[Air-l] Digg user 'riot' going on now

[Alex Halavais]

On 5/2/07, Ellie Wix <elliewix at gmail.com> wrote:
<snip>

> but on the other hand the users need to learn
> how to play by the rules.  Would Digg allow someone to post the direction on
> how to break in and steal a newer car with theft protection?
>

Digg has had front-page stories on things like breaking into a
Krytonite lock with a Bic pen and how to use bump keys, so the short
answer to your question is "yes, they would."

Of course, the issue here is a bit more complicated than stealing a
car. The DMCA tilts the traditional balance between temporary
monopolies on intellectual property and fair uses far (and many argue
too far) in the direction of owners of IP. The idea that you cannot
utter a secret word, nor post a hyperlink to someone who has uttered
that secret word, is bizarre in the extreme. This goes beyond the 2600
case, in which the court basically said that the code was not speech,
but rather a machine because it could be (ultimately) executed. This
is just a string of digits. Had they made the code the first n digits
of pi, they would have effectively illegalized a number.

No doubt, many of those protesting on Digg are not doing so from a
particularly principled position, but their core argument--Digg is
user-built and can be user-unbuilt--is less "riot" and more active
demonstration of power.

Alex


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