Star Wars Uncut, a complete, feature-length replication of the original Star Wars film, completely crowd-sourced and edited together using submitted 15-second snippets, has been released online after years of production:
In 2009, Casey Pugh asked thousands of Internet users to remake "Star Wars: A New Hope" into a fan film, 15 seconds at a time. Contributors were allowed to recreate scenes from Star Wars however they wanted. Within just a few months SWU grew into a wild success. The creativity that poured into the project was unimaginable.
SWU has been featured in documentaries, news features and conferences around the world for its unique appeal. In 2010 we won a Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Creative Achievement In Interactive Media.
David Carr and Brian Stelter, in this TimesCast video, discuss the decision by Wikipedia to close on Wednesday to educate its audience about proposed antipiracy legislation in Congress that it considers a threat to an open Internet. Time to crack open those old copies of Encyclopedia Britannica.
Media Release: Senator Scott Ludlam, Wednesday January 18th, 2011
As Wikipedia goes on strike to protest the proposed ‘Stop Online Piracy Act’ (SOPA) currently before the US Congress, the Greens have called on the Australian Government to take a stand in defence of Australian internet users and protect the viability of the medium.
Australian Greens communications spokesperson Senator Scott Ludlam pointed to the global blackout of online encyclopaedia Wikipedia as an example of the depth of the campaign to prevent the bill from becoming law.
“Has the Australian Government made any representation whatsoever to the US Government on this issue? Do they recognise that there will be little purpose in investing tens of billions of dollars in the NBN if the US copyright industry cripples the medium itself?
“As an example of breathtaking overreach by US copyright interests, the SOPA proposal and its cousin PIPA are hard to beat. The bills will institutionalise far-reaching, unaccountable censorship in order to protect the commercial interests of a handful of powerful media companies. The bills risk the broad-scale criminalisation of filesharing, the decimation of the open source community and tactical use of financial blockades against commercial competitors or non-commercial sites.
“SOPA would block entire non-US websites in the United States as a response to select infringing material. This includes Australian sites, and the online operations of Australian businesses.
“Under SOPA, US courts could bar online advertising networks and payment facilitators from doing business with allegedly infringing websites, bar search engines from linking to such sites, and require internet service providers to block access to such sites.”
Senator Ludlam said the bill would introduce extreme penalties for the unauthorised streaming copyrighted content.
“The bill makes unauthorised streaming of copyrighted content a criminal offence, with a maximum penalty of five years in prison for ten such infringements within six months.”
The Convergence Review is an independent review established by the Australian Government to examine the policy and regulatory frameworks that apply to the converged media and communications landscape in Australia. The Convergence Review Committee is chaired by Glen Boreham with Malcolm Long and Louise McElvogue as committee members.
Today the committee released the Convergence Review Interim Report. The report sets out the committee's vision for fundamental change to the regulatory framework of Australia's digital economy, and identifies key areas for reform:
Tonight I was on The Drum on ABC News 24 discussing the news of the day, including the Cabinet reshuffle, the latest book by climate sceptic geologist Ian Plimer, the controversial Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA), and the US Republican race:
In the US, PBS will be showing shortly a documentary series called America in Primetime that will talk about the best shows created since the invention of television:
America in Primetime is structured around the most com-pelling shows on television today, unfolding over four hours and weaving between past and present. Each episode focuses on one character archetype that has remained a staple of primetime through the generations - the Independent Woman, the Man of the House, the Misfit, and the Crusader -- capturing both the continuity of the character, and the evolution. The finest television today has as its foundation the best television of yesterday.
The series has been getting great reviews - check out this one from NPR here.
