthoughtitwasthegreasycampfoodorperhapsthehotnorthernCaliforniaweather.ButIsoonrealizedthatevenmygutwasreactingtotheemptinessattheheartofourconversation.
【5】Mydreamofmakingtheworldamoremusicalplacehadfallenondeafears;thepromiseofusingtechnologytobringmoreculturetothemasseshadbeendrownedoutbyFOOCampers’collectivecryforademocratizedmedia.ThenewInternetwasaboutself-mademusic,notBobDylanortheBrandenburgConcertos.Audienceandauthorhadbecomeone,andweweretransformingcultureintocacophony.
【6】FOOCamp,Irealized,wasasneakpreview.Weweren’ttherejusttotalkaboutnewmedia;wewerethenewmedia.TheeventwasabetaversionoftheWebrevolution,whereWikipediametMySpacemetYouTube.Everyonewassimultaneouslybroadcastingthemselves,butnobodywaslistening.Outofthisanarchy,itsuddenlybecameclearthatwhatwasgoverningtheinfinitemonkeysnowinputtingawayontheInternetwasthelawofdigitalDarwinism,thesurvivaloftheloudestandmostopinionated.Undertheserules,theonlywaytointellectuallyprevailisbyinfinitefilibustering.
【7】Themorethatwassaidthatweekend,thelessIwantedtoexpressmyself.Asthedinofnarcissismswelled,Ibecameincreasinglysilent.AndthusbeganmyrebellionagainstSiliconValley.Insteadofaddingtothenoise,IbroketheonelawofFOOCamp2004.Istoppedparticipatingandsatbackandwatched.
【8】Ihaven’tstoppedwatchingsince.I’vespentthelasttwoyearsobservingtheWebrevolution,andI’mdismayedbywhatI’veseen.WhatI’vebeenwatchingismorelikeHitchcock’sTheBirdsthanDoctorDoolittle:
ahorrormovieabouttheconsequencesofthedigitalrevolution.
【9】Becausedemocratization,despiteitsloftyidealization,isunderminingtruth,souringcivicdiscourse,andbelittlingexpertise,experience,andtalent.AsInotedearlier,itisthreateningtheveryfutureofourculturalinstitutions.
【10】Icallitthegreatseduction.TheWebrevolutionhaspeddledthepromiseofbringingmoretruthtomorepeople–moredepthofinformation,moreglobalperspective,moreunbiasedopinionfromdispassionateobservers.Butthisisallasmokescreen.WhattheWebrevolutionissuperficialobservationsoftheworldaroundusratherthandeepanalysis,shrillopinionratherthanconsideredjudgment.TheinformationbusinessisbeingtransformedbytheInternetintothesheernoiseofahundredmillionbloggersallsimultaneouslytalkingaboutthemselves.
【11】Moreover,thefree,user-generatedcontentspawnedandextolledbytheWebrevolutionisdecimatingtheranksofourculturalgatekeepers,asprofessionalcritics,journalists,editors,musicians,moviemakers,andotherpurveyorsofexpertinformationarebeingreplacedbyamateurbloggers,hackreviewers,homespunmoviemakers,andatticrecordingartists.Meanwhile,theradicallynewbusinessmodelsbasedonuser-generatedmaterialsucktheeconomicvalueoutoftraditionalmediaandculturalcontent.
【12】We—thoseofuswhowanttoknowmoreabouttheworld—arebeingseducedbytheemptypromiseofthe“democratized”media.FortherealconsequenceoftheWebrevolutionislessculture,lessreliablenews,andachaosofuselessinformation.Onechillingrealityinthisbravenewdigitalepochistheblurring,obfuscation,andevendisappearanceoftruth.ToquoteRichardEdelman,thefounder,president,andCEOofEdelmanPR,theworld’slargestprivatelyownedpublicrelationscompany:
【13】Inthiseraofexplodingmediatechnologiesthereisnotruthexceptthetruthyoucreateforyourself.
【14】Thisunderminingoftruthisthreateningthequalityofcivilpublicdiscourse,encouragingplagiarismandintellectualpropertytheft,andstiflingcreativity.Whenadvertisingandpublicrelationsaredisguisedasnews,thelinebetweenfactandfictionbecomesblurred.Insteadofmorecommunity,knowledge,orculture,allthatWebreallydeliversismoredubiouscontentfromanonymoussources,hijackingourtimeandplayingtoourgullibility.
【15】NeedproofLet’slookat“AlGore’sArmyofPenguins”tobeexact.FeaturedonYouTube,thefilm,acrude“self-made”satireofGore’spro–environmentmovieAnInconvenientTruth,belittlestheseriousnessofAlGore’smessagebydepictingapenguinversionofAlGorepreachingtootherpenguinsaboutglobalwarming.
【16】But“AlGore’sArmyofPenguins”isnotjustanotherhomemadeexampleofYouTubeinanity.Inreality,theWallStreetJournaltracedtherealauthorshipofthisneoconsatiretoDCIGroup,aconservativeWashington,D.C.,publicrelationshipsandlobbyingfirmwhoseclientsincludeExxon-Mobil.Thevideoisnothingmorethanpoliticalspin,enabledandperpetuatedbytheanonymityofWeb,masqueradingasindependentart.Inshort,itisabiglie.
【17】AsformerBritishPrimeMinisterJamesCallaghansaid,“Aliecanmakeitswayaroundtheworldbeforethetruthhasthechancetoputitsbootson.”Thathasneverbeenmoretruethanwiththeflattened,editor–freeworldwhereindependentvideographers,podcasters,andbloggerscanposttheiramateurishcreationsatwill,andnooneisbeingpaidtochecktheircredentialsorevaluatetheirmaterial.Mediaisvulnerabletountrustworthycontentofeverystripe—whetherfromduplicitousPublicRelationcompanies,multinationalcorporationslikeWal–MartandMcDonald’s,oranonymousbloggerswithsophisticatedinventedidentities.
【18】TruthandtrustarethewhippingboysoftheWebrevolution.Inaworldwithfewerandfewerprofessionaleditorsorreviewers,howarewetoknowwhatandwhomtobelieveBecausemuchoftheuser–generatedcontentontheInternetispostedanonymouslyorunderapseudonym,nobodyknowswhotherealauthorofmuchofthisself-generatedcontentactuallyis.AsMarshallPoeobservedintheSeptember2006issueoftheAtlantic,“Wetendtothinkoftruthassomethingthatresidesintheworld”.Thefactthattwoplustwoequalsfouriswritteninthestars.ButWikipediasuggestsadifferenttheoryoftruth.Thecommunitydecidesthattwoplustwoequalsfourthesamewayitdecideswhatanappleis:
byconsensus.Yes,thatmeansthatifthecommunitychangesitsmindanddecidesthattwoplustwoequalsfive,thentwoplustwodoesequalfive.Thecommunityisn’tlikelytodosuchanabsurdoruselessthing,butitha