News & Views

The Fairfax Public Library system is a large library system in Northern Virginia, a suburb of Washington DC. Leaders of the Fairfax Public Libraries think it's a good idea to distribute downloadable audio books to the public in Windows Media format. These digital rights managed (DRM) files will not play on Macintosh computers, Linux computers or iPods. Taxpayer funds are being used to purchase these audio books.

A friend of mine, Hal Cauthen, in the Washington Apple Pi computer club (http://www.wap.org) sent me an email last Wednesday night asking me to compose a song that would help this library system better understand the way their actions are discriminatory. Hal Cauthen is one of the most decent and generous persons around. He hardly ever spoils for a fight. When he asked me to compose a song, I knew I had to jump in and help. Hal has gone out of his way to be helpful to me (and others) in the past few years. He has even helped me shoot music videos of songs I've written, so it's entirely appropriate that he asked me to compose a song for this issue. (See http://songwriterscalltheshots.blogspot.com for the song Hal helped me with just last month.)

We worked on a couple different songs ideas together, and came up with this one that best expresses our point of view. http://www.writersforliteracy.org/youraudiobook.mov "Your Audio Book Sounds Silent to Me."

Okay, now the song is composed and placed on the web, what next? Alert the press. I sent an email to John Schwartz, science reporter at the New York Times. Over the years he has quoted me in the Washington Post and the New York Times. He has also followed-up on articles suggestions I've given to him.

John got back to me quickly telling me he'd look into the issue, but that his beat is more science than technology these days. If after investigating the issue, he felt a news story ought to be written, he would request his editor to assign a reporter to it. That's fine. As long as someone is checking into this.

In thinking about this fairness of treatment issue, I cant help but think of it in a historical context. Throughout the history of the United States, rights have only vested after they have been specified in law. From voting rights to gender rights to civil rights to disability rights, the rights were freely disregarded until specified in law. What's needed is a digital equal protection amendment so that this issue doesn't get revisited every time someone comes up with another bright idea.

Do you know who is getting the shortest end of this stick? The tenants in affordable housing units in Northern Virginia where Linux computer labs have been set up for them to use. Many of these tenants are hardworking immigrant families. Could the adults and children in these families benefit from greater access to audio books? You tell me. "Sorry, buster, you're a digital minority. No audio books for you. Here, let me relieve you of your taxpayer dollars all the same." How about this for irony -- one of the books currently inaccessible? Martin Luther King, Jr., On Leadership: Inspiration & Wisdom for Challenging Times, by Donald T. Phillips. I hear it's a good book.

How do I know about those Linux computer labs in affordable housing? I've volunteered there installing the EasySok logic puzzles that are so fun for youth and adults to play. (See See http://easysok.sourceforge.net and http://www.his.com/pshapiro/about.ss.html and http://www.his.com/pshapiro/sokomindarticle.html). I support the needs of those learners.

I'm also an active supporter of the new Digital Divide Network web site, which brings together people from around the world working to expand access to technology and technology training. (http://www.digitaldivide.net). The reason I wake up each morning is to bring greater inclusion into this world.

So I've got a small favor I need to ask you. I'll be submitting a news story about this issue to Slashdot.org in the next few days. Considering the number of people who may be viewing the above QuickTime, it would be helpful to have this QuickTime on a number of "mirror" web sites. If you can upload this QuickTime to your dotmac server space (or other server space), thanks for sending me the link to it.

If Slashdot runs a news story about this issue, it won't be long before the Fairfax Public Libraries develops a better understanding about the nature of their downloadable audio books. Let's hope the New York Times doesn't drop the ball. I have more faith in individual reporters at the Times than I have of the institution.

I should let you know I also sent a friendly email to David Pogue about this issue and song. David is way overextended these days and hasn't gotten back to me. I'm still his biggest fan. The New York Times ought to get someone else to write Pogue's blog. Someone like Hal Cauthen. Hal is the most patient teacher I know and has very wide interests in the computer field. I'm constantly learning new things from him. The rest of the world could be, too. Actually, the New York Times times computer blog really ought to be a group blog. I wonder if the New York Times ever thought about that. Is it too much to ask newspapers to think?

I'm going to ask you a second favor here, too. Stop by and register for an account on the Digital Divide Network web site. (It's free.) http://www.digitaldivide.net You can choose your level of involvement in this site, including none at all. Just showing up makes a difference.

The train has left the station on building a more participatory and inclusive world. Would you care to be a passenger on this train?

Phil Shapiro
pshapiro@his.com
http://www.digitaldivide.net/profile/pshapiro

The author has been a computer user group supporter since 1986, providing help in various Macintosh, Windows and Linux user groups. He currently works for himself as an educator, writer and technology access activist. He writes most frequently on his Digital Divide Network blog (http://www.digitaldivide.net/blog/pshapiro) and for the Macintosh Using Educators web site. (http://macusingeducators.com/)
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Phil Shapiro pshapiro@his.com
http://www.his.com/pshapiro/ (personal)
http://teachme.blogspot.com (weblog)
http://www.digitaldivide.net/profile/pshapiro (technology access work) http://mytvstation.blogspot.com/ (video and rich media)

"There's just so much more creativity and genius out there than our media currently reflect." FCC Commissioner Michael Copps