Although (unfortunately) I do not own an iPhone, I couldn’t resist talking about this new app I found, created by the music production and composition company Propellerhead.
Founded in Stockholm in 1994, Propellerhead is one of the leading makers in music production software, boasting the very successful digital audio workstation (DAW) “Reason” and their famous audio editor “Recycle.” Their products are used be musicians like Adrock, Mix Master Mike (Beastie boys), DJ Khalil (producer for both Eminem and Dr Dre) and Printz Board (Black Eyed Peas musical director), so I can’t help but feel that the company is doing something right.
Although they are a very respectable music production software creators, Propellerhead are always looking to push boundaries. Their newest product announcement — Propellerhead Figure.
Figure, designed for iPhone is created for those “stuck on a bus or train” moments. It lets you make and get very creative music simply on your phone. Sounds cool, right?
I know you guys are thinking, “yeah Sean, sounds cool. ubt what can I do with this?”
Well, at first glace I can tell by its simple layout that Figure is made for beginners or music geeks looking for a great way to kill time. The app provides you with three basic virtual instruments: drums (which is actually the “Kong Drum Designer” from Reason), bass and lead (which are both actually “ThoR,” also exported from Reason”). You can mess about with all these instruments and adjust filters and effects to find a sound that you like and then record and create small two-bar loops. Unfortunately, there are no chords and no ambient layers, just the core of music production. Figure is clearly designed for ease of use and goofing around, rather than series composition.
The app also has a few other restrictions, such as not being able to save and export a track, which could cause users to decide not to buy. And also, as I said earlier, there are no chords and no ambient layers. But then again, this was created to kill time and for an easy way to get dirty with music without any training required and to that end, it is successful.
I highly doubt that you can make the next hit with Figure, but I think it could be a major eye-opener for the future of music production. I’m totally diggin’ it!
-SE
Tags: DJ app, iphone dj, iphone music, iphone music app, music app, music technology, propellerhead
Posted by Tattletech on Apr 18, 2012 in
Cool stuff,
Fif-TECH-teen For over a year now, I have been following Jonathan Lewis and watching his tutorials and explanations for DJs as “Ellaskins” on YouTube. Little did I know that his mother actually lived a few doors down the road – small world! So, this week I was fortunate enough to meet Jonathan himself, which was funny but weird and I am still getting over it. Anyway, I came up with some questions for Jonathan and here is what he had to say.
Before we get into the questions, I would just like to thank Jonathan for taking his time to speak with me.
Sean Edwards: Can you tell me a little bit about yourself?
Jonathan Lewis: My Name is Jonathan Lewis, also known as “Ellaskins” on YouTube. I was born in Aberystwyth, Wales. As well as Dj’ing and pursuing a career in music, I run a “rustic” furniture company called welsh-oak.co.uk.
SE: How did you get into DJing?
JL: I have always been into different genres of music, and used to ask a friend (DJ) if i could listen to his record collection when I was about twelve.
SE: Do you have a musical background? Do you play other musical instruments?
JL: My family have always been into music; my mother teaches the piano and I’m more into drums and percussions.
SE: What are your musical influences? What are your favourite genres of music now?
JL: I love all types of music. Stevie Wonder is an all-time favourite with mine, but to be quite honest I love anything with soul.
SE: How old were you when you got your very first gig?
JL: My very first gig was in school; I was about thirteen or fourteen. Good times!
SE: How about your first gig in a nightclub?
JL: I got to play for the first time in a club when I was in Norway back in 1997.
SE: What is your motivation?
JL: I always strive to inspire and help people who need help the most.
SE: What is the largest crowd you have played to?
JL: Hmm, I would say that was in my home town Aberystwyth. I played in front of 5,000 people .
SE: What is the best place you have played?
JL: I actually played at London Zoo, ha ha. That was pretty cool!
SE: How do you prepare for your set? Do you still get nervous when your about to go on?
JL: I don’t prepare a lot. I always stay open minded and I always adapt to the way the crowd is reacting to the music — very important.
SE: Has anything ever gone embarrassingly wrong? Like when Calvin Harris ejected the CD that was playing…
JL: Yeah totally. I was actually playing at a wedding once and the amplifier stopped working … whilst the bride and groom where having their first dance!
