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14th out of 16 books
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27 voters
Content: Selected Essays on Technology, Creativity, Copyright, and the Future of the Future
Hailed by Bruce Sterling as �a political activist, gizmo freak, junk collector, programmer, entrepreneur, and all-around Renaissance geek,” the Internet’s favorite high-tech culture maven is celebrated with the first collection of his infamous articles, essays, and polemics. Irreverently championing free speech and universal access to information—even if it's just a free d...more
Paperback, 224 pages
Published
September 15th 2008
by Tachyon Publications
(first published January 1st 2008)
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1. [Io interpreto il libro come una “pratica” – una raccolta di attività sociali, economiche e artistiche – e non un “oggetto”. Vedere il libro come “pratica” invece che come “oggetto” è un’idea innovativa, e conduce alla domanda: cosa diavolo è un libro? Bella domanda.]
2. [Gli ebook devono abbracciare la loro natura. [Ebooks need to embrace their nature] Questo valore peculiare degli ebook è ortogonale al valore dei libri cartacei e ruota attorno alle possibilità del testo elettronico di essere...more
2. [Gli ebook devono abbracciare la loro natura. [Ebooks need to embrace their nature] Questo valore peculiare degli ebook è ortogonale al valore dei libri cartacei e ruota attorno alle possibilità del testo elettronico di essere...more
I absolutely loved his book! It's a collection of articles that we previously printed elsewhere, but, when you put them all together, you get a great read!
The author talks a lot about how he releases all his books on the net for free. You would think he would lose money doing so, but the freebies stimulate interest in his books which lead to more copies being sold. The RIAA could learn a lot from this book, instead of actively suing their own customers....
One interesting thing I learned from thi...more
The author talks a lot about how he releases all his books on the net for free. You would think he would lose money doing so, but the freebies stimulate interest in his books which lead to more copies being sold. The RIAA could learn a lot from this book, instead of actively suing their own customers....
One interesting thing I learned from thi...more
An interesting book, although it could have done with a light edit to remove presentation artifacts, such as repeated headings. The ideas are worth considering, though: copyright is broken, DRM treats customers like criminals, giving it away increases your audience, and so forth—all somewhat familiar arguments by now. And he does have a point: it's insulting, when you try to burn a playlist for all 8 of the people in your discussion group, to be told after the 7th that you must stop now, or you'...more
Doctorow discusses the pitfalls of DRM (Digital Rights Management), copyrights, and attempts at controlling creativity in technology. His conclusion? Give it away! Through his own experience (he has made this book, and other materials he has produced, available in electronic formats...free of charge), Doctorow believes that he is more successful in building his audience through providing his work to the public at no cost.
Seth Godin agrees. He asserts that success in the future lies in giving aw...more
Seth Godin agrees. He asserts that success in the future lies in giving aw...more
There were some excellent insights in Doctorow's essays on the future of content, how content is consumed, and the all pervasive nature of the internet and the challenges this presents to creators of content in an information economy.
