Nude Media; Origins and Context

Nude media, the articles explains, is when something is stripped of all it’s context, all the original information it was first published with. This refers to pictures, captions, quotes, and formatting. The article shows just how different things can be stripped of their original meaning. It showed the difference between printed/published works and works that may appear online. If someone cuts and pastes something online, a certain quote might be spread around to represent something completely different from what it was originally meant for.

I never actually gave any thought to the way information is spread across the internet. It never occurred to me that information could be so butchered and I never thought that articles might have context. The example was really excellent; the newspaper article on Tony Curtis seems more legitimate and holds a certain credibility that the online source loses when it attempts to go for a simpler/easier read. The article further loses credibility when it is e-mailed to another person. It loses it’s original font and formatting and it becomes increasingly easier to take out of context. People could easily mess up the original message by only sending a portion of the article or  and the writer of Nude Media makes a great point when he states that it’s essentially like a big game of Telephone. It gives new meaning to the common saying that you can’t believe anything on the internet.

It certainly makes me think more on the “facts” and stories I see on various websites. The article also makes me aware that I’ve probably seen many nude media sources of information. Tumblr is a great example of Nude media. Everyday, there are pictures or comics that have meanings and lessons to them but they will never be interpreted correctly because the original poster’s comments get deleted. Other times, a fact or piece of information is posted with a sometimes irrelevant opinion which ends up changing the context of the fact. This information is reblogged countless times and the false. assumed information is spread to others.

Overall, after learning about Nude Media, I think Creative Commons is even more important and useful now. With Creative Commons, people who posted something that wasn’t theirs, they would be required to put a link or an acknowledgement back to the original poster. This wouldn’t get rid of Nude Media but it would at least help combat the issue and it would provide a reliable source for context.

Creative Commons And The Advantages It Provides

It is important to use Creative Commons media. This is because as a writer or blogger, you want to make sure you are not violating any copyright laws. You do not want to use any image or words that are not yours without the permission of the owner. Many people take media and use it as their own without giving any credit to the creator. Creative Commons helps solve this problem. Creative Commons provides licenses so creators can share their work with people in a legal way. This way, people can use works of art by other people in blog posts etc. without infringing upon anyone’s rights.

A blogger, as a both a user and a creator, could take advantage of Creative Commons.

As a blogger, it is vital to use. If you quote another writer or article, or use a photo that is not yours, you need to give that person credit. We learned in class that just putting a link, or source, is not enough. You need permission from the creator and then you can use writing or a photo, and then source it. Bloggers can really take advantage of Creative Commons and avoid doing anything illegal because Creative Commons provides work that has already been approved by creators. It’s convenient because it is all in one space. On Creative Commons it shows you work and what laws the creator has signed off on so you know exactly what you are allowed to do with it. As a blogger, this is very helpful. Until we learned in class that example of what could happen to someone by violating the copyright laws, I had no idea that just sourcing something is not enough. I feel relief as a blogger to now know that there is a place where you can get work that is already approved by creators to share.

As a creator, Creative Commons should be taken advantage of. I think if creators of work, put their work though Creative Commons, they will be protected from anyone stealing or sharing their work without permission. It is just kind of a no brainer to me. If you do not want someone illegally taking your work, then you should just go through Creative Commons from the start. If someone takes your work, you do not want to have go through the hassle of tracking the person down and going through a lawsuit. All of that stuff is just not worth it when there is an easy and simple way to protect your work right from the beginning. It is also good for the creator because the creator really has total control of how exactly how much they want their work to be shared, through the different types of licenses they can put on it. The creator has complete control when they go through Creative Commons. Any creator would be silly to not take advantage of that.

Overall Creative Commons is a really great resource. It gives advantages to both users and creators of  blogs and art work.