SE: Do you have any ambition to produce your own music?
JL: Yeah, I’m taking the Ableton Live course with the guys at Pointblank. Watch part one of the Ellaskins basic Ableton Live tutorial with Danny J Lewis here.
SE: How did your Youtube account “Ellaskins” take off?
JL: i was the first DJ in the world to give free advise/tutorials in depth. I was the first person in the world to upload FREE, in depth tutorials and videos. People seem to like it; it’s all about giving!
SE: How did you get into reviewing equipment for companies?
JL: A few companies saw the videos I was producing online and decided to send me free equipment for my videos.
SE: Which companies do you review products for?
JL: Oh, I have reviewed lots of products, Anything from headphones, turntables, CDJ’s to Sony cameras.
SE: What is your favorite piece of equipment?
JL: My favourite all time piece of equipment must be the Technics sl1200mk2.
SE: Do you have any advice for young teenagers wanting to get into the DJ’ing scene or teenagers wanting to get out on the web?
JL: Always be who you are, do not try to be who you are not. It’s all about giving; if you can give as much as you can, one day you will receive.
SE: Any parting words?
JL: Always help others! Oh and before I forget … practise and n-joy!
You can watch Jonathan’s DJ tips and tutorial at youtube.com/ellaskins
You can also follow him on on Twitter @ellaskins
Tags: DJ advice, DJ interview, DJ tutorial, DJ Youtube, Jonathan Lewis
Posted by Tattletech on Apr 3, 2012 in
Fif-TECH-teen,
Gaming philosophy 
For the past year, video games such as Call Of Duty, Fifa and more have been the hot topic to talk about in the playground. To be honest, I do not understand anything that my friends are talking about simply because I do not play video games. Most of my friends think that is pretty lame and don’t understand why I decide to not play them. So I asked myself the same question, Why do I not play video games? This is what I came up with…
- Instead of sitting in all day playing video games, I feel that we should all get out more often and enjoy the fresh air.
- Video game conversations are boring. I struggle to have a conversation with my friends at school because I do not play video games, and do not want to talk about Call of Duty every five minutes.
- Video games are addictive. I read a story about a woman who got so hooked on video games that she neglected her three children. The kids were reduced to eating cold baked beans straight from the can. Another couple in South Korea got so addicted to video games that they left their newborn baby to starve and eventually die. Instead of looking after their baby, they looked after a virtual baby on the online game Prius.
- Video games are very expensive . They start at around forty euros and go up to ninety euros … wow.
- Video games hurt motivation. It was reported that most gamers have many things they wish to do in life but never get around to doing them. It was even reported that most games don’t get round to doing … much of anything; cutting the lawn, doing the washing and other simple chores are just not important when they are playing video games.
- I know for a fact that video games can rob you of valuable life experiences. Countless times, I have asked my friends to go out to the cinema or go out for dinner with me, only to be turned down my the excuse, “no dude, I might just lie down and play Call Of Duty. Lame.
- Agression. Psychologist Bruce Bartholow found that people who play violent video games seem to be more aggressive. He also found that the effect seems to last long after gaming is done.
Now don’t get me wrong, videos games are not all bad, nor are the people who play them. There are a lot of good things to be said about video games, such as:
- Increased problem solving and logic.
- Improved hand-eye coordination. For example, in shooting games, you may have to be able to run, aim and shoot at the same time.
- Quicker thinking: making fast decisions at the right moments.
- Following video game story lines and instructions may improve maths skills.
- Researchers found that doctors who spent at least three hours a week playing video games made about 37 percent fewer mistakes in laparoscopic surgery and performed the task 27 percent faster than their counterparts who did not play video games. Cool!
I hope that you guys will get in touch and share you opinion. This is just my point of view and I respect that there are both good and bad sides to video games, but not being able to go out with friends, or even having a decent conversation with them is just a little bit too far for my taste.
-SE
Tags: gaming, gaming pros and cons, I don't play video games, video games
Recently, Chaotic Moon Labs created a new futuristic skateboard. Just when I thought kevlar and spring-loaded pop was the end of skateboard technology, CM Labs brought out the “Board of Imagination.”