Here's an eight-minute video introduction to the show:
Every Monday morning I appear on Andrew Bartlett's 4ZzZ breakfast radio show to discuss some of the current public and political issues of the week. This week we discussed federal Australian politics, the Apple-Samsung patent battle, vegemite chips and competition law, and I defended FoxNews:
I've blogged a few times about a proect called Everything is a Remix by New York filmmaker Kirby Ferguson, which looks at "remix" within our culture. His first video looked at remix remix within music, his second video looked at remix within film, focusing on Star Wars, and his third video looked at the elements of creativity.
This article analyses the 2010 federal election and the impact the internet and social media had on electoral law, and what this may mean for electoral law in the future. Four electoral law issues arising out of the 2010 election as a result of the internet are considered, including online enrolment, regulation of online advertising and comment, fundraising and the role of lobby groups, especially when it comes to crowdsourcing court challenges. Finally, the article offers some suggestions as to how the parliament and the courts should respond to these challenges.
You can purchase the article here or download an unformatted version here:
Every Monday morning I appear on Andrew Bartlett's 4ZzZ breakfast radio show to discuss some of the current public and political issues of the week. This week we discussed federal politics, pokies and tax reform, some US politics, Syria and Facebook (among other things):
Every Monday morning I appear on Andrew Bartlett's 4ZzZ breakfast radio show to discuss some of the current public and political issues of the week. This week we discussed 9/11, At Home with Julia, Australian politics and sport:
Every Monday morning I appear on Andrew Bartlett's 4ZzZ breakfast radio show to discuss some of the current public and political issues of the week. This week we discussed WikiLeaks, some interesting people visiting Brisbane (including John Cleese, John Waters, David Sedaris and Ira Glass), pokies and the Salvation Army and the fallout from the High Court's decision on the Malaysia Solution:
Australian law firm Marque Lawyers is using Twitter to select who they will interview for their summer clerkships. Not only is this a really innovative use of Twitter, it also a remarkably unorthodox strategy to emerge from the traditionally conservative legal profession. The advertisement also demonstrates a sense of humour, something you also don't typically associate with lawyers. This social media stunt will no doubt generate some publicity and goodwill for Marque Lawyers (as well as some disapproving looks from some parts of the legal profession) but the real test will be whether this results in high quality summer clerks for the firm.
You can read the advertisement below or visit the Marque Lawyers website here.
Every Monday morning I appear on Andrew Bartlett's 4ZzZ breakfast radio show to discuss some of the current public and political issues of the week. This week we discussed Libya, American Presidential politics, federal politics, State politics, Steve Jobs and choppergate:
(And my apologies for the bad audio. Please contact me if you have any ideas as to how I can better capture the audio each week.)
We talk each week about digital culture and digital media on Digital Munch, but what effects is it actually having upon our lives. What are the negative implications of digital media on our lives, but also, how has it enriched our lives?
Podcasting! Alcohol! Web Addiction! Domain Name Addiction! Batgirl Costumes!
We cover it all.
As with every episode of Digital Munch, we review a snack as we talk all things digital. In the Digital Munch bowl this week is Kelloggs Frosted Chocolate Cookie Dough Pop Tarts.
You can listen or download the podcast here or subscribe to it in iTunes here. It's still very much a work in progress, so I'd love to hear your feedback.
What does the panel think of this new social networking service? While some of us see the service and its potential as the absolute bees knees, others are far from convinced.
As with every episode of Digital Munch, we review a snack as we talk all things digital. In the Digital Munch bowl this week is Arnotts TeeVee Snacks Malt Sticks.
You can listen or download the podcast here or subscribe to it in iTunes here. It's still very much a work in progress, so I'd love to hear your feedback.
Death. It’s an unfortunate part of life, but we all have to face it at various points through our existence. In this day and age of digital media where a digital fingerprint can last forever, how do we deal with death? How do we talk about death when a notable figure passes away? What happens to our own public profiles when we die?
With singer Amy Winehouse passing away this week and death fresh in our collective 2.0 minds, this was as good a time as any to discuss the impact death has on our online activities.
As with every episode of Digital Munch, we review a snack as we talk all things digital. In the Digital Munch bowl this week is Kettle Chips Peri Peri variety.
