Hi James -
One or two thoughts about restricting commercial activity associated with free content. There are numerous uncomfortable paradoxes that we educators need to unpack. Admittedly - my views are informed by much of my work, which is focused on expanding access to education as a common good - particularly in the developing world. Consider for example the following rationales:
We believe in the principles of “freedom of speech” (eg sharing knowledge and educational resources) as long as you're not engaged in commercial activity.
We academics - have no problem prescribing a text-book with all rights reserved, and expecting the students to pay for the text commercially (i.e. accepting commercial activity around knowledge) but when it comes to copyright of an “open resource” under a CC license, folk become uneasy with the commercial activity.
Isn't this double standards?
Those of us working towards the development of a free education curriculum, have no problems with commercial activity associated with free content resources. In fact we encourage this!
As an educator - I don't feel that I have a right to deny someone the right to earn a living. This challenge is emphasised when we start thinking about the achievement of the millennium development goals – especially the eradication of abject poverty. I encourage entrepreneurs all over the world to add value and services to free content - in so doing, widening access and distribution channels to knowledge for the common good of society.
Some things deserve to be in the commons - education is one of them in my view. We need to rethink our business and educational models in a world where mass-collaboration and self-organisation can make a real difference.
I'm not offering these view in opposition to closed content development approaches. We should respect the freedom of individuals to choose.
In my view the adoption of the non-commercial restriction in so-called “open source teaching” is a red herring. It looks more like an excuse not to participate in the real access challenges to education on our planet.
Have enjoyed reading the debates - good stuff, Wayne
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