First of all, before the “Board of Imagination,” there was the “Board of Awesomeness,” which was equipped with Microsoft’s Kinect, which most of you know as being the body-reading accessory for the X-box 360. Rather than Kinect being on your TV and turning you in to the “controller,” CM Labs very intelligently applied it to the board, turning your very own hands into the steering-wheel, cool huh? People really took to the idea and it got a good deal of hype, but unfortunately the Board of Awesomeness turned out not to be so awesome after multiple breakdowns. So, instead of rebuilding it, they decided to go back to the drawing board and they eventually came up with this … the Board of Imagination.
So what is the Board of Imagination? Well, the Board of Imagination is a skateboard, with four rubber wheels, but instead of using Microsoft’s Kinect like its predecessor, CM Labs went up to another level and used an Emotiv EPOC headset, connected through a Samsung Windows Tab, running Windows 8 (developer preview). The Emotiv EPOC is a headset that detects your brainwaves, so when connected to the Samsung Tab the board will detect brain wave and translate them into commandments for the skateboard. It is just as simple as thinking of a destination in the near future and the board will take your straight to that spot! You can even imagine the speed at which you wish to travel — as long as it is under 32 MPH. That’s still fast enough in my mind.
We don’t know for sure if this board will go on the market yet, but I think this is great piece of kit for the future and I can’t wait to see everybody outside using these. The only thing that has me confused is … how am I going to kick-flip this thing?!
You can see this crazy board in action right here.
You can read Fif-TECH-teen weekly right here on Tattletech. You can also follow Sean on Twitter @sean_edwards1.
Tags: Board of Awesomeness, Board of Imagination, chaotic moon labs, mind controlled skateboard, skateboard technology
Posted by Tattletech on Feb 22, 2012 in
Fif-TECH-teen,
Internet Stuff,
Music 
Last week was SoundCloud week. This week I will be informing you, the Tattletech readers, about yet again another fantastic site, one that has a few things in common with SoundCloud: MixCloud.
MixCloud is a fairly new website, launched in 2008 by four friends and Cambridge University graduates: Nikhil Shar, Nico Perrez, Matt Clayton and Sam Cooke (ed: no, not that Sam Cooke). Their plan? Establish a website with the intention of building a home for radio presenters and DJs to share and promote their shows without having to use file sharing sites.
Mixcloud lets you listen to the best radio presenters and DJs in the world. You will find talent like the resident DJ at Space in Ibiza, Carl Cox, or famous Slovenian DJ and producer Uroš Umek. You will find loads and loads of other great DJs, producers and radio presenters as well. The other amazing thing is that you can easily get recognition in the scene by uploading your own DJ mixes, podcast, or even your very own Radio show. Cool, right? There are no boundaries; anyone can listen to your “Cloudcast’s” (what MixCloud call your mixes, podcast, or radio show) around the world and the same goes for you, you may listen to anything in any place.
This idea reminded me of SoundCloud because you may also upload any type of audio, but MixCloud seems to have thing over SoundCloud, a thing that made me to sign up to MixCloud in the first place: I love the fact that when you sign up (for free) you may upload as much content as you please. When you sign up for SoundCloud for free, you are only allowed 120 minutes of content before upgrading to a Premium account and spending from twenty-nine to five hundred euros a year, depending on the premium account you purchase. This is not so cool for DJs uploading long mixes, like me. I recently uploaded a mix to SoundCloud and I only have about sixty minutes of audio left, which is the equivalent to one good mix, so that is not so cool.
On the other hand, on MixCloud you can’t download songs and remixes like you can on SoundCloud, due to copyright issues. I would suggest having both an account for MixCloud for all mixes, podcast or radio content, and on SoundCloud if you are into producing songs or remixing songs.
Overall, I thoroughly recommend this site because it is an easy way of “getting your self out there” by having the power to upload your work in a matter of minutes and share it.
Great job MixCloud, you guys nailed it!
You can read Fif-TECH-teen weekly right here on Tattletech. You can also follow Sean on Twitter @sean_edwards1.
Tags: DJ resources, mixcloud, music streaming, online music, online radio, SoundCloud, streaming music
Posted by Tattletech on Feb 14, 2012 in
Fif-TECH-teen This week, I was fortunate enough to have a Q&A session via e-mail with Alexander Ljung, founder and CEO for SoundCloud.