Some key points that I found to be of interest included:
Information is a relationship – a simultaneous relationship, an action and an area of shared mind
Challenges of economic paradigm for content creation and the constraints of copyright (e.g. Buying region-specifi...more
Some key points that I found to be of interest included:
Information is a relationship – a simultaneous relationship, an action and an area of shared mind
Challenges of economic paradigm for content creation and the constraints of copyright (e.g. Buying region-specifi...more
Ha ha, Doctorow, I read your book online without paying for it :P
But I wouldn't have read Content if I'd had to buy it -- and that would have been too bad, because it's a great little book. On matters of copyright, Doctorow reminds me of the way Chinese satirist Lu Xun described himself: a crazy man banging on the outer walls of a blazing iron house in the vain hope of rousing the inhabitants before they burn to death. For Doctorow, the iron house is the notion that intellectual property is some...more
But I wouldn't have read Content if I'd had to buy it -- and that would have been too bad, because it's a great little book. On matters of copyright, Doctorow reminds me of the way Chinese satirist Lu Xun described himself: a crazy man banging on the outer walls of a blazing iron house in the vain hope of rousing the inhabitants before they burn to death. For Doctorow, the iron house is the notion that intellectual property is some...more
I am almost done but I can safely say that Cory's writing is boring,clear and to the point. Where it lacks literary artistry it gains in wit and clarity of ideas. There is much to learn from this "geek" who is actually a very cool dude and family man(young). His ideas of the uselesness of trying to control the web content is directed to those who want to use the net but want to be protected in a cyberworld where the current "laws" are as good as the next hacker, the next pirate program etc. In C...more
This is a collection of Doctorow's writing on copyright, DRM and the internet. It is, like the rest of his work, available for free under a CC licence online, but I got the paper version, being the old-fashioned book-lover that I am. Doctorow acknowledges that he probably loses some sales through putting his work online for free, but his contention is that the publicity and goodwill he gains from it generate more paper sales than he loses. This has certainly worked for him, although I don't know...more
Such a rhetorical way of writing essays which is mostly a collection of presentations, conferences, et al! Cory Doctorow has a knack of adding humor to whatever he wants to convey which is obviously being talked about for a serious attention. Though, the topics are sophisticated but he has tried his best with several relevant anecdotes which makes it clear to understand the making of copyright and it's subsequent infringement and then anti-circumvention to keep off competitors.
One of the anecdot...more
One of the anecdot...more
I picked up Doctorow’s book because I suspected it would have some choice conversation starters for my Writing for New Media class. And it does. The book (available at Craphound.com for a free download) comprises a whole bunch of Doctorow’s columns for the Guardian, Locus, and other places. As usual, his geek chic wit works for me. Some thoughts about individual essays:
* The early essays about the problems with the current conception of copyright hit the ball out of the park. I particularly lik...more
* The early essays about the problems with the current conception of copyright hit the ball out of the park. I particularly lik...more
These essays, mostly written in 2007 for other venues, collect several ideas on the interaction of copyright laws and technology. They will make you think. They'll educate you on the history of copyright law where you'll get a perspective on how it has evolved and how it should evolve in the future. You'll get a perspective on why the most recent changes in copyright law are flawed and why DRM is bad.
Any reader who is interested in this kind of thing should read "Content." Any writer who doesn't...more
Any reader who is interested in this kind of thing should read "Content." Any writer who doesn't...more
I picked this up from the library for two reasons. One, after reading Scalzi's best of Whatever book, I was ready to read another colletion from a blogger I read semi-regularly. Of course, this is a collection of essays and articles, not blog posts. Two, a lot of the content in Content ties into the IP reading I've been doing lately.
Doctorow takes his collection from a variety of articles and presentations he's authored over the last few years. His writing is easy to read, and he is clear and co...more
Doctorow takes his collection from a variety of articles and presentations he's authored over the last few years. His writing is easy to read, and he is clear and co...more
Cory Doctorow is one of those cool hipster technologists with lots of opinions that are mostly well-founded, and an arrogant certainty that the opposing viewpoint is represented by Sauron and Emperor Palpatine.
This book is a selection of previously published essays, magazine articles, and conference presentations, mostly on the theme of copyright and intellectual property law, piracy, privacy, ebooks, and related matters. He makes some compelling arguments, but as these articles were mostly publ...more
This book is a selection of previously published essays, magazine articles, and conference presentations, mostly on the theme of copyright and intellectual property law, piracy, privacy, ebooks, and related matters. He makes some compelling arguments, but as these articles were mostly publ...more
Wow, I couldn't put this book down. Cory Doctorow had so many interesting things to say about copyright, personal property, the internet, and many other things that I, in my isolated state of parenting and other busy-ness, haven't had time to notice or think about. These are great essays and presentations. I expected I'd read this book over a few weeks or a month -- that it would be my "fill in" book for those moments when I had enough time to read a quick essay but not an entire chapter -- but...more
Would have given four stars, but as the book is made up previously published essays it gets a bit repetitive. Could have been edited down to two or three long essays. That being said, I think the info he's giving is essential. I recommend this book to anyone who doesn't understand why most of the library's audiobooks can't be played on an ipod. Of course, some might reach different conclusions than Doctorow, but as a librarian, I'm for open gardens. I have a professional obligation to make infor...more
Ascoltato in audiobook, o meglio, "fancast", letto da jan Rubak mentre andavo e tornavo dal lavoro:
http://www.archive.org/details/CoryDo...
