SESSION SUBJECT:
According to the conference program, this session discussed the "ethical, legal and economic questions pertaining to copyrights, patents and other types of ownership rights and protection for computer software, electronic messages and journals, web pages and other forms of computer-mediated expressions".

ZERO's thoughts on this session:

First off, when the official web site at the University of Wyoming gets updated with presentation papers from the conference (ZERO recommends enlisting U/W journalism students-- to take the workload off the Center on Ethics) ... when that gets done, you'll be able to read the presenter's points-of-view-- except, I think one: The first to speak, Mister Barlow, did so (it seemed) without a written paper! OK-- except that makes it hard for both the RESPONDERS (on panel) to respond; and also, no permanent record of the speech remains.

Zero's impression of Mr Barlow's talk was this:
Barlow accurately described ethics as a "transaction"; which brings ZERO to point out (to U/W officials) that the "equation" on top of this page ALSO DESCRIBES THE EVOLUTION OF ALL SOCIO-ECONOMIC ACTIVITY ON THE PLANET!
"Big-Business/ Mass Markets"...transformed by technology into "Markets of One"!

There is an unprecedented economic opportunity for the University here!
Namely, to create an inter-disciplinary course of study: Which models the application of ethical economic and communications resources... that are available to the university's disparate "community cultures" (read "thus applicable to every disparate community in the world!")
This is worth BIG money, folks: Hundred of billions of dollars, worldwide, in a global economy that NOW moves $8 trillion in cash each year!

PATENT THE METHODOLOGY!
Then LICENSE IT WORLDWIDE... college-by-community-by nation...by...nation!
Because, if the model will work in a backwater place like Old Wyoming... it'll sure as hell work in a backwater like rural China, outer Mongolia, the interior of Africa... and in the REST of the third world!

Back to Mister Barlow's talk...

Zero challenged that assertion, asking if the implication of it was that everyone using the world-wide-web essentially constitutes a "culture of one"-- thus rendering ALL consideration of (mutually-agreed) ethical conduct... OUT THE DOOR!

Cutting-edge CASE STUDY! Date, Oct. 11, 1996

Zero wrote one email letter, asking a question of a nasty celebrity-licensing company, known for its "litigious manner", worldwide.
The question got right to the point--without mincing words: Namely, what authority does this company have...when they can't even prevent somebody from using their "estate licensed" celebrity's name on a web site?

Without boring you with their page-long answer, the last paragraph ends with her invitation to TELEPHONE her, instead of
"... harrassing our staff through asinine and nonsensical e-mail.
Be advised that we will aggressively and actively pursue any and all further harrassing correspondence-- should you "cross the line".

Zero's answer:
=========================
"There's the line, etc..."
(In short, I think her "invitation" for me to make a telephone call to her was bait for a telephone harassment charge in an Indianapolis court. Instead, ZERO chose to respond in writing (a medium of record, like all email). But since, obviously, ANY response would probably be "crossing the line", readers should stay tuned for details of a probable harassment lawsuit--despite my very polite and nice "PS" which wishes her and her company "All the Best")

This case study is an example of corporate and INDUSTRY... culture AND ethics... on the internet.
Some companies and industries (like the celebrity licensing community; which are professional grave robbers) are "sneaky".
In Jackson I described one satellite company that lists (to this day!) a job that doesn't EXIST: Using the "job" as "bait" to "fish" the satellite industry for intelligence on this one company's competition-- which includes the paragon of American corporate militarism: Hughes (whose creator died in a germ-free isolation of complete "control").

Zero's impression:

People who get hurt in cyberspace need to
TURN OFF!
TUNE OUT!!
DROP IN!!! (on somebody special, when they go for a walk!).

Unfortunately, some people have their "lives" online... and can't reach out and be touched.
Incredibly, outside the conference, in the parking lot, ZERO ran into the most uniquely-beautiful woman now living in Laramie, Wyoming! She had come all the way to Jackson to see her friend, who was speaking. The woman had missed her friend's presentation and was now looking for her.
Later, that night, this woman was "still looking" for her friend-- and avoiding even eye contact with ZERO (who'd only told her earlier that day how special her friends must think she is).
LESSON: Some people would rather look for their friends...maybe forever... than be with someone who would like to BE their friend.
ZERO hopes this woman finds her friend!

First-off, the discussion--throughout the conference-- was on the Internet as an INFORMATION resource! Baloney! Has everything you've read on THIS page been "information"? NO! A lot of it might have been NOISE!
The internet is NOT a substitute for structured, professionally-applied education!
The internet is merely a DATA RESOURCE for SCHOLARSHIP!!!

We are at the crux now of a cultural transformation in education-- BACK IN TIME!
The ancient Greek teachers used to take their "students" on walks...
(remember the Socratic method?)
The result of this ancient "technology" was EDUCATION (we've derived that word, in English, from the Latin verb, "Educare'"; which means "To draw out from").
Modern educators MUST GET AWAY FROM "TEACHING" students! A passive student merely sits there and is "taught" (read "Propagare'".. "to teach" in Latin; and guess what I think of propagandistic teaching! In freshman English at U/W in 1971, I nearly flunked English-- because I argued with the teacher's point-of-view about the merits of solar and wind power--vs-- centralized power distribution!

Dr Terry Bynum's presentation of "MULTIMEDIA MODULES" is the basis for University's to take the first baby steps: To making their BODY OF KNOWLEDGE available (at a charge) to other institutions, worldwide! Alternative, privately-funded schools like the Teton Science School (and companies like Uni-link) can tap into "modules" that are produced on campuses, worldwide. And these "extra-academic" schools and companies can also CONTRIBUTE to the production of modules that will enrich them, their industries and communities: Which gives a GRADUATE from the academic institution a place to go..to get a job!

Because Dr Bynum's "modules" are written in Macromedia Director, he should move IMMEDIATELY to find out if Macromedia, itself, is writing an HTTP-to-DIRECTOR interface (which would let the raw CD-ROM run on a file-server and BE ACCESSED ON THE INTERNET!!!)