eCensorship

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Photo by SB

I saw something that scared me about the personal ownership and control of printed materials. A few months ago I got the chance to read a few “pages” from a friend’s Kindle. For those who don’t know what a Kindle is, it is a computer screen tablet that you can download books, magazines, newspapers, and other print-based materials. There are some great things about this new technology, but I immediately discovered one problem with it and after reading the SLATE article at this link I found a complete deal breaker. I don’t want a “book” that decides what I can and can’t read.

The first flaw is the lack of color. I want color photos and illustrations. What good would a National Geographic be without the photos? I am sure though this technological hurdle will be over come.

If you read the article, you can see my concern. “They” can determine what I read and how long I can read it. Let’s say I buy an eBook from them. They may treat it more like a rental than ownership. If they want they can say I have rights to it for 10 years, 10 months or whatever they want and then delete it.

What is scarier though is if I bought a book today that became “banned” five years from now. They have a record of its purchase by which they could track to me. You may think this is paranoid, but after the warrant-less wiretapping and other “Patriot” Act bullshit, I have lost the illusion of my privacy.

They could also delete banned books, or books that somebody sued over or wants to make disappear. Once it is deleted it is gone.

When I go to a bookstore and buy a book, it is mine. Short of breaking into my house and destroying it physically, it will exist and be mine. If it becomes suspect or banned, it may still have a chance of surviving.

One last thing I don’t like about the Kindle… the experience. Imagine how the pages felt between your fingers the last time you opened a high-end photo book. Can you feel the quality glossy paper? What about a cheap paper back? Can you feel the rough, cheap paper? Can you smell it? Part of the pleasure of reading is the analog simplicity it offers. Would you rather have sex with a real person or an eSex version with a simulated partner on an electronic device? How about dinner?

I may be a Luddite, but I don’t think so. I have a lot of modern technology. I shoot digital and haven’t touched film for over a year. I am listening to my iPod while typing this on my beloved Apple MacBook Pro. Later tonight I am going to watch a recorded episode of Top Gear and then settle in to watch another episode of the amazing HBO show, Deadwood.

It is not the technology I fear, but the way it can be used to censor and destroy liberty, art, beauty, and most importantly – truth.

PHOTO NOTE: One of the things I worked with Candace on is word art. In future posts you will see more of these things we created. Some are words, others are images that I projected onto her. This will be my new icon photo for censorship. We did this word in one shot... I think she nailed the feeling of it.