From: Mike Linksvayer (ml@gondwanaland.com)
Date: Sun Mar 31 2002 - 23:37:09 MST
On Sat, 2002-03-30 at 22:02, spike66 wrote:
> I recognize that intellectual property is subject to vile abuses.
> I want to stick to IP as it pertains to the creation of art. Science
> has its way of rewarding its monster players, as does engineering.
> It is not clear to me how society will encourage the creation of
> art, music and literature if we do not find a way to keep the
> creators fed and housed.
Most artists have always been poor and/or had day jobs. Art has its way
of rewarding masters as well, including fame, friends, sex and most
importantly the exhiliration of creation.
> Perhaps living in the Silly Clone Valley as I do, drives home
> the lesson that everyone needs a substantial and steady income.
> This is a great place for intellectual cross pollenation, but there
> are no cheap places to live here, no dives, nothing analogous
> to my 50 dollar a month "apartment" in Seattle where I lived in
> 1983. Places like that here are occupied by upstart entrepreneurs
> and college students, and rent for at least 800.
I thought you were sticking to art. SV is hardly a hotbed of art.
Still, huge numbers of artists do scrape by _and_ create in places like
NYC, traditionally more expensive than SV. Many great artists also live
comfortably in much cheaper locales, which gives the option of
alternating between holding down a day job and taking long sabbaticals.
There's an art scene pretty much anywhere you care to look, just
requires turning over rocks some places. Now that computers have become
so widespread, the same is becoming true of what people typically refer
to as "high tech".
> I dont see how a starving musician could ever make it, especially
> as record company sponsorships would have to be falling off,
> or going exclusively to safer profit makers. Such as Britney.
More fantastic music than I could ever listen to has been and is being
created by impoverished musicians. If really pressed someone with
talent can make great music with zero budget and begged and borrowed
equipment. It's been done many times over.
> Aspiring young writers? Well, at least they would have a great
> poverty period from which to draw material. But if we defeat
> copyright, the most promising writers will be flipping burgers.
Rest assured, the most promising writers are presently flipping burgers,
or worse. If we defeat copyright, a few of those who write with the
sole aim of getting rich will move into fast food management. Good
riddance.
ml
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