Ethics and Intellectual Property on the Internet - Blog Post 2

What issues were most important to you in determining which side to support in this conflict?

In regards to this growing issue of illegal music-downloading and file-sharing, I would side with the artists, authors, record companies, and distributors. Each of these peoples' contributions and hard work are the result of a successful song or album, but most consumers these days simply take without paying. I think this act of piracy is the equivalence of theft, and should lead to consequences similar to what would happen if a person stole an item from a store. Without their well-earned pay for each song, artists will suffer a lack of revenue, despite the common misconception that all artists are successful millionaires. Not only does this issue hurt the artists and authors, but this simple act of downloading music for free is against the law. The advances in technology is a significant contributor to this issue, since it makes internet property so easily accessible and downloadable.

Ethics and Intellectual Property on the Internet - Blog Post 1

The CQ Researcher reading (Future of the Music Industry) is an article that basically discusses the growing availability of music that can be downloaded for free off the Internet and its consequences for both the artists and labels. It provides a lot of facts about illegal downloading and its impact on society over the years. It includes commentary and opinions from typical downloaders to celebrity artists themselves. The 2nd reading (Is music downloading the new prohibition? What students reveal through an ethical dilemma) is a study rather than an article of facts. It examines the attitudes and perceptions of college students that are actively engaged in music downloading. It relates music downloading to ethical issues and provides questions asking our own opinion of certain scenarios. Results of the report show that there is a vast range of actions and feelings toward digital downloading. The participants' opinion on the issue and their recommendations for a situation don't match up with each other. This proves that as technology evolves, it creates conflict between the way things should be and the way the law expects them to be.

The Rhetoric of the Museum Exhibit - Blog Post 2

My museum would be a museum completely based on forensic science, which is the applicattion of scientific methods and techniques to investigate crimes. These types of museums seem extremely rare, which is why there must be a museum devoted to this topic, at least somewhere in the world. Forensic science has shaped the world of justice, fuelling crime investigations and signifying the progress of modern technology. It covers: modern computer/clay facial reconstruction, DNA fingerprinting, autopsy techniques, forensic anthropology, toxicology, etc. My museum will contain exhibits dedicated to each of these aspects of forensic science. This museum will ultimately educate visitors on the procedures and history of the evolution of forensic science over the years and will be aimed towards pre-teens and college students that have an interest in this particular area of study.