In ogni caso, tutta roba che avevo pi�� o meno gi�� letto altrove, ma che ho riascoltato volentieri. Il solo fatto che un fancast sia possibile depone a favore delle licenze Creative Commons, che sono figlie dell'approccio all'informazione che Doctorow propugna da sempre. Da meditare, ma anche da assaporare, perch�� anche nei pezzi pi�� tecnici lo stile �� si...more
http://www.archive.org/details/CoryDo...
In ogni caso, tutta roba che avevo pi�� o meno gi�� letto altrove, ma che ho riascoltato volentieri. Il solo fatto che un fancast sia possibile depone a favore delle licenze Creative Commons, che sono figlie dell'approccio all'informazione che Doctorow propugna da sempre. Da meditare, ma anche da assaporare, perch�� anche nei pezzi pi�� tecnici lo stile �� si...more
To readers of the BoingBoing blog, Cory Doctorow needs no introduction. The contents of this book will likewise be familiar, as it covers Doctorow's favorite topics, the so-called copyfight struggle of regular folks versus overreaching intellectual property owners, the wrongheadedness of digital rights management technology, and the growing encroachment of government surveillance into everyday life. These are all important topics, and Doctorow handles them deftly. However, like Dawkins' and Hitc...more
First off, all these articles are available online free or have circulated there for years. I just liked having them all organized and brought together in a tidy, non-electronic, highly-readable package.
Doctorow is extremely prolific in his side career of EFF spokesperson and advocate for open Intellectual Property rights as he is primarily occupied by writing a culturally savvy type of sci-fi. These installments represent what is likely a majority of his valuable published writings on these sub...more
Doctorow is extremely prolific in his side career of EFF spokesperson and advocate for open Intellectual Property rights as he is primarily occupied by writing a culturally savvy type of sci-fi. These installments represent what is likely a majority of his valuable published writings on these sub...more
A fabulous collection of essays, available for free under the Creative Commons license at craphound.com, Cory Doctorow's website, along with all his other books. Some of the essays repeat the same examples but overall, a good collection to have around, though I might recommend that you don't read them straight through. The author practices what he preaches in terms of digital rights and I think that is the best endorsement of the points raised in these essays.
Alcuni degli articoli sono davvero brillanti. In particolare la breve storia delle crittografia, raccontata ai dipendenti della Microsoft. La raccolta é di pezzi che arrivano fino al 2007, non stiamo quindi proprio sul filo della notizia, ma questo rende la lettura ancora più interessante; in particolare viene da chiedersi se ancora Cory sia del tutto sicuro che i suoi lettori che scaricano i file ePub gratis poi davvero se li vanno a comprare cartacei.
Dopo la valanga di lettori ebook finiti nel...more
Dopo la valanga di lettori ebook finiti nel...more
An absolute must for any librarian, English teacher, IT teacher, or just about anyone with an interest in digital 'content' and how it is being manipulated for profit.
Doctorow, apart from being a pretty good YA and Sci Fi writer is a leading expert in copyright law in the digital age. His take on eBooks, DRM and piracy are all pretty inspiring and provocative.
Also...this, and any of his books, are available at his website for free.
Doctorow, apart from being a pretty good YA and Sci Fi writer is a leading expert in copyright law in the digital age. His take on eBooks, DRM and piracy are all pretty inspiring and provocative.
Also...this, and any of his books, are available at his website for free.
I downloaded this book to read the chapters on Digital Rights Management ("DRM") -- it's a worthwhile read if you spend time creating works (photos, writing, blogging) to share on the internet or if you're interested in the implications of DRM systems on your favorite devices.
It's primarily a collection of essays collected from the author's articles. I got a lot out of it but stumbled a few times on typos and missing sentences.
It's primarily a collection of essays collected from the author's articles. I got a lot out of it but stumbled a few times on typos and missing sentences.
