FSCONS 2009
What is culture, how is it transmitted (and the issue of copyright) from a stone-age archeologists point of view! That was the focus of Mikael Nordins talk Cultural Transmission from an Archaeological Perspective. So why should we care about cultural transmission? According to Nordin its what makes us human. This becomes fascinating particularly since his perspective is the stone age. Bifacial mapping technique to make stone ages involves the same parts of the brain as with speaking. This supports the idea speech and cultural (stone tools) have an entangled evolution. This is fascinating stuff. The control of know-how and knowledge of the power elite has always been protected against piracy. But Nordin argues in the end the majority will win.
Indeed! Not to mention the fact that everything we do is based on tens of thousands of years of development and change and innovation. Creators need to get off their high horses or start paying for the privilige they themselves enjoy making use of what others have made and said before them.
I am reminded of Rousseau’s note about puting up fences. Seems as if everyone is fencing off smaller and smaller parts of our world presently.
Well, if others shall come and freely copy and steal the works of artists and other creative individuals, it will perhaps mean that those individuals cannot afford to create but must maybe do something else, which will be a loss to all of us. Creativity and economy goes hand in hand.
hi gander – I disagree. The GNU Linux operating system, the wikipedia encyclopedia, the millions of free images on flickr, thousands of free songs on Jamendo and thousands of free books around the web seem to prove that economy and creativity go hand in hand. That myth has been busted…