Sooooooooooo I enjoy reading the newspaper.
And no, this entry is not about Russell Smith.
It is about two things I read in the paper today.

1) UCC reversed its boarding decision.
I already knew about this piece of news beforehand. UCC sent an E-Mail to all members on imagineucc.com, which I am. I’ll say it again: I just can’t believe they were considering closing the boarding program. I mean, really. It’s actually quite unfortunate that UCC has boarding houses separated from the rest of the school…which means the boarders are kind of isolated and therefore easier to cut out completely, but honestly. UCC receives HOW MUCH in tuition from every student? Certainly it can’t be hard to let about fifty international students live at school in a dormitory-style fashion. I mean, they were going to cut out the program so they could lower tuition so that a more diverse student population could be achieved, according to my understanding. Am I the only one who sees the roundabout? The boarders ALREADY contribute to a diverse population. So UCC decides to throw out the international, multilingual, multicultural students and get, what? Students FROM TORONTO who are basically the same as all the other students except their parents perhaps don’t own Harry Rosen? Goddammit, see the reasoning.
2) Canada introduced new legislation concerning music and television copyright infringement.
I don’t even fully understand this legislation because it’s so stupid. They’re going to fine us for getting around locks in protected music files. We’re allowed to put legally purchased music on devices, but we’re not allowed to post it up or circulate it. And we’re allowed to film TV to watch later, but we can’t keep it permanently. All I can say is: WTF?!
First of all, and perhaps the easiest counterpoint to the law, is that this law is basically impossible to enforce. The internet is a public domain. How is the government supposed to determine whether someone posting MVs or downloading music is Canadian? All you need is an IP-blocker program, which you can download for free, and no one can tell where you’re from. Besides, how is the government supposed to determine whether the music you’re circulating is legally or illegally purchased/downloaded?
Secondly, this kind of legislation just screams “I WAS DEVELOPED BY MIDDLE-AGED OR OLDER PEOPLE WHO DO NOT UNDERSTAND OR EXPERIENCE FIRST-HAND WHAT HAPPENS ON THE INTERNET AND JUST KNOW VAGUELY WHAT’S GOING ON FROM STORIES FROM OTHER PEOPLE LIKE ME WHO DO NOT UNDERSTAND, SO I AM SCARED OF IT AND I’M GOING TO BAN IT OR FINE IT.” The world is moving into a digital age. Do not fine people or ban people from doing what’s inevitable. Find ways around it. For example, ok, they don’t want us downloading music illegally without paying. Fine. Instead of banning it altogether [and then not finding a way to reinforce it] maybe pass a thing that says all tracks on CDs have to be protected. I mean, the music that’s on the web for download came from somewhere. Somewhere along the line, wayy back, someone actually did buy the music legally and then started circulating it. According to the new law, distributing this music is illegal. And not enforceable. So if, instead, each track on a CD were protected so it couldn’t be copied or moved somewhere else, then how could people download or distribute music? It is also illegal, according to the new law, to distribute unlocking programs; I suppose this part of the law is actually ok. Just kill all the programs on the web that are unlocking programs. What I’m trying to say is that the government shouldn’t be full-out quashing anything going on in such an anonymous domain like the web by just banning or making it illegal. Work around it. Embrace it. Just like Radiohead and “In Rainbows”.
Thirdly, if you’re going to be banning downloading, offer some kind of substitute. Maybe people download because they can’t afford to buy CDs. Think about it: the majority of people who are consumers to the mainstream music industry is teenagers, students, young people who can’t buy the CDs. These webchildren find an alternative: downloading. It fits the age group. Cut back on CD prices. CDs don’t need to be glitzed-out, packaged in plastic cases with plastic wrapping, or accompanied with a booklet and pictures of the artist. Most of us don’t even look at that stuff; we just listen to the music, because that is what we’re buying. Hardcore fans of an artist can get all of that aesthetic stuff additionally by buying posters or separate merch. We don’t need it stuffed down our throats every time we buy a CD. And making buying music online easier. Right now, to buy anything online, a credit card is required. How many students or teens have credit cards? If internet sites accepted the debit card, more people would be able to buy stuff online. So, government, if you’re going to kill everything we do now, at least offer or open up some alternatives. If not, the same thing is going to continue, and, unluckily for you, you won’t be able to police it either because it’s on the web.
I understand what the government is coming at. They don’t want illegal downloading or distributing of music, because that’s an infringement on copyright. I get it. But they’re not approaching the problem in a practical way. What they really need is a teenager on the political party. It sounds weird, but it isn’t. Younger people understand the emerging technologies and strategies better. As we become more digital, they need someone like that who can connect with the citisens for a better outcome. Right now, downloaders [mostly teens] just feel like they’re being bossed around by a bunch of adults who don’t understand anything. And obviously that means rebellion, or just a continuation of what is discouraged while ignoring what the grownups say.
Honestly, children are so much smarter than adults. I bet it could be medically proven.