Interesting turn of events

So now the RIAA has given a once illegal website their blessing…I’m not sure I understand this correctly. imeem.com was sued a while back for allowing users to upload mp3s for everyone to enjoy. Now Warner et al have decided to back the website, and why? Because imeem.com is giving the RIAA a portion of their ad revenue, and that money is going straight to the artists right? Wrong. I’ll try to find the chart that illustrates this, but artists make such a small fraction of their music’s revenue, that I find it difficult to believe that the RIAA will give their portion of imeem’s ad revenue to the artists. I think they’ll probably use it to pay their lawyers so they can sue more children.

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The RIAA is at it again…

This is pretty ridiculous, the RIAA has the balls to say that legally purchased music, in the form of CDs, becomes illegal when it is ripped onto the purchaser’s computer and converted to mp3 files. What next? Will I no longer be able to copy my own photos from my camera to my computer without being sued?

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Public outreach

It has come to my attention, as per my Archaeological Theory class, that the “public,” that is, anyone who isn’t pursuing a degree or already holds a degree in archaeology, is in dire need of somewhere to get real accurate information on progressions in archaeology. Being one of the main pillars of archaeological ethics, public outreach is essential for archaeology’s continuance as a discipline. With the public in the dark about real findings, where does the money come from to fund research? (a real finding is not “Jesus’s tomb” being found by some crackpot amateur with absolutely no archaeological background) Most grant money comes from public foundations and academic institutions, but if ‘everyday people’ only have access to Hollywood archaeology, then what is the motivation for new research?

The most frequent comment I get about archaeology (aside from the annoying “so what kind of dinosaurs have you found?”), is: “why do you study archaeology when there’s nothing left to be found?” The answer is because maybe 5% of the archaeological record has been coherently uncovered and documented. There is so much out there just waiting to be found that if the public isn’t engaged enough in the real work that’s being done, then it’s only a matter of time before archaeology and anthropology departments at major universities begin to shut down (it has already happened at some colleges).

So, what can be done to reengage the public and get everyone interested in archaeology again without succumbing to Tomb Raider like ethics? (great film by the way) Well, real archaeology—even though some of it is mundane and not so exciting—has a lot to offer. Why do you think Indiana Jones was so popular to begin with? The majority of the public has an intense fascination with archaeology and ancient history, although some might not admit it. The National Geographic Channel’s popularity is only one illustration of this fact. So all these new-fangled media outlets that everyone is getting so used to these days (internet newspapers and blogs to name just two) can easily be put to use by archaeologists. Think about a really cool, well-designed website created and maintained by real archaeologists that has real and accurate information fresh from the field. While Tomb Raider may be a great movie, I think everyone would enjoy a bit of truth and history to go along with the tight shirt.

Posted in Rants, Archaeology, Academic Endeavors | 1 Comment »