Land of the Free

       Land of the free, this is the motto that most Americans live by. Many of us have heard it in elementary school, in presidential addresses and scattered through out common day life. So what happens if this wonderful land of the free turns into land of the copyrighted and censorship? This idea thoroughly scares me. When reading the The Master Switch by Tim Wu and “Open Code and Open Societies” by Lawrence Lessig this idea of controlling content on the Internet kept popping up. Instances of companies trying to control the flow of information to turn a profit litter the Internet highway. Before reading these two documents it hardly crossed my mind what information I was receiving on the Internet. I would download music when available, sometimes illegal and sometimes not, and when a site wouldn’t load or the every common statement “Flash not supported” appeared on my iphone I would strike it up to technological error and continue on with my day. Since being informed im personally scared for the future and what it will bring. The emphasis that companies put on content is astonishing. Companies are so afraid of losing control over their prized content that they are losing the very core of what the internet is, to share ideas through a medium which is open to the whole world. If this medium starts to close than can we really be called the land of the free? Especially when the government is putting more and more restrictions on the distribution of content throughout the Internet. One Instance in Lessing’s article which really shocked me was how when the Canadian company iCraveTV wanted to distribute television through the Internet to Canadians.  However, when a few Americans tapped in and reached it too, it was apparently against the law because of the copyright rules in the U.S. What a contradiction to our founding principles, that Canada somehow has freedom of content and freedom of the internet to an extent and yet in the U.S the copyright laws are becoming so constraining and so limiting that we are seeing out freedoms slowly and slowly slipping away.

We're Going to Save the World

          

                  Consumer desire, it’s something that can be seen many times when you watch television or open a magazine. The glossy ads calling to many, trying to draw them in and hook them on the next great invention. Many times when a new innovation comes into play, it transforms not only our daily routine, but essentially it alters what we except out of a device. Tim Wu’s book The Master Switch is all about communication and how these inventions are incorporated into society. In many cases these new inventions change not only our outlook, but in the end this can eventually change most peoples perception of what they desire out of a technology. One of the most interesting claims, which Wu brings to the table, is how new inventions involving communication can many times bring a new hope and a new way of thinking to the world. For Wu It’s the ever present idea that the newest invention is finally the one to cure all of society’s problems and make a whole new society.  This is also the start of the Cycle, which reappears again and again. Its interesting to see that in some cases the cycle brings about not only the hope of the new technology but it also, for some people, alters their overall material desires in life, letting many dream of devices that weren’t even a spot on their screen in past years.

” Better communication it is believed, lead to better mutual understanding, perhaps a recognition of a shared humanity, and the avoidance of needless disaster. Perhaps it is for this reason that the advent of every new technology of communication always brings with it a hope for ameliorating all the ills of society.” (Pg 36 The Master Switch)

            In the passage above, Wu begins his claim with the idea that every new innovation in the communication field comes with it hope and developments, which will, many people believe in most cases change society for the better. Through out the Master Switch, we see this with the radio and television.  These two mediums in many ways changed the way we interact with each other and how we find out world news today. For some people they allow for better communication and better forms of entertainment. It is also interesting to note that they are all essentially catalysts for one another. If you look closer at the Cycle you can see how each new invention, which was said to be the savior to communication, is in the end tossed aside as old media and then built upon. Just like with Cable it built upon the already withstanding structure of television.

“For the first time since its invention in 1926, television was suddenly a wide-open medium, with all sorts of notions of what it was meant to be and do.” (The Master Switch, pg 211)

                        For the most part each new invention is better than the last, or that should be their goal, and then all we have to do is wait around for the next great invention to come along. For many seeing these new “great” inventions allow us to dream a little more and see that many thing are possible beyond are wildest imaginations.

             Personally I have seen this occur many times within my life, with myself and with the people surrounding me. Many people purchase the best new thing only to be entertained for a few weeks and then look to the what else they could possible buy to make their lives better. Most major corporations applaud this way of thinking. With out this constant need to update and improve our lives based on technology many of these companies would be out of business. There has to be some reason for invention.

“They have to be inclined to invest time and money” (The Master Switch, pg 221)

                  Just look to Apple, with out people wanting to update and replace their old Ipods and computers than a huge chunk of their revenue would be removed. In my experience the people purchasing the ipod and Mac book already own an earlier version and they just want the next best thing, or to say they how it. This ties in with Tim Wu’s idea perfectly. He said that with the advent of new technology brings with it the hope of a better society and in essence getting rid of the communication barriers and inconveniences out of life. For many the new ipod or new, better cell phone does just that. I know when I purchase a new ipod or a new technology, the reason I’m doing so is because in some way or another I have it in my mind that the features will be better and it in some way I will get rid of some of the kinks noticeable in the last one. Other wise why purchase or update something? Why spend your hard earn money on something unless you are getting something more out of it? With cable and several of the new inventions prevalent in The Master Switch, many chose to purchase it because of the promise of a better quality of entertainment, or else why change from standard antenna television.

 “Cable, they believed might well prove more revolutionary than the printing press. with the capacity in theory to bring an unlimited number of channels of information into the home, it had the potential to heal American politics, revive local communities, and offer American direct access to the world’s knowledge and wisdom: a communication center of a breadth and flexibility to influence every aspect of private and community life.” (pg 176 The Master Switch)

New Technology usually promises something more and with it there's the hope of a better device and then in return, a better easier way of life. Wu’s concept of a better society through the improvement of communication shows us the start to the cycle. It show us how one of the only reasons to try to improve and try to become more innovative is to make your life better. 

Where Would We Be?

Communication is the foundation for pretty much everything in society. From Facebook to our new smart phones there are new ways of communicating popping up everywhere, it’s inescapable.  The current book, which we will be examining in my First Year Seminar, is none other than Tim Wu’s “The Master Switch.” Through this thrilling tale navigating through the rise and the fall of the phone, entertainment and Cable Company’s we see just how messed up the line of communications are.

“I can do more today in communications than any conqueror ever could have done,” He proclaimed, “I want to be the hero of my country.” Pg 209 The Master Switch by Tim Wu

Ted Turner Picture 

This powerful quote, which is from, Ted Turner, a man who revolutionized the cable industry, is in essence equating himself to God or “the hero of my country.” This shows the self-obsessed view these media moguls had through out the century in the communications era. It amazes me to hear them say something like this, but through out my reading I have found that in a way its completely true. While these media empires don’t necessarily save the world and they certainly aren’t the heroes of our country, they do shape and mold our world as they see fit. How many of us have cable television, Ted Turners claim to fame, or go see movies on a regular basis. I’m going to guess pretty much everyone. These huge moguls control what we see on the news, what is displayed on our favorite shows, and control what is placed in newspapers and magazines. Our lives revolve around all of these  media outlets. Ted Turner changed the world.  He created a prototype of the cable network one, which we still have today. Where would we be with out The Real House Wives of Beverly hills or Family Guy running in continuous loops on BRAVO and Spike? That’s something we’ll never really know. These entertainment founders had these massive egos because they knew how powerful communication is in our society, as seen in this online article about face book and the Presidential elections.

http://edition.cnn.com/2007/TECH/05/01/election.facebook/

This article talks of how the recent presidential campaigns are targeting online media through face book and other online sources. But the question that arises, is this for the best? Is our society turning into one huge popularity contest where all it takes to join a campaign is to log onto your face book and like it? So Ted Turner hero to the world, he would like to think so, however in my opinion just one of the many players that shaped our world we live in today, good or bad.