Check out p2p-Politics.org, which lets people post video spots for or against presidential candidates. The only catch — and it’s not much of one — is that you have to release the video under a Creative Commons license. This doesn’t mean you give away your copyright, but rather that you permit others to share the work.
Larry Lessig, one of the people behind this, says “We’ve gotten lots of cooperation from the Kerry people. Can’t seem to get a response from the Bush or Nader people yet.”
Kudos to designers J Christopher Garcia and Aaron Swartz, and to the Internet Archive, which is hosting the videos.
Posted by: query on October 18, 2004 07:08 AM
There are now two ads up comparing Bush to Hitler.
Everyone, behold Dan Gillmor’s hypocrisy.
For shame, Dan. Take down the link from your web site!
Posted by: MD on October 18, 2004 09:48 AM
Once again, the righties can’t comprehend the simple concept of Dan linking to something being different than Dan taking the position of that link.
It’s a link to a site that is open to ANYONE — liberal, conservative, whatever — who wants to submit an ad. If someone posted an ad comparing Kerry to Castro, would you be offended? Would you then accuse Dan of being a right-wing nutcase? Somehow I doubt it.
Posted by: adamsj on October 18, 2004 09:59 AM
Oh my god! There’s a website somewhere on the Internet that says bad things! Dan–disconnect from the Internet immediately or be branded a communist ’cause you’re left-handed!
On a related subject: Registration for weblog commenters on this site–the sooner, the better!
Posted by: Mike on October 18, 2004 10:33 AM
I don’t understand why it’s illegal to do a comparison against certain people. I’m not stating that a comparison between Bush and Hitler is an apt (or particularly imaginative) one. But you should be able to compare anybody to anybody else- the real question is if the comparison fits, and how well. Compare Kerry to Stalin? Go ahead. Compare Bush to Mother Theresa? As Bush would say, bring it on! I can judge for myself whether that comparison makes sense.
Sure, comparing anybody to Hitler is a pretty easy way to say that person is evil/threat to society/insert monstrous character flaw here. Is anyone really going to be taken in by such an argument? I just recognize it for what it is- a shot that is so overdone it can’t even be called cheap anymore. It’s just another form of Godwin’s law – “As the number of grass roots political documentaries grows larger, the probability of a comparison involving Nazis or Hitler approaches one.”
Posted by: query on October 18, 2004 12:44 PM
Dan should be criticizing the site for hosting and distributing video footage comparing Bush to Hitler. Dan should be critizing those of you, here, who approve of and encourage further use of the tactic.
Instead, hypocrite Dan Gillmor is lauding the site.
Boy, when his man Kerry is down in the polls, and dropping like a rock, I guess there’s nothing Dan won’t do to try and turn things around!
Does he vouchsafe Edwards’, Kerry’s, Cahil’s and Edwards’ wife’s outing and gay baiting Mary Cheney, too?
Posted by: Dan Gillmor on October 18, 2004 01:52 PM
Please don’t feed the troll, folks.
Posted by: query on October 18, 2004 02:25 PM
Hypocrisy, hypocrisy, hypocrisy.
Soon, Dan will be charging that the Bush folks aspire to fascist power.
Ooops! He did that already!
Posted by: lightning on October 18, 2004 02:58 PM
Query does have a bit of a point. The Dems have some very good filmmakers; all the Repubs have are talentless hacks. Charleton Heston was very good; unfortunately, God took his brains away.
The result will naturally favor the Dems.
Posted by: James Salsman on October 18, 2004 05:09 PM
Here’s another really good SchoolHouse Rock parody, dealing specifically with media issues:
Media Conglomeration Rock
Its copyright status is entirely unclear.
I’m also not sure if Eric Henry has announced his intended license for Pirates and Emperors, but it is freely downloadable, for now.
Posted by: James Salsman on October 18, 2004 05:11 PM
This is a strange blog, which turns URLs into HTML anchors, and then deleted them silently if their text is edited.
The URLs were supposed to be:
http://demandmedia.net//?op=displaystory;sid=2003/6/30/95648/2568
and
Posted by: Paul Stuart on October 19, 2004 12:31 AM
It is shocking that there are no Bush or Nader ads there!
I can’t see any real substantial value out of this, even if it were to become fully loaded with commercials from all candidates and parties, after all, this is polictal advertising. This is video-political fetishism.
It was disappointing not to be able to find the one with Hitler–according to those in the know it’s really cool but it doesn’t seem to exist anymore. Anybody got a link to it? Or is it just one of those crazy internet rumors?
Posted by: Dave on October 20, 2004 09:41 AM
Dan
Thanks for your continuing support of free and open debate.
Posted by: Gaunilon on October 24, 2004 08:35 AM
Does anyone else find it disturbing when news organizations endorse a candidate? A news organization is supposed to report the facts and give a balanced set of editorial commentary. To achieve this, they need to maintain both objectivity and the perception of objectivity: otherwise either the news will be biased (case 1) or the public will lose faith in it (case 2), at which point it ceases to serve the public.
When a news organization endorses a candidate or party, they give up all claim to objectivity. This hurts both the press and the public. Individual writers are supposed to state their opinions, but the organization as a whole should represent the reality, eschewing personal bias.
Gaunilon
Posted by: Drazen Pantic on October 18, 2004 05:08 AM
Open Call for Video Bloogers: If your are in NY …
2 November, 2004
The Waiting Room
Spend election night at Location One with NY video bloggers, artists and network interventionists. P2P
networks and exchange, blogs and collective filtering of network TV will create our own “citizens’ coverage” of the election drama.
Also this week:
20 October 2004, 7 p.m.
Open House Wednesdays:
John Perry Barlow,
Cognitive Dissident,
Co-Founder & Vice Chairman, EFF