The title of the book and the slow beginning almost stopped me from giving serious consideration to this book. Fortunately I held on through all the ever widening turns to see how the author developed his point.

It became obvious that the complexity of his chosen subject required a great deal of introduction as well as research on his part. Slowly I warmed to the scope and the direction of the book, and found that the conclusion was well formed and fulfilling.

I was relieved that Vaidhyanathan avoided making any sweeping definitive conclusions or throwing his support toward either extremist camp. This book serves as a great primer to the intersection of copyright, intellectual property, technology, and culture. His neutral standing and emphasis on a need to discuss the topics seriously was a great change from the typical extremism from either side of the argument. ( )

A Critical Message Lost in the Haze

I had a graduate school professor who used to talk about his fog index.

This professor of Communications Theory believed, as do I, that writers and teachers who understand their material, are capable of expressing themselves in simple, declarative sentences. Those did not understand their material, went his corollary, resorted to compound, complex sentences to mask their lack of understanding. This continuum, he termed “The Fog Index.”

Unfortunately for me, this was probably the only lecture by this professor I understood that semester.

In this book Siva Vaidhyanathan posits there are dangers posed by the increasing speed and amount of information available. We resort, he says, to technological fixes to avoid discussions of the often complex and serious issues presented by this explosion.

This conflict manifests itself when someone invents a device, algorithm or law that moves the system of digital information towards freer distribution. The other side responds by pushing the distribution system back into their previous restraints.

The book outlines several examples:

• The battle to control public libraries, which are seen as breeding grounds for terrorism and pornography.
• Attempts to restrict the use and distribution of encryption technology to prevent it from falling into the hands of terrorists and criminals.
• Efforts by governments to regulate personal computers and networks to control illicit flows of material.
• Commercial and governmental efforts to regulate science and mathematics, including the human genome.

Unfortunately for me, and I believe, society, that is about all I understood. Vaidynanathan’s arguments get lost in his fogged-in writing style. Hopefully, time will bring clarity to his writing. His message is critical to a society that treasurers its civil liberties. ( )

http://whimsley.typepad.com/whimsley/... ( )

A wonderful book that analyzes how western culture conceives of "property" in virtual environments and the relationship between culture and information. ( )

A very well researched book in which the reader is guided through a series of thoroughly disseminated topics on the complex relationship between information, culture and our modern society. There is a nice flow in the language and all the chapters are well tied together. Highly recommended. ( )