Friday, March 22, 2013

Ed Felten on the new freedom to tinker

Felten's post is worth reading in full.  Among other things, those who want the freedom to tinker should oppose the new servitudes, including licenses and the DMCA.  I would add that tinkerers come in all flavors; the fans I work with are tinkerers, both with technology (fans as zine publishers, video editors, etc. have always been user-innovators) and with texts.  So to Felten's list I'd add media fans: "[T]hose who support different aspects of the freedom to tinker need to recognize themselves as allies. If you’re motivated by phone unlocking, or if you’re passionate about preserving white-hat research, or if you’re trying to protect the legality of a legitimate but disruptive product, what you’re really fighting for is the freedom to tinker. Even if you disagree about other political issues, you can be allies on this issue."

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