For those who aren’t familiar with SoundCloud, the website began as a platform for musicians to share recordings with each other, but then transformed into a full publishing tool which also allows musicians to distribute their tracks. I love this site and spend most of my nights downloading new, unique material by upcoming artists and producers. I would recommend SoundCloud to everyone looking for new, unreleased music, people looking to sign artists to their label or for DJ’s looking for new and unique sounds to create a whole new set jam-packed of music that the audience has probably never heard.
I would like to thank Alex Ljung and Kristina Weise for taking their time away from their busy schedules to reply to my questions. I realize that not many fifteen year old “kids” get the opportunity to do this and I am very grateful.
Tattletech: In brief, can you tell me a little bit about yourself?
Alexander Ljung: My name is Alexander Ljung. I am the founder & CEO of SoundCloud, the leading social sound platform on the web. Since its launch in 2008 with my co-founder, Eric Wahlforss (CTO), I have been responsible for all aspects of the company’s strategy, vision, and leadership.
TT: What was the vision behind SoundCloud?
AL: Originally, SoundCloud was born out of frustration with the options available for sending and receiving large music and audio files over the web. [Co-Founder and CTO] Eric Wahlforss was (and still is) a musician, while I was working as a sound designer. We worked together on a couple of music projects, and at the time we had to make do with either nascent online file locker services or clunky email attachments to send elements of tracks that we were working on to each other–neither of which were particularly intuitive or much fun to use. More than anything we wanted to build a way for sound creators and artists to showcase their work and streamline collaboration between people.
TT: Do you have a musical background?
AL: Prior to SoundCloud, I worked in sound design for feature films.
TT: What are your musical influences?
AL: Björk, Rick Ross, Arvo Part, Gregory Isaacs and Sigur Rós.
TT: What was your motivation? Passion for music? Money?
AL. (1) Sound is fundamental part of the human experience; it’s a key part of life. As a previous sound designer, I recognize how much we use sound and value it in our everyday lives, but it’s underrepresented somehow. The web does a great job of making people more social and it’s odd to me that sound has not been largely represented there. My goal is to change that, to make sound just a part of our everyday online life as it is in our offline.
(2) It’s an amazing time to be a tech entrepreneur as we have the opportunity to influence hundreds to millions of people with a small team that believes in the same passion.
TT: Have any well known artists come up through SoundCloud? If so, who?
AL: Numerous artists from Lady Gaga (sharing a track on Christmas Day that she recorded one night while on the Monster Ball tour by uploading to SoundCloud and sharing across her social networks), to 50 Cent (has over 120K followers and generates massive amounts of plays from regularly uploading freestyles, new tracks and remixes, while engaging a community with such moves as asking young producers to create on top of his freestyles), to M83 (sharing promotional tracks and remixes, while using SoundCloud Labs projects such as social unlock while amassing a following of 50K+ just on SoundCloud).
TT: What is the future for SoundCloud?
AL: We’re part of a larger movement to unmute the web and make sound a key part of it, whatever shape that takes. That’s what we’re trying to do with SoundCloud.
TT: Do you think that SoundCloud is an effective social media tool? There’s nothing that is as simple to create as sound.
AL: Here are a few reasons it is so effective:
- Simplicity: Twitter is popular because it gives users a way to express themselves in only 140 keystrokes. But now everybody with a smartphone has a microphone in their pocket and it takes only one click to record something. It’s a lot less intrusive to record a conversation or sound snippet than it is to point a video camera in somebody’s face.
- Multitasking: video requires your undivided attention, but you can listen to audio in the background while reading or doing other things.
Creation tools are evolving. People often associate audio with music that’s professionally recorded by major label artists, but the tools to record and remix sounds are becoming cheaper and easier to use.
Sound is connected to your emotional centers more than video. Don’t believe it? Try plugging your ears the next time you’re watching a scary movie.
TT: How does SoundCloud make enough money to secure survival?
AL: Signing up for SoundCloud is free, but we offer paid subscriptions to premium services that allow bigger uploads, easier sharing and more.
TT: High point of the journey to create SoundCloud?
AL: Our recent 10 million user announcement shows the incredible support of our stellar community.