You can listen or download the podcast here or subscribe to it in iTunes here. It's still very much a work in progress, so I'd love to hear your feedback.
I am interviewed about the R18+ classification for games, internet filtering and Facebook by Stilgherrian in this week's edition of Patch Monday:
An R18+ classification for computer games is long overdue in Australia and internet filtering based on the Interpol blacklist is "reasonable enough", says legal expert Peter Black. However, he does have concerns.
The decision by South Australia's Attorney-General John Rau to "re-badge" all MA15+ games as R18+ to further restrict their access in that state is "very strange", says Black. He also notes the lack of oversight of the Interpol blacklist.
Black teaches internet and media law at the Queensland University of Technology. On this week's Patch Monday podcast he discusses the many recent legal moves in Australia that affect the internet and technology, including:
The Standing Committee of Attorneys-General (SCAG) decision to introduce the R18+ games classification;
"Certainly the Interpol list is a good list," says Black. "I am comforted by the fact that it does require at least two law enforcement agencies in two different countries to refer sites." He is concerned, though, that blacklisting could be used as leverage against recalcitrant hosting providers.
The SCAG meeting also resulted in calls for more regulation of Facebook and other social networking services, including the possibility of Facebook being restricted in Australia to those aged 18 and up rather than the existing age limit of 13, as well as the ability for parents to access their children's profiles.
"It's a monumentally stupid idea," Black says. "What more do you need me to say?"
Patch Monday also includes my usual look at some of last week's news headlines.
To leave an audio comment on the program, Skype to stilgherrian, or phone Sydney 02 8011 3733.
Every Monday morning I appear on Andrew Bartlett's 4ZzZ breakfast radio show to discuss some of the current public and political issues of the week. This week we discussed the carbon tax, the News of the World controversy, Queensland state politics and the Dalai Lama:
This week we talk coffee ordering. With regular panelists Peter Black interstate and Sarah Moran feeling unwell, Michael and Dan take this opportunity to have a chat with Mike Boyd from Cupstart.com – an online takeaway coffee ordering platform.
What is Cupstart, how does it work, and what challenges has Mike encountered as he set up the service? We discuss it all on this weeks podcast.
With so much discussion of Cupstart, don’t think that we’ve forgotten about our weekly snack. Heavens, no. This week the panel sample Kooka’s Country Cookies.
We love to hear feedback from you about the podcast and any snack recommendations. So, please leave comments. Also, don’t forget that you can subscribe to the show on iTunes. Just click HERE.
You can listen or download the podcast here or subscribe to it in iTunes here. It's still very much a work in progress, so I'd love to hear your feedback.
Meet The Ministers is a new program from 31 Digital in Brisbane that delves into the many personalities that make up our State politicians:
We know about their political agenda, but what about what got them to where they are. This show will give the viewer a more personal insight into the person behind the job.
Hosted by Shaun Bindley, the first episode of this program features Deputy Premier Paul Lucas:
Meet The Ministers is a new program from 31 Digital in Brisbane that into the many personalities that make up our State politicians:
We know about their political agenda, but what about what got them to where they are. This show will give the viewer a more personal insight into the person behind the job.
Hosted by Shaun Bindley, the first episode of this program features Deputy Premier Paul Lucas:
Part 2 of our discussion on the things that people are doing wrong in the digital space continues. This week, it’s Sarah and Dans turn to cite organizations that they believe are straight out doing it wrong. Interestingly, both look at TV. Sarah takes aim at commercial broadcasters, while Dan takes his aim at community television.
Snack-wise, the panel opt for an old classic. Original French Fries. While kids have been snacking on these in school yards from the very first time a kid entered a schoolyard, it is revealed that two of our panelists have never had them. Shocking, I know.
You can listen or download the podcast here or subscribe to it in iTunes here. It's still very much a work in progress, so I'd love to hear your feedback.
