Re: Comments on book?

From: James Rogers <jetan[_at_]ionet.net>
Date: Tue, 29 Sep 1998 18:19:21 -0500 (CDT)

On 9/28/98, Karsten M. Self <kmself[_at_]ix.netcom.com> wrote:
>
> The book's largest failure is timing, in that its publication *just*
> predates the explosion of the Internet on public conciousness. As an
> academic, at Stanford University (the left ventrical of the heart of the
> Silicon Valley), Goldstein's lack of awareness of Benders-Lee's work and
> its implications is disappointing at best. Goldstein does discuss what
> he terms "the cosmic jukebox", which resembles in some ways what we've
> come to know as the World Wide Web, though Goldstein seems to have a
> more centralized model in mind.

   I also enjoyed the book. I believe, however, that Goldstein's conception of the "cosmic jukebox" refers to what he believes to be the next incarnation of the internet... a development beyond the web on that long awaited day when all our info technology merges a la _The Shockwave Rider_.

   In reponse to Mr. Scarpetti's original question, Mr. Strong taught me copyright law and, while that can scarcely stand as an endorsement, he struck me as possessing considerable insight, particularly in the area of obscure procedural questions.

   I would also like to point out the article by Charles Mann in the Atlantic monthly... a really good job. Extremely broad survey of many of the current issues in copyright law with a depth surprising in a popular work. Highly recommend. Apologies if it has been mentioned before. You can get it on-line at

   http://www.theatlantic.com/issues/current/copy.htm

                           James

James Michael Rogers
jetan[_at_]ionet.net
Mundus Vult Decipi Received on Tue Sep 29 1998 - 23:17:40 GMT