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Creative Commons: A Field Study In OpenSource
I've been trying to explain the ideas of OpenSource recently in terms not specific to programming code or some other technological jargon. I've been having a bit of a hard time trying to create an image of OpenSource as a model, but I think I've come up with a few examples that will help outline the basic principles. I'll do this by using CreativeCommons.Org as an Operating Platform. From this platform I'll demonstrate how OpenSource principles begin to take affect, and how real world examples are utilizing these. Keep in mind that OpenSource is not dependent on CreativeCommons, nor visa versa, they are a way to practice OpenSource, not The Way.
CreativeCommons: "...Creative Commons has developed a Web application that helps people dedicate their creative works to the public domain - or retain their copyright while licensing them as free for certain uses, on certain conditions." What does this really mean? Let me break down the techno-jargon part. Web-Application deals with the fact that the service is provided completely online. The way you license under CreativeCommons is the same way you access your Gmail/Hotmail, or read NyTimes.com: Through a Web-Portal (like Internet Explorer or Firefox.) But we can take this a little deeper. You might not use IE/Firefox to read your Gmail, you might use Outlook or Thunderbird. You could read NyTimes.com from an aggregator or newsreader. In this sense, those programs, Outlook or a newsreader, would be considered client-side applications. The service itself, Hotmail/NyTimes.com would be the server-side application.
We call most server-side applications API's or web-based API. The API, application program interface, is merely just how the program operates. NyTimes operates by posting information in a very uniform way, a standard known as XML/RSS. Newsreaders then use that standard to bring information to peoples desktops, without the need to use a webpage browser to visit nytimes.com. Same with email, the service or API, like Gmail, uses standards to allow third-party applications, like Outlook, to access that information and use it another way.
So we know CreativeCommons has developed a Licensing Web Application. We know that web apps, or API's can be used in a lot of different ways, on both the server-side and client-side (it's either Google's computer doing the thinking, or yours). Lets look at what is being licensed. I think the best example to date, at least the most widely used, will be Yahoo's Flickr.com photo sharing and publication service.
Flickr.com has built into their website the ability to use CreativeCommons to license any photo you post through their service. You could always put a picture on the Internet then go directly to CreativeCommons and license it, but that is redundant if you have the ability to do it simultaneously while posting. Flickr uses CreativeCommons web API to aide the usablity of their product. The fact that you can not only host your images online for free but at the same time put a "Some Rights Reserved" license on the photo itself... That's value, and value keeps users happy. Keep in mind... so far everything I've talked about is free.
Now Flickr is just a major player in the game, but there are others that have utilized CreativeCommons API in creative and productive ways. Groups like the Archive.Org have used the API to host open-content. OurMedia.Org is a group that uses InternetArchive in conjunction with CreativeCommons to host all different types of media in a very user-centric way. Both these groups operate under non-profit, OpenSource business models. Flickr is a semi-OpenSource model, they're owned by Yahoo! and in my book being a for-profit corporation will automatically stamp the "semi-" label to your OpenSource contribution.
Remember OpenSource is a principle or a model. It is also a term to describe the licensing associated with some type of media, media being information. The contrast to OpenSource in this sense is Proprietary. Proprietary for the most part means that there is some type of restriction to the access you have to the information. Think of the FBI warnings on Cd's telling you it's a federal offense to copy or redistribute the information on that disk. That is proprietary. Proprietary systems use old licensing models like Copyright, Trademark and Reserved. Patents fall into this category as well, but are used more on the software, code base side, rather than a pop-song or some other nonsense.
CreativeCommons creates a way to protect your media to an extent that makes it not proprietary. The major restrictions involved with CC licenses deal with preventing users to represent your work without proper credit and preventing users to use your work for some type of commercial purpose/gain. This is how it maintains the OpenSource integrity test. OpenSource encourages distribution as long as proper credit is given to the authors of the media. This opens the door to "Remix" ... which I'll go into at a later date, ie. next post.
Lets look at a few more specific examples of how CreativeCommons and OpenSource work together to help create what I've recently been refering to as the Great Information Society. CreativeCommons gives us a framework to license media that is compatible with OpenSource ideology. Services like Flickr, the InternetArchive and OpenMedia demonstrate tangible models of this relationship. The fact that both profit and non-profit models have found a way to use these tools is interesting in itself, but I think it is the non-profits that will help lead the way to a better tomorrow.
The technological backbone of the CreativeCommons web-applications are made available through a popular open source distribution site called SourceForge. These applications are used by developers that work for the Flickr's and OpenMedia's of the world. Those projects are funded by organizations that want to help develop this OpenSource philosophy. The Omidyar Network is an example of one of these groups. These folks first gave us Ebay, then helped fund nearly every project I've mentioned thus far, and a few prominent others like the Apache Group, Electronic Frontier Foundation, and the FreeBSD Foundation. Groups like OpenBusiness act as a marketplace of ideas for the entrepreneurs of the world to help develop new models that follow these OpenSource principles.