Every Monday morning I appear on Andrew Bartlett's 4ZzZ breakfast radio show to discuss some of the current public and political issues of the week. This week we were joined by Senator Scott Ludlam from the Australian Greens to discuss the carbon tax, internet filtering and nuclear policy (among other things). After that conversation, I discussed with Andrew the News of the World saga and Google+:
This week on the panel, the panel take the time to discuss what people are doing wrong in this digital age. Peter and Michael take their turns this week as the conversation gets heated.
As always, the panel also review a snack. On the menu this week is White Wings – Homestyle Creamies. What did the panel think of them? You’ll have to listen in….
You can listen or download the podcast here or subscribe to it in iTunes here. It's still very much a work in progress, so I'd love to hear your feedback.
At Delimiter Renai LeMay highlights an interesting comment about the success of the NBN:
Hilarious comments over at Computerworld (click here for the full article) from Jennifer Wilson, a director at content and applications developer The Project Factory. According to Wilson, while it’s nice to talk about e-health and education outcomes from the Federal Government’s flagship National Broadband Network project, ultimately it’s all about the porn:
“The single most important factor is the porn factor because pornography has always been at the cutting edge of technology,” Wilson said. “If we cannot get porn on the NBN than we will have trouble getting consumer acceptance and uptake.”
Sounds like this is the next important line of debate about the NBN. Maybe it’s time to get the Australian Sex Party in on the national broadband discussion?
"Besides, we have to get beyond constantly banishing people over small public slips, whether we’re talking about Nir Rosen, Octavia Nasr, or Rick Sanchez. The more we live in public, and the more news is replaced with facile banter, the more opportunities journalists and politicians have to inadvertently reveal sides of themselves that should remain hidden. We have to find a way to deal with this without destroying careers over inevitable momentary lapses."
Every Monday morning I appear on Andrew Bartlett's 4ZzZ breakfast radio show to discuss some of the current public and political issues of the week. This week we discussed a few new website - The Talks, Everything is a Remix and Turntable.fm, the week in federal politics, internet filtering and some developments in the US and why they matter here, in particular Obama's troop withdrawal from Afghanistan and gay marriage in New York:
Seinfeld mocked it. Letterman ranked it in his top ten list. And more than fifteen years later, its infamy continues. Everyone knows the McDonald’s coffee case. It has been routinely cited as an example of how citizens have taken advantage of America’s legal system, but is that a fair rendition of the facts? Hot Coffee reveals what really happened to Stella Liebeck, the Albuquerque woman who spilled coffee on herself and sued McDonald’s, while exploring how and why the case garnered so much media attention, who funded the effort and to what end. After seeing this film, you will decide who really profited from spilling hot coffee.
I am interviewed about internet filtering, together with network engineer Mark Newton and Lyle Shelton from the Australian Christian Lobby, by Stilgherrian in this week's edition of Patch Monday:
Conroy also announced a review of the Refused Classification (RC) category of internet content — a category that we explained on Patch Monday last year — and this has since become a review of the entire content classification system that'll take at least another year to complete.
Meanwhile, three of Australia's largest internet service providers (ISPs), Telstra, Optus and Primus, had committed to introducing their own filters. So, will it work?
On Patch Monday this week, we explain what has been unfolding since Conroy's announcement last July. Peter Black, who teaches internet and media law at the Queensland University of Technology, explains the legal and political background. Network engineer Mark Newton covers the technical aspects. Both have previously pointed out problems with ISP-level filtering.
We also hear from Lyle Shelton from the Australian Christian Lobby, which has been pushing for mandatory internet filtering for years.
There's also my usual look at some of last week's news headlines.
To leave an audio comment on the program, Skype to stilgherrian, or phone Sydney 02 8011 3733.
As always, the panel also review a snack. On the menu this week is Absolute Organic Beetroot Chips. What did the panel think of them? You’ll have to listen in….
