UnitTextITheGreatSeduction.docx

UnitTextITheGreatSeduction.docx

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UnitTextITheGreatSeduction

.Unit-Text-I--The-Great-Seduction

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Warm-up

◆SmallGroupDiscussionandWriting

WhatbenefitsanddrawbackscanthefollowingWeb2.0onlineactivitiesbringtosociety?

Haveasmallgroupdiscussionandcompletethefollowingtable.

Web2.0onlineactivities

Benefits

Drawbacks

Downloading,uploadingandsharingimages,audios,andvideosonwebsitesorweb-basedcommunities

Usingorcontributingtoopenlyeditable,web-basedencyclopedia（e.g.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,IfoundedA,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’ReillycalledWeb2.0,reallywasgoingtochangeeverything.NowthatmostAmericanshadbroadbandaccesstotheInternet,thedreamofafullynetworked,always-connectedsocietywasfinallygoingtoberealized.TherewasonewordoneveryFOOCamper’slipsinSeptember2004.Thatwordwas“democratization.”Media,information,knowledge,content,audience,author–allweregoingtobedemocratizedbyWeb2.0.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.TheeventwasabetaversionoftheWeb2.0revolution,whereWikipediametMySpacemetYouTube.Everyonewassimultaneouslybroadcastingthemselves,butnobodywaslistening.Outofthisanarchy,itsuddenlybecameclearthatwhatwasgoverningtheinfinitemonkeysnowinputtingawayontheInternetwasthelawofdigitalDarwinism,thesurvivaloftheloudestandmostopinionated.Undertheserules,theonlywaytointellectuallyprevailisbyinfinitefilibustering.

【7】Themorethatwassaidthatweekend,thelessIwantedtoexpressmyself.Asthedinofnarcissismswelled,Ibecameincreasinglysilent.AndthusbeganmyrebellionagainstSiliconValley.Insteadofaddingtothenoise,IbroketheonelawofFOOCamp2004.Istoppedparticipatingandsatbackandwatched.

【8】Ihaven’tstoppedwatchingsince.I’vespentthelasttwoyearsobservingtheWeb2.0revolution,andI’mdismayedbywhatI’veseen.WhatI’vebeenwatchingismorelikeHitchcock’sTheBirdsthanDoctorDoolittle:

ahorrormovieabouttheconsequencesofthedigitalrevolution.

【9】Becausedemocratization,despiteitsloftyidealization,isunderminingtruth,souringcivicdiscourse,andbelittlingexpertise,experience,andtalent.AsInotedearlier,itisthreateningtheveryfutureofourculturalinstitutions.

【10】Icallitthegreatseduction.TheWeb2.0revolutionhaspeddledthepromiseofbringingmoretruthtomorepeople–moredepthofinformation,moreglobalperspective,moreunbiasedopinionfromdispassionateobservers.Butthisisallasmokescreen.WhattheWeb2.0revolutionissuperficialobservationsoftheworldaroundusratherthandeepanalysis,shrillopinionratherthanconsideredjudgment.TheinformationbusinessisbeingtransformedbytheInternetintothesheernoiseofahundredmillionbloggersallsimultaneouslytalkingaboutthemselves.

【11】Moreover,thefree,user-generatedcontentspawnedandextolledbytheWeb2.0revolutionisdecimatingtheranksofourculturalgatekeepers,asprofessionalcritics,journalists,editors,musicians,moviemakers,andotherpurveyorsofexpertinformationarebeingreplacedbyamateurbloggers,hackreviewers,homespunmoviemakers,andatticrecordingartists.Meanwhile,theradicallynewbusinessmodelsbasedonuser-generatedmaterialsucktheeconomicvalueoutoftraditionalmediaandculturalcontent.

【12】We—thoseofuswhowanttoknowmoreabouttheworld—arebeingseducedbytheemptypromiseofthe“democratized”media.FortherealconsequenceoftheWeb2.0revolutionislessculture,lessreliablenews,andachaosofuselessinformation.Onechillingrealityinthisbravenewdigitalepochistheblurring,obfuscation,andevendisappearanceoftruth.ToquoteRichardEdelman,thefounder,president,andCEOofEdelmanPR,theworld’slargestprivatelyownedpublicrelationscompany:

【13】Inthiseraofexplodingmediatechnologiesthereisnotruthexceptthetruthyoucreateforyourself.

【14】Thisunderminingoftruthisthreateningthequalityofcivilpublicdiscourse,encouragingplagiarismandintellectualpropertytheft,andstiflingcreativity.Whenadvertisingandpublicrelationsaredisguisedasnews,thelinebetweenfactandfictionbecomesblurred.Insteadofmorecommunity,knowledge,orculture,allthatWeb2.0reallydeliversismoredubiouscontentfromanonymoussources,hijackingourtimeandplayingtoourgullibility.

【15】Needproof?

Let’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,enabledandperpetuatedbytheanonymityofWeb2.0,masqueradingasindependentart.Inshort,itisabiglie.

【17】AsformerBritishPrimeMinisterJamesCallaghansaid,“Aliecanmakeitswayaroundtheworldbeforethetruthhasthechancetoputitsbootson.”Thathasneverbeenmoretruethanwiththeflattened,editor–freeworldwhereindependentvideographers,podcasters,andbloggerscanposttheiramateurishcreationsatwill,andnooneisbeingpaidtochecktheircredentialsorevaluatetheirmaterial.Mediaisvulnerabletountrustworthycontentofeverystripe—whetherfromduplicitousPublicRelationcompanies,multinationalcorporationslikeWal–MartandMcDonald’s,oranonymousbloggerswithsophisticatedinventedidentities.

【18】TruthandtrustarethewhippingboysoftheWeb2.0revolution.Inaworldwithfewerandfewerprofessionaleditorsorreviewers,howarewetoknowwhatandwhomtobelieve?

Becausemuchoftheuser–generatedcontentontheInternetispostedanonymouslyorunderapseudonym,nobodyknowswhotherealauthorofmuchofthisself-generatedcontentactuallyis.AsMarshallPoeobservedintheSeptember2006issueoftheAtlantic,“Wetendtothinkoftruthassomethingthatresidesintheworld”.Thefactthattwoplustwoequalsfouriswritteninthestars.ButWikipediasuggestsadifferenttheoryoftruth.Thecommunitydecidesthattwoplustwoequalsfourthesamewayitdecideswhatanappleis:

byconsensus.Yes,th