Steal the Booty

While I began to wrap my head around the free culture movement / digital rights
management topic, it became clear we have another David vs. Goliath story on our hands. Profit margins reign supreme in our commercially driven society. Those of us who can’t and wont produce a profit will be denied certain privileges. One such privilege “allows” (not really)
internet users to “acquire” (torrent) specific software which has become some what of an
industry standard. Unfortunately, most software for example the Final Cut Studio 2 costs
somewhere in the ball park of $1,300, and that is before shipping and handling! I don’t know
about you, but this software alone almost costs as much as my computer.

Yes, these applications are astronomically expensive, but there is an even bigger issue
here, media proficiency. Many if not all media employers searching for new recruits request that you have proficiencies in: Final Cut Pro, Motion, After Effects, Avivd, Soundtrack, etc. This
adds a catch 22 to the mix of finding your next great gig. You know the ever elusive dream job
we all hope to find after graduating with our B.A.’s.

The choice, for myself is simple. I will no longer be your average student. I will take on
a new identity or a new title with harsh connotation. I will be a pirate! We should all climb
aboard the free culture movement vessel. As students we can not let anything stand in our way to complete our voyage into the future, our voyage towards our careers. And maybe one day down the road the title pirate might be changed to reverse consumer and we can make a whole new career option. Exactly the way hackers got their careers as reverse engineer. Maybe this is just wishful thinking.