A good primer on Doctorow and his thoughts on copyright, media centralization, and the creative power of the internet. The essays contained within were written over many years and for many different audiences, so you see the re-use of several analogies and rhetorical devices throughout. Apparently, for example, when Doctorow was living in San Fransisco, he discovered his barber through Google Maps. You learn that fact several times :o)
Overall, I agree with Doctorow's sentiments, but I don't think that this book did the best job of expressing them. I'm not a stupid person, and I am very familiar with technology, and yet I often had to read passages several times to understand how the supporting arguments were relevant to the main objective of the essay. Sometimes they were simply disjointed, occasionally they simply were not relevant. I was disappointed with this collection, mostly because I believe in the conversation, and I...more
I've seen books go obsolete before, but rarely so quickly. This book was published in 2008 and consists largely of articles and essays written in 2007, and is now largely obsolete. I got about a third of the way through, far enough to see how he completely botched his prediction about the ebook market (he was sure those things were never going anywhere and would certainly never outsell paperbacks), and that pretty much cinched that it wasn't worth reading any more.
Even if it weren't outdated, th...more
Even if it weren't outdated, th...more
This book was fantastic. By far the most intelligent view on DRM and copyright law I've ever read. Doctorow provides a blunt but realistic outlook for many emerging technologies. I really like the prevailing theme of "Computers are really really good at copying things. The Internet is really really good at transmitting data. Any software or technology that tries to make it harder to copy and transmit data is just dumb. Instead of working against it, develop a new business model."
He also makes s...more
He also makes s...more
A collection of Cory Doctorow's earlier published articles, largely about digital rights and copyright law. The articles vary in quality and relevance, but the book still serves as a great primer for anyone new to the issue. Many (possibly still all) of the articles can be read on Doctorow's website, but they pack a bit more of a punch bound together.
Despite what others might tell you, this is not a book of political opinions. While the author does give his opinions, and has his own agenda (as everyone does), this book is more about the facts of copyright in the digital age. It paints a clear picture of why and how copyright works, and how the current system is doomed to eventual failure. If you ever plan to make money off of copyrighted works, you need to read this book so that you understand the world in which you are peddling your wares.
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Highly interesting, slightly out of date. This is a collection of essays on technology, copyright, and more written in or before 2007, which leads to some hilarious topics. The Napster wars, MySpace, the potential failure of Facebook...
There's a "sequel" to this book which is another collection of essays by Doctorow and is called "Context" which I just ordered last night and should be much more up to date.
All in all, I really enjoyed this book. Quick and a good introduction to the topics covere...more
There's a "sequel" to this book which is another collection of essays by Doctorow and is called "Context" which I just ordered last night and should be much more up to date.
All in all, I really enjoyed this book. Quick and a good introduction to the topics covere...more
Sci-fi author and blogger Doctorow exposes the futility of current copyright law and traces the paradigm shift of content vs. container from player-pianos and the invention of radio to ebooks and peer-to-peer file sharing. From the introduction by web pioneer and Grateful Dead lyricist John Perry Barlow to the dozens of previously published articles, Content is smart, funny, and provocative. Although the essays can get a bit repetitive if read straight through, there are so many gems: a lecture...more
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Canadian blogger, journalist and science fiction author who serves as co-editor of the blog Boing Boing.
He is an activist in favor of liberalizing copyright laws and a proponent of the Creative Commons organization, using some of their licenses for his books.
Some common themes of his work include digital rights management, file sharing, Disney, and post-scarcity economics.
http://us.macmillan.com...more
More about Cory Doctorow...
He is an activist in favor of liberalizing copyright laws and a proponent of the Creative Commons organization, using some of their licenses for his books.
Some common themes of his work include digital rights management, file sharing, Disney, and post-scarcity economics.
http://us.macmillan.com...more
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“s security expert Bruce Schneier has said, "Making bits harder to copy is like making water that's less wet.”
—
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“the problem with reading off a screen isn’t resolution, eyestrain, or compatibility with reading in the bathtub: it’s that computers are seductive, they tempt us to do other things, making concentrating on a long-form work impractical.”
—
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