Using Creative Commons

As Roni Loren points out in her post about the dangers of using someone elses media without a proper understanding of it’s licensing and or attribution criteria, you quickly leave yourself open to legal action and I’m sure a sense of shame. Because of this, Creative Commons proves to be an incredible tool for bloggers looking to use different forms of media that they have not themselves created. It’s important to keep in mind that photos, music and writing do not just appear out of thin air. Someone took the time to frame those shots, set up the lighting and create all the little details that eye catching photo entails. When you find that picture you want or that song you just have to have because it embodies everything you’re trying to express, it’s only fair that you give credit where credit is due! The fact that people go through all this trouble to produce something amazing and turn right around with a willingness to share and allow it to be distributed is a testament to the good nature of our fellow humans and should never be taken advantage of. Creative Commons gives them the perfect way to give you permission without having to go through the long and sometimes migraine-filled process of seeking permission that used to be the norm. The simple and easy to understand criteria that Creative Commons work use, provides us with a singular system in an near fool-proof manner. Through the use of Creative Commons material, you, the author, can avoid the risk of being sued, continue to share amazing works of art, and feel good that you’ve given attribution to those that made it all possible. The use of Creative Commons is also fantastic for the contributor. So you spent all day, in the cold, lining up a shot and waiting for the sun to be at just the right angle for that once in a lifetime photo that you just needed to have. You get home, dump it on the internet and wait for the compliments to start pouring in. A few weeks later, as you’ve gained followers on your Flickr account, a friend informs you that they’ve seen your picture somewhere else AND IT DIDN’T GIVE YOU CREDIT. What a devastating feeling that must be. Someone else, even if it’s unintentional, is now getting the credit for your sweat and tears! Creative Commons give you solid ground to stand on for issuing cease and desist type orders; a way to protect yourself! Another great benefit is the exposure that one can receive for sharing their work. Just imagine that same image being used in so many amazing places, and it’s got your name tagged underneath! The traffic and notoriety that can generate can be priceless for you and your blog or career. I think the most important reason to use Creative Commons, aside from the somewhat selfish idea of being sued for not doing the right thing, is that you are promoting people to keep things shared, and continue contributing these wonderful things for the whole world to enjoy! The content that is shared by Creative Commons license, allows for the majority of internet connected peoples to be party to amazing things that may never have been dreamt up, or presented in the way they finally were, without that push from something that inspired them and that they were given the opportunity to use themselves. For instance, my blog would be just a bleh place of bland text and a boring white background if it were not for the fantastic people on Flickr who decide that they are willing to share with me the fruits of their labor. I thank them for allowing me to spice up my work and provide that visual appeal to go along with my typewritten ideas.

Rewriting Rules of Copyright…?

Image from Creative Commons website

So what I find really great about this article is that its talking about all the new possibilities made accessible to people who wanted to innovate certain types of art. The article starts off by mentioning, of course, that music is such a prevalent area in which mixing occurs–which makes sense with the amount of remixes we have circulating the internet. However, like with anything else, the problem boils itself down to making sure everyone’s intellectual and creative property is protected. But how could we do this and still continue to create mixed versions of art? How can we give credit where credit is due but also acknowledge our own contributions?

The answer to this came in the genius form of Creative Commons, which we obviously observed in our class the previous Monday. What I find so interesting however, is that no one really had a way to do this prior to Creative Commons in a way that was both comprehensive and easy to manage. Directly from the article Ariana Cha writes, “[Lawrence] Lessig argues that the current system of copyright laws provides little flexibility — either you give up all permissions for use of your work or you withhold everything. He proposed a solution: a set of copyright licenses that would allow artists to choose to keep ‘some rights reserved’ rather than ‘all rights reserved.'” This is such a brilliant method of encouraging collaboration, especially in an age where everyone is concerned about the exact amount of rights they have once they release something into the beast that is the internet.

As a writer, who also follows other aspiring writers, I’ve sat down to read works that have presently been taken down because the original author has been made aware of plagiarizing of that material on another site. Sometimes its harmless, in which another person wants to genuinely share the work because they love it so much and are a fan–or want to spread the word about the work. But other times its very malicious in which another person will masquerade as a different author claiming that it is her/his original work. Then there are sometimes translated version which also forget to give attribution to the proper author. For this reason, many great novels-in-progress have been taken away or deleted or discontinued because of these writers’ fears that their work will be forever plagiarized. This leads to a decrease in postings as well as many disappointed followers. Its definitely a huge impediment in getting your work out there.

