Comments on: Open Education License – Attribution is important http://www.darcynorman.net/2007/08/10/open-education-license-attribution-is-important/ just a lowly edtech geek, mumble mumble university of calgary Sun, 21 Mar 2010 09:18:07 -0600 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: dtdiggs http://www.darcynorman.net/2007/08/10/open-education-license-attribution-is-important/#comment-105232 dtdiggs Wed, 15 Aug 2007 16:05:05 +0000 http://www.darcynorman.net/2007/08/10/open-education-license-attribution-is-important/#comment-105232 Nice explanation of the issues. I agree wholeheartedly that attribution is important (not surprisingly, since I am a publisher) and am a bit concerned that one goal of the OEL license is to do away with it. Knowing the context (i.e., attribution) can be key to successfully building on prior thoughts and ideas. Perhaps we should consider that there is a danger in being too open, resulting in a lack of definitiveness? Nice explanation of the issues. I agree wholeheartedly that attribution is important (not surprisingly, since I am a publisher) and am a bit concerned that one goal of the OEL license is to do away with it. Knowing the context (i.e., attribution) can be key to successfully building on prior thoughts and ideas. Perhaps we should consider that there is a danger in being too open, resulting in a lack of definitiveness?

]]> By: Alan http://www.darcynorman.net/2007/08/10/open-education-license-attribution-is-important/#comment-103587 Alan Fri, 10 Aug 2007 20:14:23 +0000 http://www.darcynorman.net/2007/08/10/open-education-license-attribution-is-important/#comment-103587 Yes, go with Occam's license- simpler is better. Attribution does not exactly demand the form of the attribution, does it? The Shia Sunni example, while yes valid, seems a far, far edge case from where most of us are working. Yes, go with Occam’s license- simpler is better. Attribution does not exactly demand the form of the attribution, does it? The Shia Sunni example, while yes valid, seems a far, far edge case from where most of us are working.

]]> By: David http://www.darcynorman.net/2007/08/10/open-education-license-attribution-is-important/#comment-103573 David Fri, 10 Aug 2007 19:11:25 +0000 http://www.darcynorman.net/2007/08/10/open-education-license-attribution-is-important/#comment-103573 I had also thought that a CC Attribution license should be sufficiently open. I had not considered the additional fact that users could contact the author to make exceptions to the attribution requirement. As a creator I would be flattered if someone wanted to use my work had a good reason for removing attribution. (Although I would expect few cases where they would have a good reason.) I had also thought that a CC Attribution license should be sufficiently open. I had not considered the additional fact that users could contact the author to make exceptions to the attribution requirement. As a creator I would be flattered if someone wanted to use my work had a good reason for removing attribution. (Although I would expect few cases where they would have a good reason.)

]]> By: Martha http://www.darcynorman.net/2007/08/10/open-education-license-attribution-is-important/#comment-103555 Martha Fri, 10 Aug 2007 18:03:46 +0000 http://www.darcynorman.net/2007/08/10/open-education-license-attribution-is-important/#comment-103555 I gotta say I agree. To me, attribution is how we make visible the connections we're building upon. Without those, every work theoretically exists in some kind of vacuum. We don't do ourselves or the people we borrow any favors by erasing those trails. (For that matter, even if I reused or remixed works in the public domain, I would want to attribute them.) As for the issues David raises about cultural concerns impeding the use of certain licensed material, I both understand his point and also think that it's necessary to challenge such practices. I know that's easy for me to say from my office in Virginia; I don't think twice about how using attributed work might send a message about my own allegiances or alliances. I don't live in a world where I would ever suffer repercussions from such choices -- and it's hard for me to fathom those kinds of dilemmas. I don't really know the answer to that -- although I agree with you that the attribution is only one place where cultural origin can be marked and tracked. I gotta say I agree. To me, attribution is how we make visible the connections we’re building upon. Without those, every work theoretically exists in some kind of vacuum. We don’t do ourselves or the people we borrow any favors by erasing those trails. (For that matter, even if I reused or remixed works in the public domain, I would want to attribute them.)

As for the issues David raises about cultural concerns impeding the use of certain licensed material, I both understand his point and also think that it’s necessary to challenge such practices. I know that’s easy for me to say from my office in Virginia; I don’t think twice about how using attributed work might send a message about my own allegiances or alliances. I don’t live in a world where I would ever suffer repercussions from such choices — and it’s hard for me to fathom those kinds of dilemmas.

I don’t really know the answer to that — although I agree with you that the attribution is only one place where cultural origin can be marked and tracked.

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