""On the one hand information wants to be expensive, because it's so valuable. The right information in the right place just changes your life. On the other hand, information wants to be free, because the cost of getting it out is getting lower and lower all the time. So you have these two fighting against each other."
- Stuart Brand, 1984
"Information wants to be free."
- the only part that's usually quoted.
Funny how the only part you usually hear is the sentence fragment that can be self-servingly used as a half-assed justification for downloading or copying something for "free" instead of buying it. Usually with the "information" being not plans for a better water-pump to help give third world countries better access to drinking water, or information on how various corporations or governments are screwing us, but instead the latest booty-shaking track we heard at the club.
Yes, music can change your life; but somehow I doubt this is what Brand was talking about.
Thanks to Moose for providing context. Now GO READ HIS BLOG, it's much better than mine.
Posted by pearce at July 25, 2006 12:53 PM