A great thing about these networks is that they’re a good way to not only have your work edited for free, more or less, but also a chance to see if your work is in the right place for a specific audience. This can be so important in relation to projects you are just trying to test out versus serious endeavors that you’re trying to make succeed. The article stresses the importance of the ability to keep creating, and not being afraid to share that creation in the space where the most amount of people can see it. You can get exposure in a way that would be just so much harder to do in real life. A hit on your page or a recommendation could lead to as many as 500-1000 different set of eyes looking at your work and helping to either make it substantial or better. These collaborations are so important on so many levels for people who are aspiring to share their work or make themselves a presence. In the case of the writers I follow, some of their blogs or stories have been so successful that they have led to publications and accolades.

Creative Common will give other writers and artists or collaborators the opportunity to further extend that community in a way that will make the owner feel safe or protected. I think its absolutely amazing to have access to art from places like Nevada or California that I could possibly never come into contact with living just inside of a suburb within New Jersey. The ability to become a part of a different cultural movement, be involved in the development of a novel, piece of music, or photography is incredible. We shouldn’t take those opportunities for granted, but at the same time we need to be aware and conscientious of our roles in crediting where its due. The article ends with this great description of a start-up online record company just to underscore the amazing abilities that things like Creative Commons gives us the opportunity to do–in a way that benefits those who use it and those who created it. If Creative Commons could seriously become the common language that we use in the crazy world that is the internet, I believe we’d be creating a much more tight-knit online community.

Response: Creative Commons is Rewriting Rules of Copyright

Creative Commons was created by Lawrence Lessig, a Stanford University law professor. Lessig said he created Creative Commons in order  “to create a body of digital work, which he calls ‘artifacts of culture,’ for the public domain, accessible to all.” Since then, artists, writers and musicians alike have used Creative Commons to release their work, whether it be in full or just pieces, with the hopes of sharing their creations with the public.

One of the problems facing artists then, that is even worse now, is the ability to get their work into the hands of their fans, for little to no cost. As is explained in the article, Chuck D and the Fine Arts Militia released their single, “No Meaning No,” through Creative Commons, and were blown away by the fan base the free release of their music created. After this success, the band then released their entire album under creative commons licensing.

So then, I am left wondering, even with such a successful fan base, how is this band making money? Creative Commons allows anyone to use, edit and redistribute the material on the site. Although this is great for exposure, especially for new musicians and artists, how are these people supposed to make money? At the time this article was written, Apple Inc. had proved that people were willing to pay 99 cents to download a single song, I’m not convinced that’s the case now. I don’t remember the last time I purchased a song on iTunes or even bought a DVD. Nowadays, we can find everything for free online, though most of these are illegal versions. Think about how you consume media. Whether its music, tv shows or movies, do you always pay to listen to or watch them?

On the contrary, there is something to be said about the fact that these artists and musicians are willing to give their art away for free, and not only give it away, but let users turn it into whatever they want. The article points out that this is becoming the new norm as more and more artists warm to “the idea of the Internet as a friend instead of foe and race to capitalize on technologies such as file-sharing and digital copying.”

The internet can be such a beautiful thing, if we allow it to be. Opposite from last week’s discussion about trolls and the hurtful things they can say to anyone they want, without even saying who they are, Creative Commons is one of the most positive places on the internet. We all know the saying, “sharing is caring” and Creative Commons capitalizes on that notion. The creator, fans and supporters of Creative Commons are all a part of this community that lets anyone access and use art for free and do whatever they want with it. These people aren’t necessarily concerned about the money, but rather care so much about the art, and their art, that they will let anyone have it for free. This really makes you think — why do we have to pay to listen to music, or to watch movies, or look at pretty pictures? Is the obsession with making money off of all of this taking away from the art itself?

Regardless of where you stand on the money debate that I laid out above, Creative Commons, in my opinion, is a lifesaver for a lot of people. Just the other day I introduced my coworker to Creative Commons and she couldn’t stop thanking me. She needed music to add to the background of a video she was making, but had no idea where to get music that she could use legally. Creative Commons allows anyone to use media or art to do whatever they need, saving them time, money and a whole lot of effort.