TT: Yes I heard, Congratulations! How did you finance the start up?
AL: The company received angel funding in 2007 and 2008 by a small group of private investors with backgrounds in the music production, music software, web start-up and investment sectors. Doughty Hanson Technology Ventures then invested in 2009 and Index Ventures and Union Square Ventures in 2010. In January 2012, SoundCloud announced an undisclosed amount in a fundraising round led by Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers. GGV Capital also participated.
TT: I know that you guys work with Facebook. Did you approach Facebook or did Facebook
approach you?
AL: We’ve always held a solid relationship with Facebook. They are a natural partner for SoundCloud because Facebook is the go-to social network and SoundCloud is swiftly becoming the default sound sharing platform. It’s a natural fit. You can read more on our blog.
TT:.Reasons for working with Facebook?
AL: We hope that more people on Facebook will share their sounds with one another. Second, we want to make it easier for people to discover new sounds online with their friends.
TT: How long did it take to create SoundCoud?
AL: We launched in 2008 but were developing the foundation for our company since 2006.
TT: Thank you for your time. Do you have any parting advice for young entrepreneurs?
AL: My advice to anyone thinking about starting a company is to just start. There is no time for hesitation. Try something new. You can’t let the fear of failure stop you. It’s easy to get started; it’s the afterwards part that is more challenging. So just start.
Tags: music technonlofy, online music, SoundCloud
Remember back in the eighties when you rolled up at your favorite club to see the DJ with a pair of turntables, a mixer and a ton of vinyl records? Well, I don’t–I wasn’t even born. Fast forward to the late nineties/early two-thousands. The Pioneer-CDJ’s were introduced, which was a great innovation and rapidly became the industry standard, where it remains today. The CDJ’s are fantastic and continue to evolve technologically and grow in popularity. However, they do have a downside; they are very heavy and not really that portable, not to mention the huge collection of CD’s they require (even though on some models you may use USB or SD cards). For those looking for a more portable option, have no fear, the age of Digital DJ controllers is here! Woo! These controllers are simple and packed with everything a DJ could possibly desire, all in one small unit. And, they still sound amazing. Here are some of the most popular:
Here we have the Traktor Kontrol S4, by Native Instruments. As you can see, this resembles the standard CDJ or turntables and mixer setup. There are “jog-wheels” on both sides, like a turntable, and in the middle there is a four-channel mixer with a 3-band-EQs. The S4 contains a whole load of other features including the innovative new “Loop Recorder” feature (the grey rectangle in the middle of the controller), which acts like a fifth deck and adds an exciting layer on top of your mix by recording and looping audio on-the-fly. It also has a whole selection of FX (knobs on top) and hot cues (buttons located just above the “play” “cue” “sync” and “shift” button on the bottom), which are used for triggering cue points–I could hit number “1″ at the beginning of the song, then hit “2” and it will skip directly to the part that you have assigned for hot cue “2,” possible for the verse. “3″ would be the chorus, “4″ the outro, or whatever. The unit also has two pitch faders on either side, “loop-in loop-out” (which loops a specific part of the song) and volume faders with a cross-fader to move between deck A to deck B.
With all these features, the S4 is the leading controller on the market and is perfect for all serious/professional DJ’s. Think of it as the iPhone of DJ controllers, because it is a leader and imitated just as often. For example, Vestax brought out their very own “Vci-400” that looks suspiciously familiar to the S4. Downside to the S4? Well, there are not many, but even though the controller is very portable and compact, it’s still a bit heavy to be carrying around.
Problem solved. Want a lighter version? The younger brother, the Traktor Kontrol S2, was released on October 4, 2011. I received one for Christmas and, to be quite honest, I have never been happier. Thanks Mom and Dad!
The S2 is a smaller version of the S4 and is similar in most ways. The main thing missing on the S2 is the new, innovative “Loop Recorder” mentioned about, but speaking from experience, I think this is only a minor loss. If you are a DJ and want a controller to be able to take from club to club and still perform an excellent set, I would definitely recommend the S2.
There is a wide selection of other controllers made by other companies availiable on the market. For instance, the brand new Novation Twitch.
