Reason.tv: Cory Doctorow on The War on Kids, Boing Boing, & His Next Novel

As one of the editors of Boing Boing, Cory Doctorow runs one of the best-known blogs on the planet. As the author of best-selling young-adult novels such as Little Brother and the new For The Win, he has his pulse on what it is like to be growing up in the 21st century. As a writer who simultaneously publishes his work online for free and via a traditional bookseller (Tor), he is at the bleeding edge of creating what he calls 21st century art: "contemporary art that is made to be copied."

In July Reason.tv's Nick Gillespie talked with Doctorow about raising free-range children, the future of copyright, and what makes Boing Boing tick.

Approximately 5.26 minutes. Shot by Gillespie and edited by Josh Swain.

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Comments

[aix42]

Cory is cool. Boing Boing is one of those sites that's like a neuron link in the middle of a constellation of similar and inverse ideas.

They'll be in lock step with Reason on many ideas, then suddenly will flip 180 away on some other topic.

I just wish they were not part of the Team Climate Change that likes to call non-believers 'deniers'

[skr]

The libertarian streak would be Mark Frauenfelder's influence.

[PapayaSF]

They seem pretty reliable left-wing to me. I periodically get raked over the coals for non-PC opinions (including getting called names by a "moderator"). And the lamentations when Howard Zinn died were instructive.

[skr]

I should have said "only Mark ..." There are plenty of libertarian commentors on there but they do get durrred out most of the time. Mark is definitely a libertarian and he founded the zine. Everyone else seems to only like civil liberties in the libertine sense and think teh corporashuns are evil.

[Jim Treacher]

I periodically get raked over the coals for non-PC opinions (including getting called names by a "moderator").

Nw why wld thy d smthng lk tht?

[skr]

lol

[matt]

Indeed. bb and h&r are the two blogs i read most, and the only two that I bother comment on or share. Between the two, nearly all my values and beliefs are represented; but neither one can cover all my bases on its own.

[?]

I look forward to the BoingBoing readership boycotting itself for its association with this market-fundamentalist Randroid Palin-hole.

[For pete's sake]

I come here to get away from Cory! Now this bloody reason.tv feature will be here for weeks!

[T]

How odd that on the same day, we have an article about Google as a public utility and a Cory Doctorow interview. I mean, it's not like one ever advocated for the other.

Synchronicity, I guess.

[Old Bull Lee]

People will fill up a comments thread bitching about how somebody like Glenn Reynolds* isn't libertarian enough, so those same people better be raising hell on this thread too.

*Just an example that came to mind, no specific reason I picked him.

[?]

I concur that most everything has a leftward slant over there, but most of their non-political content is pretty entertaining. I try to mostly stay away from the comments section so I don't get enraged.

On topic, I've asked Cory a few random questions over the years via e-mail and he has always replied to me directly, usually the same day. Very friendly and personable fellow. What fame he has reached has certainly not gone to his head.

[zeroentitlement]

Oh, please, GMAFB. "War on kids" my ass. Property owners have the right to protect themselves from YOBs and the effect those YOBs have on their businesses. Business owners don't throw away money on installing electronic deterrent systems just because they're Evil Mustachioed Child-Haters Bwahahaha. They invest in the systems to stymie the much greater potential loss they're probably already suffering from YOBs damaging their property and driving away their customers.

I agree with him about Internet nannying, but hello, look who's demanding it: parents! "Waaanh, Brattina took nekkid pictures of herself and posted them on her MahSpayce page, an' now she's got all this negative, prurient attention! I'm gonna sue!!"

[oncogenesis]

Cory Doctorow is your standard issue left-wing statist. Nothing to see here.

[RandomGermanDude]

But he's right on imaginary property.

[alcoholic anomalous]

YOBs? Youth On Booze? I can relate.

[mark]

Don't understand the Cory love on the Hit 'n Run blog. I see a lot more boingboing linkage here than reason linkage over there, and in many respects the quality of what gets produced here is infinitely better than what Cory & Co. are doing over there.

[skr]

well he is a stauch defender of civil liberties and privacy. And it is Mark and Co. not Cory and Co. even if Cory posts a shitload of stuff.

[mark]

Don't understand the Cory love on the Hit 'n Run blog. I see a lot more boingboing linkage here than reason linkage over there, and in many respects the quality of what gets produced here is infinitely better than what Cory & Co. are doing over there.

[mark]

Don't understand the Cory love on the Hit 'n Run blog. I see a lot more boingboing linkage here than reason linkage over there, and in many respects the quality of what gets produced here is infinitely better than what Cory & Co. are doing over there.

[e]

It's cool how in "For the Win" the "Gold Farmers" organize themselves into a union and go on strike..sorry, this is reason.com; I mean it's UNCOOL. Yep.

[Scarpe Nike]

is good