Creative Commons

There are so many reasons why it is important to use creative commons media. First off, you don’t want to get sued! If you’re taking pictures from non-creative commons sites, chances are, you’re doing something illegal, and if you’re caught you will have to pay up. You might think that you could talk your way out of it, but honestly you never know how the owner of that work will respond. In order to avoid getting into trouble by using media that isn’t yours, the safest thing to do is to use creative commons media. Though sometimes the results can be limited and not exactly what you are looking for, using creative commons media actually saves you a of time and money. In addition, someone worked really hard to take that photo, create that video, or record that song. By stealing it and posting it on your blog illegally, you are pretty much giving a really big virtual slap in the face to creator and discounting all of their hard work. If you had taken that photo or recorded that song, wouldn’t you want credit? Using creative commons media  is the best way to ensure that you don’t find yourself in legal trouble. It can also enhance your blog when you don’t have the opportunity or resources to create your own media.

There are many ways a blogger can take advantage of creative commons media. Say you are blogging about your upcoming trip to Brazil, but since you obviously haven’t been there yet, you have no pictures to use for your post. This is where creative commons media comes into play. You can easily find an image of Brazil that is legal for you to use, as long as you provide proper attribution. Often, people like to add music to their posts or videos, but aren’t so musically talented. Creative Commons allows you to legally use songs to buff up your content, saving you from lawsuit and saving your audience’s ears from any horrible singing or guitar playing. Though it’s always safer to just take your own photos, it’s often impossible to do so for your blog, unless you have a food blog like I do, and therefore have all of your content right in front of you. Creative commons is kind of like a fairy godmother that is there whenever you need it.

As a creator, creative commons media is a very easy way to get your work out into the public. Yes you can post your work on Facebook hoping someone sees it and wants to higher you. But once you post something on Facebook, Facebook owns it, so the licensing changes and it’s no longer yours. Creative commons works very well for users who are broadly searching for something. As a creator, you have a greater chance of having your work seen if you post it on creative commons. Creative commons is very helpful and is a great platform for showcasing your work because it will not only show up on your own blog but it could show up on hundreds of other blogs as well.

 

Creative Commons

I think its significantly important to use Creative Commons, especially if you are in a situation where you aren’t in a position to run a blog and also be creating your own media. It definitely is much more of a time-consumign endeavor to have to sit down and take perfect shots for whatever it is you’re trying to use on your blog. Therefore, having other options can be a great way to still keep your blog interesting and relative, without just depending on your words. I think its a great thing to use because you’re attributing to a web of people who, for better or worse, worked really hard to create that media. It’s always a good thing to give them credit, but also help share that work in a responsible way. I would hate it if my writing was tossed, or passed around without my knowledge and with no one knowing it was originally my work. That would absolutely crush me, so I can see the importance of giving the right attribution, even if photography or other forms of media don’t mean all that much to us. Also, if you think a particular work of media is great enough to use on your own blog, that person is probably really proud of their work as well. Give them the exposure that they deserve, and the little pat on the back that says: Hey this person did an amazing job. Go check out his/her stuff. I think that’s a great way to support each other in our individual modes of expression. I certainly wouldn’t feel opposed if someone was sending people my way based on something good that they saw on my blog. I think its a great way to pay it forward responsibly, and to also cheer each other on.

I try to take all of my own shots, just because it’s really hard to talk about a recipe or a certain wine without showing the steps involved. This also makes it easier on myself when I go back to write my post. I don’t have to worry about properly giving credit to anyone other than myself. But like I said, I can also appreciate that not everyone has the time to do this, or can even remember to snap a picture of everything they are involved in doing. For that reason, I am thinking about contributing my own photos to Creative Commons, that way its more accessible to people who may make use of it. Photos aren’t something that are particularly important to me, and I don’t mind if people are sharing my stuff. I can also appreciate the fact that anyone would even want to use my pictures, amateur that I am. Anyway, at the end of the day just like we are taught not to plagiarize in our academic pursuits, I think this is equally as important. If we can be responsible in all of these different aspects of our lives then maybe people would be more apt to share even more of what they do. I would hate for a great photo, writing sample, piece of music, or any other creative product to be hidden away just because people feared that someone would take it from them. I think its our job to make the internet a little bit more of a safe-worthy place.