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Posted March 11, 2002, 11:28 AM to WPA-L in response to a flurry of repeating messages posted to the list Rob and Becky, you are both on the right track. Working with my demi-god pal, Cybarry and Spaminia, we at the WOOT WOOT Initiative (Writing On Online Technologies: Who Owns Our Text?) arranged this redux of messages to complicate the issues raised in our original CFP (available at http://lists.asu.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A2=ind0202&L=wpa-l&P=R53682). When our words, ideas, messages begin posting without our specific action, without our choosing a Send command, who now owns our text? How do the re-readings inherent in this textual circulation lay bare the basic tenets of the message? We need only turn to the medieval Chaucer to illuminate this question. His Wife of Bath's prologue states: But wel I woot expres, with-oute lye,Clearly "WOOT," knowledge, is intrinsically tied to waxing and multiplying. "Multiplye" itself is a loaded word here, encompassing both of the threads which Rob and Becky mention. In its 'wexe and multiplye,' the line clearly refers to the sexual act, and thus is connected to the pornographic texts which have added interest to our 'gen[ital] text.' Simultaneously, however, 'multiplye' refers to not simply the human seuxal replication but also clearly encompasses the textual replication of our 'gentil text' -- the text is child, is sexual act, is the waxing and multiplying of what is known, or 'woot.' When that multiplication and duplication of our text occurs who owns the child text? At what point does the child reach its own self-ownership? To whom do these mechanically reproduced texts, spawned from the PEN [see Gilbert and Gubar] of known parents, belong? Who owns these cloned texts? Are such clones moral and ethical, or simply unauthorized copyright infringements? Due to the popularity of our previous call, the WOOT WOOT Initiative is pleased to announce a call for another anthology: _'God woot, he thoghte hir for t'affraye': Fear and Loathing in the Age of Random Electronic Textual Duplication_, explores the intersection of intellectual property rights and mechically regenerated texts. We particularly seek essays and mime shows that explore the ways that as these cloned texts emerge more and more among our own 'gentil text,' ownership (f)rights are extended, violated, and unexpurgated. As is the case with all WOOT WOOT submissions, all submissions should be boldly documented, sourcelist mandatory (BDSM). Scary Mime submissions are especially encouraged. Please tape your submission to a 6-person hot tub with accompanying check to cover architect fees and installation and ship to The WOOT WOOT Initiative, c/o Traci Gardner, P. O. Box 6783, Champaign, IL. All submissions become the property of the WOOT WOOT Initiative and will not be returned even if you beg, though if you bring Joseph Fiennes along you will be allowed to share the hot tub with us for 30 minutes before Joe and I need private time. Postage due items will not be accepted. The WOOT WOOT Initiative is housed in the Ma Barker Institute for Advanced Studies of Things That Most People Really Don't Care About thanks to the generous support and contributions of The Society for Stuff, The Group of Computer Developers Who Compare Themselves to the Cast of Bonanza, and people like you. |
