Art: The Rule Breaker to Cultural differences -SOCS300

Art is a method of going past cultural boundaries. With are you have no linguistic boundaries making it universal in language. You can bypass many social aspects as it is how the viewer interprets the piece that makes it contraversial or not. With art you can make political statements- freely. Art is a cultural statement and defines culture. It reflects a society's cultural practices and messages. My favorite line in Benkler's book, 'Wealth of Networks' is "Culture, in this framework, is not destiny. It does not predetermine who we are, or whate we can become or do, nor is it a fixed artifact. It is the product of a dynamic process of engagement among those who make up a culture." (Benkler, 282). I think that line is a true meaning of how we can understand our lives and how we proceed within our world.

The internet is a jambalaya of cultures and through selected mass media we can intertwine our cultures and learn about each other. We can spread our messages, religion, and art through mass media and can expect others to read and respond to it. To protect from loosing control of your art and cultural images, Creative Commons was created to liscence and protect our work. I advise that you CC any work that you post on the net as once it is released on to this malicious web, you have no control over someone else copying your ideas and cultural messages. Creative commons protects you and your work and the liscence will eliminate possibilities of your work being reproduced by someone other than you. Fortuantly if someone does copy it, your liscence can help it be eliminated and proove to all that you are the original producer of that work. Ideas and designs should be patinted as you do not need your genius being cheated from you. With the internet, word and images move quickly and spread like disease. Imagine a Creative Commons liscence as being a vaccine for a virus; it will prevent it from destroying you. Etsy artists should consider CCing their images and their work when listing their work in their shops to prevent other upcoming and uncreative artists from stealing your ideas, works, methods, proccesses, and image; more importantly your culture. CCing your work will prevent you from being upset that another seller cheated you and sold your idea and stole your customers. If you create a method and market it, it should be liscenced as yours. Do not allow yourself to be vunerable to people who are looking for an easy ride in life. Life is not easy and you work hard so make it known.