Ian Clarke, the 23-year old Dublin-born wunderkind
enlightened and entertained an audience of freethinkers as he discussed his
file-sharing network Freenet in a conversational interview with Inside.com's
LA-based senior correspondent Bruce Haring. Throughout the ninety-minute
discussion he pointed out Freenet's advantages over other file-sharing programs
under scrutiny like Napster and Gnutella. Freenet hasn't been free of
controversy, but this decentralized, efficient network solves many of the
problems brought up in connection with Gnutella, even though it was designed
and completed before Gnutella launched. His system used "TCP/IP the way it
was meant to be used" and uses "collaborative filtering" (a
system that finds things based on what you search and download). This is the
sort of system that will give unknown bands an opportunity to gain more
exposure. Similar to Amazon.com's book recommendations, if you search on Tori
Amos, U2 and Placebo (Clarke's current favorite listening choices), the results
will also call up other bands the system thinks you'll like based on those
initial choices. In response to a question on decoy songs placed in other free
file-sharing systems, Freenet has a subspace that is a "trusted"
space for file exchange.
Focusing on the music industry, Clarke stated the current
copyright system doesn't work for signed artists and that the music industry
knows this, that it needs to change, but they don't know what should change or
how. He acknowledged that of course the Record Industry Association of America
(RIAA) feels threatened by the Internet and new developments that challenge
copyright because they hold a monopoly that's not right. He also defended
accusations that Freenet would be taken advantage of by child pornographers by
noting that this crime has existed for decades before the Internet and Freenet.
To abolish Freenet because of this would be to cut your nose off to spit your
face. He considers source code speech, as in speech for computers, and warrants
the same protection under copyright law. When addressing the fear hackers
present in these free file-sharing systems, Clarke divulged that most are
rarely the image of the crazed hacker using wild mathematical equations and is
usually some someone posing as a phony tech support person calling in to get
the password. Clarke went on to answer questions on the music industry,
copyright and his efficient Freenet.
Other noteworthy speakers at the NXNW were Jennifer Toomey
from Washington, DC's Coalition for the Future of Music on "Web Basics:
You got Internet on my Record Business;" Margaret Saadi owner of West
Hollywood, CA-based Muscle Music spoke on the panel addressing heroin use and
"Keeping the Band Alive;" Portland, OR-based Willamette Week editor
Mark Zusman moderated a panel on sex and how the new Digital Millenium
Copyright Act affects all industries; features editor Frank Sennett of Liberty
Lake, WA sonicnet.com spoke on the panel of who will survive the wake of the
Napster decision. Paula Batson, of N2K history and now NY-based myplay.com
spoke on a panel with SF-based ChickClick.com director Caroline Frye on
"Analog to Digital Case Studies: Moving to a Wired Career;"
AOL/Spinner's VP music programming Chris Douridas spoke on "The State of
Internet Radio" and DreamWorks' A&R executive Luke Wood and Atlantic
Records' director of A&R spoke on a panel of other noted reps on
"A&R: Why You'll Need us Now More than Ever." Opening remarks
were from Garageband.com's Jerry Harrison and this conference marked the inaugural
Digital Video Festival, replicating SXSW's popular offerings of Film, Music and
Interactive during the week in Austin. More than 40 videos (all under 15
minutes) from around the world were shown.
The booths were typical setups of music-industry labels,
CD-makers, streaming technology and local organizations. Sunnyvale, CA-based
Preview Systems was handing out ear-piece radios, Snowball.com (which owns
ChickClick.com) had free branded-disposable cameras and the most different
booth I'd ever seen was the Sex Workers booth. With their zines (Danzine et al)
and programs on safe sex and helping promote a safe community for educating and
raising awareness for people who work in the sex industry, I was struck by the
heroin and AIDs brochures and condoms on the table.
+++++++++++++++++++++
Portland is one of those towns where East meets West in a
disarmingly friendly metorpolitan town. East in the sense that it's similar to
other Northwest locales with it's close proximity to Asia, the large Asian
population and the people from states east of Oregon flock to this town of 1.7
million people for its quality living features. I learned a lot about Portland
while there on this quick trip. First, it's pronounced "or-gon" and
if you say "or-e-gon," as I did, Oregonians will quickly but
friendly-like correct you. The town is nestled between two rivers, the Columbia
and Willamette, which Portland-ites will quickly correct as Will-AM-ette, not
Will-iam-ette. Manhattan-ites with their distinction of Houston Street being
pronounced Hew-ston will appreciate that Couch Street Fish (CHECK NAME) is not
pronounced like the sofa we sit on but like "kooch." My pal Augi
Garred (CHECK SPELLING) (more on this fine chap later) also pointed out that
Matt Groenig, creator of The Simpsons and who hails from Portland, named
characters after city streets. There is Burnside, for Mr. Burns and a Flanders
street.
The city's layout is a marvel of urban design. Divided in
quadrants (NE, NW, SE, SW), the avenues are numbered and the streets are
alphabetically named after Portland's founders and other key figures. Although
I only took taxis and a pedestrian ricksaw, their public transportation is a
marvel with free service in the inner city and a bang-for-your-buck fare to the
outer burbs. I thought this advanced city's Smart Parks were technology
centers, but found out it's just their park and ride system.