The Twitch completely ditches the jog wheels and replaces it with touch strips, an idea I love. Hey Novation, if you are reading this, I wouldn’t mind you sending me one to test out. Thanks guys!
The Twitch is perfect for those DJ’s who love to get creative with cutting up beats, glitchesque looping and firing off cue points instead of just simply mixing tracks together. The set brings a whole new level of complexity to play.
All this stuff is undeniably cool, but what if you just want to get started with digital DJing at a reasonable price, instead of splashing out on a few hundred dollars on a controller. Well guys I have you covered–I was in your position last year. I think the perfect controller to get into the digital DJ’ing world has to be the Numark Mixtrack Pro. With great touch-sensitive jog-wheels a two channel mixer, 3-band-EQs, three FX and hot cues, this unit is perfect for a entry-level DJ just waiting to get his hands dirty with digital DJing. I am just selling mine now as I upgraded to the S2, but I will be sad to see it go.
So there you have it, my thoughts on DJ controllers–easy, portable, light and still able to perform a great set. What more do you want?
You can read Fif-TECH-teen weekly right here on Tattletech. You can also follow Sean on Twitter @sean_edwards1.
Tags: digital DJ, DJ gear, DJ technology, DJing, Music, Native Instruments, Nocation, Numark, Traktor, Vestax
Posted by Tattletech on Jan 31, 2012 in
Fif-TECH-teen,
Mobile,
Technology Greetings Tattletech readers,
I think human beings in general tend to put labels on things and think in boxes and it is only when you are taught to think outside of these boxes that you start to see a completely different picture. This applies to the way we think about technology.
I was party to a recent discussion between my father and Jennifer, the founder of this blog. My father (a builder) was actually bragging that he had just purchased a new battery-operated drill that contained a lithium battery pack. In my dad’s eyes, this is a fantastic innovation for the construction industry; it is a lighter, longer lasting, more powerful and quicker to charge.
It was then said that the drill was a good piece of “low technology,” which my father did not quite understand because it was the “highest” piece of technology that he has ever purchased. This got my thinking; what is the line between “low” and “high” tech? What is high tech to one person might be low tech to another, purely because of their career paths and expertise. Why does this have to be the case? Why categorize at all?
When I study the technology of my BlackBerry, the advancements that make a difference to me are Blackberry Messenger, app capacity, the amount of pictures and music I can store and the quality of access to the Internet, so I can check my e-mail, Facebook and Twitter. However (and I apologize for using my father in another comparison, but you have to realize that how different we truly are), my father thinks that advancements in phone technology should mean that phones become more shock resistant, dust resistant and moisture resistant. He once dropped his Samsung Solid from a roof three stories high, went down, picked it up, and and called to order his dinner. So once again, this proves that high tech for one person is low tech for another, but really it’s just technology and all advancement is good.
Even though I stand by my opinion and I think technology shouldn’t be categorized, feel free to comment on this piece by Tweeting at @tattletech or me personally @sean_edwards1 and let me know if you categorize technology and why? I look forward to your replies.
Tags: BlackBerry, high tech, lithium battery, low tech, samsung solid, Technology
Posted by Tattletech on Jan 24, 2012 in
Bad things,
Fif-TECH-teen,
Internet Stuff 
This week I’m writing about a very sad and harmful subject — cyberbullying.
Cybullying has been a big topic of conversation lately. I was actually talking about it in school when I thought, “hey should cover this subject for Tattletech.” Cyberbullying is when somebody, no matter the age, is threatened, harassed, humiliated, embarrassed or even targeted for violence by another person on the Internet. It is a problem that seems to keep getting worse.
In 2011, forty-three percent of teenagers were victims of cyberbullying. When I see these figures in black and white, I find it staggering I only realized how serious and dangerous the problem is while researching the subject. This crime is disgraceful and is one of the few negative points of advancing technology. Teens my age can are taking the bullying that thrives in school hallways and playgrounds and continuing it in cyberspace, which unfortunately means that for some teens there is no respite. The Internet used to be a refuge.
Kids can be bullied for any reason, such as sexual orientation, race, difference in appearance, different opinions, or just because one individual does not like another individual. Obviously, teens that do bully others through the use of technology (or face-to-face for that matter) seem to forget that we all live in the same world and no matter the sexual orientation or appearance we are all equal and should be able to live how we want to live and look how we want to look without being judged by others. These people do not understand how much harm comes from their actions. Scared and innocent teens often turn to self-harming and in some cases suicide.