You can listen or download the podcast here or subscribe to it in iTunes here. It's still very much a work in progress, so I'd love to hear your feedback.
Michael Wesch, the famed anthropologist focused on digital culture behind the videos The Machine is Us/Ing Us and A Vision of Students Today) and his Digital Ethnography Research Team of 2011 at Kansas State University has released Visions of Students Today: a “video collage” about student life created by students themselves and presented using HTML5, allowing them to “cite” books and videos that are being presented in the remix as they are being shown.
Last year New York filmmaker Kirby Ferguson started project called Everything is a Remix, which looks at "remix" within our culture. His first video looked at remix remix within music and his second video looked at remix within film, focusing on Star Wars.
Every Monday morning I appear on Andrew Bartlett's 4ZzZ breakfast radio show to discuss some of the current public and political issues of the week. This week we discussed the 12 month anniversary of Julia Gillard becoming Prime Minister, gay marriage, the Facebook social media strategy of the Queensland Police Service, sharia law in Australia, David Carr (@carr2n) and the documentary about the New York Times, Page One, Kevin Spacey to perform Richard III in Sydney, and an amazing story about the comedian who ran for mayor ... and won:
Online dating is now pretty mainstream. But, what of just meeting friends from the Internet? Is there still a stigma? The panel discuss their own experiences in meeting people online.
As we do every week on Digital Munch, we also consume a snack as we talk all things digital. This week we’re enjoying the awkwardly named jaffa-choc snack ‘Negro’.
You can listen or download the podcast here or subscribe to it in iTunes here. It's still very much a work in progress, so I'd love to hear your feedback.
On the last episode of Digital Munch we discussed the notion of privacy. Are we simply too concerned about the sort of information available online about us. Ultimately there becomes the question of ‘Who cares?”. Since then, an incident has caused Sarah to rethink her position on this. What happened? You’ll have to download to find out. #sizzle
As we do every week on Digital Munch, we also consume a snack as we talk all things digital. This week we’re enjoying the limited edition ‘Strawberries and Cream” Snack block of chocolate by Cadbury.
You can listen or download the podcast here or subscribe to it in iTunes here. It's still very much a work in progress, so I'd love to hear your feedback.
There is a lot of fear surrounding online privacy, but how much of that fear is actually warranted? This week the panel discuss the etiquette of location sharing, is it possible to clamp down your privacy entirely, and is there any point to even trying to remain private anymore?
As we do every week on Digital Munch, we also consume a snack as we talk all things digital. This week we’re enjoying the Kit Kat Chunky – Cookies & Cream.
You can listen or download the podcast here or subscribe to it in iTunes here. It's still very much a work in progress, so I'd love to hear your feedback.
AustLII for iOS is the official App released by AustLII.
AustLII puts the power of Australia’s most popular online free-access resource for legal information right into the palm of your hand. Have access to law on your iPhone or iPod touch wherever you are.
Browse legislation from the Commonwealth and from every Australian State and Territory, and cases from over 140 courts, tribunals and boards. Search over four million documents with the power of AustLII’s SINO search engine.
AustLII for iOS resizes content from the AustLII website to fit the exact dimensions of your device’s screen, resulting in an optimised reading experience. And when you’ve found what you’re looking for, you can email it to anyone right from within the App. AustLII for iOS requires a data connection to load content. Use of the App does not constitute the provision of legal advice. Your use of AustLII content is subject to AustLII’s standard disclaimers and its usage policy.
This blog speaks freely about law, politics and the internet. While the focus is on Australia, developments in other nations around the world are considered as well.
Background
The title of this blog is inspired by the Opinion of the US Supreme Court in Board of Education v Barnette 319 US 624 (1943):
"But freedom to differ is not limited to things that do not matter much. That would be a mere shadow of freedom. The test of its substance is the right to differ as to things that touch the heart of the existing order."
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