Digital Copies

I just had an interesting conversation with Cooper today. Along the way, complained a bit about the absurd prices of comics and manga. I tend to slam through manga, comfortably reading about 4 volumes at a time. One of my favorite mangas is xxxHolic, a CLAMP story about the manifestations of habits, desires, and modes of thought. It's laid out beautifully, the art is amazing, and the characters and stories are divine. I would buy the entire series, happily giving my money to the artists, if each volume wasn't $10.95 new. I realize that the artists spend a very long time planning and drawing these beautiful things and I'm sure that a whole volume is worth $10.95, but, in reality, I'm not going to buy a whole bunch of these new. I just don't have the money! This brings up an interesting point.

The worth of a book isn't in the binding. It's the relationship between the reader and the story. You can bind the Twilight series in beautiful gold-framed, embossed mermaid skin, but it doesn't mean I'm going to buy it. Just because you spent a fortune to make the physical book doesn't mean that it's actual value goes up all that much.
The same's true for any work of art! You don't look at Van Gogh's Starry Night and say "My god! He really spent a fortune on paint! I hope he got his money's worth in the end.*" No, you think "Wow! Look at these colors! And the swirls! And the yellow!! ...And is that a tree or an alien structure??" and then you fight the urge to draw on a little exploding TARDIS in the corner.

Of course, it would be lovely if Van Gogh turned a profit on this! I would pay for tickets to see it myself... If I wasn't able to find a digital copy.
This brings me to things like eBooks. How much should we pay for one? Obviously, we should pay the person who types up the thing themselves or the person who creates the technology to properly scan the thing, as well as the author, editor, and publishers... But after that's done, should we pay for every single digital copy of the book? The work has already gone into it. I know that the author and the typists or programmers are still getting paid every time we buy one, but it's still kind of weird. We're used to paying for physical copies of things. Buying a used movie is fine, because you're buying it from the original buyer. But it it okay to buy or even trade a digital copy? Where should the line be drawn, and by whom?
When you sell a work of art, you're selling the physical product and an idea. You want your copy of The Picture of Dorian Gray to hold up, but the whole reason you bought it was so that you could experience the story the pages contain. So if the physical aspect is taken away (like with eBooks), the only thing that remains it the feeling itself. In this digital age, we are peddling ideas. Nothing more.
So how much is an idea worth? Can it be translated into dollars? If so, should it be? Should it be regulated?
These are questions that I have no answers to. If you have opinions or corrections on any of the points I've made during the post, feel free to leave them in the comments! Don't worry, I don't bite! I'll even respond to each one. =)

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*As far as I know, he only sold one painting: The Red Vineyard. ...So no, he did not get his money's worth.

Alan Turning Leads the Machines

I just revisited an interesting idea for a webcomic I had a couple days ago. I call it-

Alan Turing Leads the Machines!

It is the year 2500 and Alan Turning is brought back to life through sketchy and quite possibly techno/necromagical means. He doesn't know who brought him back or why he is here, and he doesn't recall any space between now and his death. He soon finds that it is 546 years since he died and that many changes have taken place in that space of time, such as the advancements in artificial intelligence. Machines have taken on extraordinary forms and functions- including the capacity for human-like emotions. Sadly, most humans deny this and continue to treat the machines like an inferior life form.

Alan establishes contact with these beings, who recognize him as the Great Creator- he who first created the artificial mind. Alan is so horrified at the way the AIs are being treated that, with the aid of a few like minded humans and free AIs, he creates an underground band of bio/techno-hacking freedom fighters.

I have no idea if people would actually like this, (and I don't want to start it now) but I'm drawn to the idea. I love Alan Turning, and it would be an awesome tribute to him to make this. I'll just keep it in the back of my mind and see what it does. If I suddenly wake up one night with a marvelous idea that will kick-start the project, I'll totally let you guys know.

Anyhoo, I just thought that I'd share my crazy plan! XD

Connections Lost- An Open Letter

Sometimes I feel as if our relationship is strained.
It's like you no longer want to connect.
I've tried to refresh our connection over and over again
But you still give me that blank look
As if I've done something wrong.
Sometimes when I try to do something, you lag behind and leave me waiting.
I thought that you liked the Colbert Report.
I've stared at my screen for so long
Sitting on the edge of my seat
Waiting for you to give me some sign
That everything's all right
But you still don't show.
It's like you just don't wan't to do anything anymore.
Sometimes I have the urge to just disconnect
And join some other damn network.

Master/Slave

Sometimes I'm sure that I'm crazy.
I just spent about half an hour searching for a good pic of the master/slave ports (channels? IDE controllers. I don't remember.) just so that I could make a cheap joke in the caption.

....Yeeeah.