[FC-discuss] FreeCulture.org is now Students for Free Culture

[Gavin Baker]

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Elizabeth Stark wrote:
> We've actually worked quite successfully in Boston *with* students and
> in universities as well as *beyond* academia. While it probably makes
> sense at this point to be primarily university chapter-focused, I
> don't see why others can't get involved.

Chapters absolutely can outreach beyond their campuses. For instance, if
a chapter hosts a CopyNight event, it _has_ to be open to everyone.
There is generally no reason not to invite the general public to film
screenings, events, and the like.

Similarly, Students for Free Culture will maintain solidarity with the
free culture movement in general.

Because we organize students at college campuses doesn't mean we can
never leave campus. But it should point to the priorities for our time,
effort, and resources, not to mention our identity and message.

> I'd like to define "student"
> as broadly as possible -- essentially, anyone with a willingness to
> learn.

I don't think there is much value in intentionally non-obvious
terminology. Without denying the important role of self-learners in
society, there is a particular social place and status of formal
students. That status carries a number of characteristics, such that
organizing students has particular value and is strategic in its own right.
- --
Gavin Baker
Students for Free Culture
http://freeculture.org/
gavin at freeculture.org


> 
> -E
> 
> On 10/2/07, Fred Benenson <fred.benenson at gmail.com> wrote:
>> Yes, it's a shame that some people can't find value in campus organizing as
>> there's surely precedent.
>>
>> Crosbie: why not consider an organization such as iCommons which has much
>> broader goals and membership?
>>
>> F
>>
>>
>>
>> On 10/2/07, Thomas (TJ) Olsen <tj at tjolsen.net> wrote:
>>> absolutely disagree--students and academia in this country and globally
>>> have a long history of great activism and creative output
>>>
>>> tj
>>> ----- Original Message -----
>>> From: "Crosbie Fitch" < crosbie at cyberspaceengineers.org>
>>> To: "'Discussion of Free Culture in general and this organization
>>> inparticular'" <discuss at freeculture.org>
>>> Sent: Tuesday, October 02, 2007 6:52 PM
>>> Subject: Re: [FC-discuss] FreeCulture.org is now Students for Free Culture
>>>
>>>
>>>> I would have thought "Artists for Free Culture" would have been better.
>>>>
>>>> Or even "Free Citizens for Free Culture"
>>>>
>>>> I would suspect that the popular conception of a student is a passive
>>>> receptacles for knowledge, only expected to start doing anything
>>>> significantly productive/creative until after they've ceased being a
>>>> student.
>>>>
>>>> The last thing a passive receptacle needs is the freedom to publish
>> copies
>>>> or derivatives. People will assume students are just after broader
>>>> educational exemptions for using the library photocopier.
>>>>
>>>> So 'Students for Free Culture' comes across as if it was "Couch Potatoes
>>>> for
>>>> Free Culture".
>>>>
>>>> At worst "Students can't afford much, so we should get the world's
>> culture
>>>> free of charge. Thanks."
>>>>
>>>> The best light it can be put in is "Typically militant students having
>> the
>>>> luxury of being able to agitate against cultural oppression of the
>> masses"
>>>> What's so special about a student?
>>>>
>>>> That's what I want to know.
>>>>
>>>> If you say 'many people showed up who were not aware that we were a
>>>> student
>>>> organization', perhaps instead of concluding that you need to strengthen
>>>> the
>>>> student angle, you could have concluded that you should ditch the
>> student
>>>> angle (even if students do constitute the key demographic most able to
>>>> perceive the corruption in copyright and patent).
>>>>
>>>> The last thing a body that champions cultural freedom should be is
>>>> exclusive.
>>>>
>>>> If only FreeCulture.org was now 'Everyone for Free Culture'
>>>>
>>>> "We found people were confused when we said it was a student
>> organisation,
>>>> so we've stopped saying that. We now just say it's an open and
>> egalitarian
>>>> organisation that welcomes everyone interested in promoting cultural
>>>> freedom"
>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>> Discuss mailing list
>>>> Discuss at freeculture.org
>>>> http://freeculture.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/discuss
>>>>
>>>
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> Discuss mailing list
>>> Discuss at freeculture.org
>>> http://freeculture.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/discuss
>>>
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> Discuss mailing list
>> Discuss at freeculture.org
>> http://freeculture.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/discuss
>>
>>
> _______________________________________________
> Discuss mailing list
> Discuss at freeculture.org
> http://freeculture.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/discuss
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