[iDC] Knock yourselves out

[Patrick Lichty]

This is an excerpt from a recent post to my "Summer of MySpace" exhibition 
blog, which addresses a number of issues like corporate domination of 
creativity, pay-to-work, and so on.  I hope it is not tooo off-topic.



"...curation has been a bit of a question. 
the EULA for MySpace is a problem for anyone creating content for share 
here. In effect, after the NewsCorp buyout, all property can be appropriated 
by NewsCorp, which is a big question. With the consumer-driven model of Web 
2.0, info-industralists (or as Wark calls them the Vectorals) create 
channels, and then capitalize fromt eh material created by the users. 

In many ways, it is a pay-to-work model, which I really abhor. Labor must be 
compensated if capital is involved. Non-profit is another matter, and I 
believe that it should be considered as 'commons'. But in Second Life, there 
is the potential for compensation, but it is 'on spec' in a pay to play 
site. It may be an investment, but I still hold it circumspect.

What about MySpace? Even though MySpace is 'free', is is an advertising 
channel, which in effect users create Value-Added Resources for a commercial 
site. 

What about the EULA? What about the agreement to let NewsCorp to any and all 
content that the users create? This is a problem. I ... understand the 
drawbacks. I also understand that the shelflife of MySpace is probably short 
- 2-5 years, maximum.

One last point - 
There is a challenge in considering the boundaries between creation and 
promotion. I have gotten several requests for webcam porn (interesting 
potential for performance art), and for MySpace Music artists. What is the 
difference between a MySpace site as embodied work, and mere promotion?..."