Keep in mind that everything I've talked about thus far is a free service. I think it's also worthy to note that I've been talking about the impact one tool has had on the OpenSource marketplace. Remember, CreativeCommons is not The Way, it is a way. It is a tool that can be used to facilitate a new way of doing business. We can use it to develop new ways to approach the distribution of media. It does it all under the guise of OpenSource. OpenSource is not just for programmers and the ubber tech savvy. It can, and I believe it should, be the way we create, exchange and use information. The models are starting to come together to form a really beautiful picture. We haven't even begun to scratch the surface of how this will impact our future society, lets change that. After all, it's free!
10.10.2005
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Shame, Shame!
 Today the strong arm tactics of the Right-Wing have triumphed once again, and once again it appears to benefit nobody in particular, except for a few well-to-do Oil Companies. I guess they're not getting rich enough from the sky-rocketing consumer pump prices, or through their own schemes to diminish supply, favoring demand-predicated models. Shame on you, Right-Wing, Terrors of America.
"...I do have an inquiry, when the bill is pushed out of committee without the members having the ability to review it, when the bill is re-written and put on the house floor without the members having the ability to review it, when the vote is held open long after the time it expired, doesn't this make the house a Banana Republic?" - Democratic House Representative ThinkProgress is hosting of some of the exchanges that went down during the vote between the Speaker (pictured above) and the Democratic Leadership. For the most part I consider ThinkProgress a valuable resource in fighting the war against Right-Wing Terrorism. They have a few solid operating principles I wish more bloggers and news site abided by:
- They always link their sources. As new information comes in, they are sure to update.
- They are extremely timely. I'll normally see events up on TP before even the AP wires it.
- Their site design and functionality is second to none, and their RSS services are exceptional.
Their biggest weaknesses:
- Extremely biased, Left-Wing agenda based readership, diminishing insightful comment discussion.
- They act sometimes more as a linking service than a resource for insightful commentary, even though they have exceptional writers on staff.
In the new media marketplace that will-be Web2.0, I believe the models groups have begun to develop will really start taking shape. I believe ThinkProgress is one of many examples to follow in the development of this new system. They have a clear set agenda, and the functionality of their webspace is facilitated through design and a clear content base. Notice as well the lack of advertising on their site. These examples stand as a beacon for future generations. To harness the power of the Great Information Society we'll need to build models that don't depend on old ways of thought. We need to move forward. It's called Progress folks, think about it.
10.07.2005
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Linus, my Newest, Bestest Friend
Recently I've been playing around with idea of making the switch over to Linux. Fortunately the buy-out of our company has relaxed our deadlines so I have a lot of free time on my hands and I've been able to take the first steps to making a complete switch.
Really I think the hardest part is choosing the right distro. There are literally thousands to choose from, and I guess, if I wanted I could just build my own flavor. That'll come soon enough, but for now I went with Kubuntu. I started off with a Mandrake-Mini, but it turned out to be not so mini at all. I'm running a dual-pentII 350 mhrtz, 256mb RAM, 2 gig SCSI HD at work, and an OS install taking 95% of HD space just wasn't working out. Kubuntu is nice, easy to install, good package management and only takes 50% with the core server install.
I've now got Kubuntu on a 1 gig partition on my laptop at home, so I can boot into a linux OS when desired. I've used a server management and install package called Xampp that is really cool. It comes with Apache Web Server, PHP, MySQL, ProFTPd, SSL, and Perl and all installs with one simple command. Fun times ahead, thanks Linus!
p@: too bad they didn't know you could gzip and tar in the same command line!
p33nz: yeah i thought the same thign
p@: ls
p33nz: pat.txt wrong.html window.exe
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M.A.N., Finally a New Model
It appears Google has put in a bid to setup a free Municipal Area Network in the San Francisco Bay area. These may seem like same old, same old west-tech market place exploration, but it has pretty big implications.
First of all, Google is now the most valuable media company in the world according to their market value. Let me say that again, we're talking about the largest media company in the world offering free internet, via wireless, citywide, networks.
Second, because we know nothing is free in this world, they seem to have the technology, and a lot of people suggesting, that it'll be bank-rolled by geo-relational targeted advertising. They know which towers you're accessing, and could possibly even triangulate nearly your exact geo-spacial position. When you're sipping your Corner Cup latte surfing Google's free-access, citywide wireless internet, every Parkside business with an Ad-Sense account will have free reign to your browsers load page. This may or may not be a good thing, but I think we're safe in Google's hands, for now.
Finally we get to what matters. Because we know Google is the big media company that will, "Do No Evil," and Ad-Words are the very least of the problem that is online advertising, we begin to realize what this really all adds up too: A New Model.
Free internet access folks. Powered by an engine that has time after time shown that, "they could." They have given us Google Maps, Google Labs, Google Earth, Google Talk, Google Desktop, Google Search, let them give us Google Internet.
The most important thing here is that they will show us a way. Not the way. Please don't take from this that what they offer to offer is the end all, it is far from it to say the least. It's a giant leap in the formation of the Great Information Society. We're getting so much closer everyday. These days wont be lost among those who harness their opportunity.
10.04.2005
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