Is Computer Code Free Speech?

Complete video at: http://fora.tv/2007/12/14/Expanding_Art_Beyond_Its_Traditional_Borders

Artist Jon Ippolito poses the question of whether or not computer code can be considered a form of free expression.

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"At the Edge of Art," with Jon Ippolito and Joline Blais.

With the coming of code and the Web, art moves beyond being representational to something that can execute, can make things happen. Ippolito and Blais show that art, like the antibodies in our immune system, creates alien forces in service of the whole. It anticipates threats and models them. It is a diversity agent. - The Long Now Foundation

One of many foot soldiers in the battle between network and hierarchic culture, Jon Ippolito is an artist, Guggenheim curator, and co-founder of the Still Water program for network art and culture at the University of Maine. His current projects - including the Variable Media Network, the Open Art Network, and his 2006 book co-authored with Joline Blais, At the Edge of Art - aim to expand the art world beyond its traditional preoccupations.

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• computers
• coding
• scripting
• hacking
• hackers
• artistic
• freedom
• first
• amendment
• rights
• protected
• law
• legal
• courts
• foratv
• fora.tv
• fora
• tv

[xfvkemosx]

the internetz will always win

[Dot2TheLock]

u can make linux look any w ay you want even copy mac if u want o.O ur crazy

[MrKmose]

There are 10 people in the world. Those who understand this and those who don't. ( *HINT* think binary)

[2730Sm0keR]

HEEHEEHEE.....................­...HEEHEEHEE

[orangegold1]

hehhe

[McArrowni]

So, does that make writing barely legible code hate speech vs those who have to maintain it?

[sorrow413]

im kind of new to this whole thing i use linux and cuz of it have learned alot but still a noob but from the way i see it if you wrote / and or said something than that should be under freedom of speech and what is a ms word and or anything eles than an overly complicated note book and a pen ? whats the differences ? are you not doing the same thing you would without a computer? if you can speak comp code than isnt it covered under freedom of speech whats this wolrd coming to next ?

[KrunchyGoodness]

i think another scenario where the government can control speech is where the speech can cause harm, i.e. financial loss? i dunno im not a legal expert

[CVKent317]

I could be wrong, but I have a feeling this is not exactly what the Founding Fathers meant...

[MisterBouncyBounce]

@CVKent317

"Eventually you could claim building a nuclear bomb or a bioweapon was considered free speech"

it is.

i would argue the in reality no computer code can be copyrighted just like in the english language there are only so many ways to say "hello" the same is true for a line of code in comp language.

you can then flip that back to english and say "well that means no written work can actually be copyrighted because it is solely comprised of generic words. its a conundrum.

[CVKent317]

I don't think computer code should be free speech because under that guise you could claim that anything you built is considered free speech.

Eventually you could claim building a nuclear bomb or a bioweapon was considered free speech

[d3p3ch3mod3]

i thought he was just going to argue that language is also executeable but i guess that would've been stupid... on the other hand they never would've made all that "art" if they hadn't just been trying to make a point so yeah