Content : selected essays on technology, creativity, copyright, and the future of the future

Doctorow here proves heвЂTMs smart, funny, and good at accessibly boiling down issues heвЂTMs passionate about. On topics ranging from fanfic (readersвЂTM additions to their favorite authorsвЂTM creations, usually online) to the terrible business model Microsoft presents by treating customers like potential thieves from the beginning, Doctorow moves to the forefront of conversations likely to determine how creators and audiences are able to use new technologies. He compares Internet content-management problems to similar technological snafus—such as the transition from live performance to radio, and from manuscript to printed books—and how the established order of the day reacted, demonstrating his grasp of the ways in which history repeats itself and how we can use the lessons of history to cope with further changes in the exchange of information. Doctorow excels in writing short forms, the essay no less than the short story, making this collection a pleasure to read, not to mention thought-provoking. Formats : EPUB, ZIP

Hailed by Bruce Sterling as "a political activist, gizmo freak, junk collector, programmer, entrepreneur, and all-around Renaissance geek,” the Internet’s favorite high-tech culture maven is celebrated with the first collection of his infamous articles, essays, and polemics. Irreverently championing free speech and universal access to information—even if it's just a free download of the newest Britney Spears MP3—he leads off with a mutinous talk given at Microsoft on digital rights management, insisting that they stop treating their customers as criminals. Readers will discover how America chose Happy Meal toys over copyright, why Facebook is taking a faceplant, how the Internet is basically just a giant Xerox machine, why Wikipedia is a poor cousin of The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy, and how to enjoy free e-books. Practicing what he preaches, all of the author's books, including this one, are simultaneously released in print and on the Internet under Creative Commons licenses that encourage their reuse and sharing. He argues persuasively that this practice has considerably increased his sales by enlisting readers to promote his work. Accessible to geeks and nontechies alike, this is a timely collection from an author who effortlessly surfs the zeitgeist while always generating his own wave.

Hailed by Bruce Sterling as 'a political activist, gizmo freak, junk collector, programmer, entrepreneur, and all-around Renaissance geek', the Internet's favourite high-tech culture maven is celebrated with the first collection of his infamous articles, essays, and polemics. Irreverently championing free speech and universal access to information - even if it's just a free download of the newest Britney Spears MP3 - he leads off with a mutinous talk given at Microsoft on digital rights management, insisting that they stop treating their customers as criminals. Readers will discover how America chose Happy Meal toys over copyright, why Facebook is taking a faceplant, how the Internet is basically just a giant Xerox machine, why Wikipedia is a poor cousin of "The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy", and how to enjoy free e-books. Practising what he preaches, all of the author's books, including this one, are simultaneously released in print and on the Internet under Creative Commons licenses that encourage their reuse and sharing. He argues persuasively that this practice has considerably increased his sales by enlisting readers to promote his work. Accessible to geeks and non-techies alike, this is a timely collection from an author who effortlessly surfs the zeitgeist while always generating his own wave Foreword for Content / John Perry Barlow Microsoft research DRM talk The DRM sausage factory Happy Meal toys versus copyright : how American chose Hollywood and Wal-Mart, and why it's doom us, and how we might survive anyway Why is Hollywood making a sequel to the Napster wars? You DO like reading off a computer screen How do you protect artists? It's the information economy, stupid Downloads give Amazon jungle fever What's the most important right creators have? Giving it away Science fiction is the only literature people care enough about to steal on the Internet How copyright broke In praise of fanfic Metacrap putting the torch to seven straw-men of the meta-utopia Amish for QWERTY Ebooks : neither E, nor books Free(konomic) ebooks The progressive apocalypse and other futurismic delights When the singularity is more than a literary device : an interview with futurist-inventor Ray Kurzweil Wikipedia : a genuine HG2G, minus the editors Warhol is turning in his grave The future of ignoring things Facebook's faceplant The future of Internet immune system s All complex ecosystems have parasites READ CAREFULLY World of democracycraft Snitchtown. Hailed by Bruce Sterling as a political activist, gizmo freak, junk collector, programmer, entrepreneur, and all-around Renaissance geek, Cory Doctorow is the Webs most celebrated high-tech pop-culture maven. Content is the first collection of Doctorows infamous articles, essays, and polemics. Heres why Microsoft should stop treating its customers as criminals (through relentless digital-rights management); how America chose copyright and Happy Meal toys over jobs; why Facebook is taking a faceplant; how Wikipedia is a poor cousin of The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy; and, of course, why free e-books kick ass. Accessible to geeks and noobs (if youre not sure what that means, its you) alike, Content is a must-have compilation from Cory Doctorow, who will be glad to take you along for the ride as he effortlessly surfs the zeitgeist.