Back before the Internet and social networking sites, bullying always took the form of a physical action, whether it be insulting somebody face-to-face or an actual assault. In these cases, bullies always ran the risk of retaliation or being caught red handed in the act. However, cyberbullies have reduced the risk of retaliation and have managed to avoid the chance of getting caught by passing authority by taking to the web. Their assaults can now be made anonymously. This is why we need new ways to stop them.
Personally, I do not understand why people could be so cruel, but “The Builder” (Dad) is convinced that it all comes down to the parenting. Whatever the reason, people will continue to bully and I think serious actions should be made to stop them. Last year in the United States, a bill was introduced in the House of Representatives that stipulated that anyone found guilty of cyberbullying could face a fine or a prison term of up to two years. These seems like a step in the right direction to me.
You can read Fif-TECH-teen weekly right here on Tattletech. You can also follow Sean on Twitter @sean_edwards1.
Tags: bullies, bully, bullying, cyberbullying, Internet cruelty, Internet safety
Posted by Tattletech on Jan 6, 2012 in
Fif-TECH-teen,
Internet Stuff,
Politics,
SOPA 
Today I bring to you Tattletech readers my point of view on a controversial subject — the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA).
SOPA was introduced in the United States House of Representatives by US Representative Lamar Smith. To summarize, the bill would allow copyright holders to seek court orders against websites accused of enabling or facilitating copyright infringement. The bill would also make unauthorized streaming of copyrighted content a crime punishable to a maximum penalty of five years in prison for ten instances of illegal streaming of music or movies within a six month span. The bill also gives immunity to Internet services that voluntarily take action against websites dedicated to infringement, while making liable for damages any copyright holder who knowingly misrepresents that a website is dedicated to infringement [1]. The bill has not yet passed.
So how does this affect us? Well, I can tell you that it is bad news for most teenagers. Come on, we have all lived in the grey area of legality on the Internet. Not just teenagers, all of us — admit it! Who hasn’t downloaded an artist’s most recent track or a movie or TV show? It’s very tempting and yes, I have done it and I will continue doing it, even though it is basically stealing.
But it’s not just those of us who perhaps have a few illegally obtained files on our desktop who will be affected. If SOPA passes, it will be a major issue for all people who use the Internet because of the effect it could have on websites. SOPA allows the American government to shut down every single website with any unpaid copyrighted material on it. So in theory this could mean goodbye Google, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Reddit, 4chan, all aggregate news sites, all forums, etc. If I were to upload a video to YouTube of me skateboarding with a Jay-Z track in the background, then post that video on my blog and share it in some skateboarding forums, it is withing this act’s purview to shut down the forum, my blog and YouTube. Quite sad isn’t it…
However the above scenario, while possible, is probably hyperbolic. I highly doubt the American government can afford to shut down these sites (my blog excluded); it makes no sense economically. If Google (which owns YouTube) were to be shut down, 24,400 people would lose their jobs and all the Google tax revenue would be lost. There are no winners there. This applies to all the big companies mentioned before.
The comments about SOPA I do not understand are those along the lines of “SOPA violates our freedom of speech.” I strongly disagree. Yes, the law may stop me using and sharing copyrighted material but it cannot stop me talking about it. So how does it violate my freedom of speech? I don’t see it. Copyrighted content is copyrighted for a reason. Illegal usage does not fall under free speech. I do not thoroughly agree with SOPA and I would much rather post streaming content on my friend’s Facebook wall or download my content for free, but on the other hand I respect the fact that companies such as EMI make their living with the money we use to download their content. No downloads or no buyers means no EMI.
Overall though, I am not for SOPA, and I hope that it does not get passed.
You can read Fif-TECH-teen weekly right here on Tattletech. You can also follow Sean on Twitter @sean_edwards1.
1. Gross, G. (Nov 16, 2011). The US Stop Online Piracy Act: A Primer. PC World
Tags: copyright infringement, illegal downloading, Internet Censorship, Internet Politics, online piracy, SOPA, Stop Online Piracy Act
