Berkman Buzz, week of April 13

BERKMAN BUZZ: A look at the past week's online Berkman conversations
The Berkman Center for Internet & Society, Harvard Law School
Week of April 9, 2007

What's going on... take your pick or browse below.

*Doc Searls wonders "What are we writing for?"
*Dan Gillmor explains why bloggers are on the front page.
*Ethan Zuckerman describes Global Voices new site.
*David Weinberger looks for codes for content.
*Derek Bambauer on the derivative works right in copyright.
*David Isenberg elaborates on intentional indifference.
*Internet & Society Conference 2007: Question of the Week.

The full buzz.

“Newspapers have a daily pulse. Reporters do their best to be as accurate and thorough as they can, in the context of a deadline. Which means there is often a compromise between accuracy and timeliness. When the issues and facts are beyond a reporter's full understanding, mistakes happen — so often, in fact, that some subjects of news stories won't talk to the press at all. Mark Cuban's policy, for example, is just "read my blog."
Doc Searls, “Who are we writing for? And why?”

“...The use of the fresh voices of citizens on both its web site and print editions is designed to differentiate Boston NOW from the other free publications and attract younger readers. Beyond offering the citizen-generated content, Editor-in-Chief John Wilpers and Web Content Manager Regina O’Brien also plan to live webcast their editorial meetings, soliciting reader feedback and giving citizens a voice in the paper’s coverage.”
Center for Citizen Media, “New Boston Free Daily puts Bloggers on the Page.”

“I know: you don’t visit Global Voices every day. It’s okay. I miss a day sometimes as well. But you really should come on by and pay a visit. We launched a complete redesign late on Monday and there are big changes to the site thanks to the talents of Boris Anthony, who’s done a remarkable job of updating our look and giving readers much better access to all our content.”
Ethan Zuckerman, “Our site is prettier than your site.”

“We've all got a real problem. On some sites comments are so nasty that they are driving people off the Web. Even if the comments on your own site are always respectful and sweet-natured, the verbal violence on other sites is your problem. Our problem. It's not as bad as some in the media portray it, but when Kathy Sierra gets over a thousand messages, mainly from women, saying they've been stalked or bullied, it's an issue we can't ignore.”
David Weinberger, “Code? Nah. Codes? Maybe.”

“I’ve just posted a draft paper to SSRN titled Faulty Math: The Economics of Legalizing “The Grey Album.” The Alabama Law Review has kindly agreed to publish it in Volume 59 this winter. The paper examines the incentive-based justifications (primarily economic) for giving copyright owners control over derivative works - in other words, for allowing J.K. Rowling to control who makes movies, Legos, and even earrings based on her Harry Potter novels.”
Info/Law, “Abolishing the Derivative Works Right in Copyright, Or, Why Legalizing “The Grey Album” Makes Economic Sense.”

“Don Imus keeps people's attention when he talks, so he has a radio show. Recently, though, the Imus show sank to new lows in the art of discourse.

As a result, advertisers are canceling Imus ads. This puts a new twist on what I wrote yesterday about "intentional indifference." That article expounded on the theory that a venue owner's ad acceptance policy should be blind to the content of the ads. Should this also work in reverse? [Preview: No!].”
David Isenberg, “Imus, Censorship, Marketplace and Infrastructure.”