12 July, 2012

When Art, Apple and the Secret Service Collide: 'People Staring at Computers' | Threat Level | Wired.com

When Art, Apple and the Secret Service Collide: 'People Staring at Computers' | Threat Level | Wired.com: I’ve learned you have to be careful when you get lost in an idea. As an artist, you have to get a little lost. Otherwise you won’t discover anything interesting. But you have to avoid getting so lost that you’re unable to walk away and keep exploring. This isn’t to say artists should avoid things just because they’re illegal — one of our most important responsibilities is to challenge every kind of social norm. But I would advocate balance. Even if you’re operating in a legal gray zone, it’s essential to spend time reflecting on your own ethical boundaries, and considering the ramifications of your actions. I’m sure Apple could have made things much more complicated. It would have been an infinitesimally small percentage of their already unreasonable legal expenses. But for me, it could have turned into years of lost time. Some journalists and bloggers were especially excited to report that the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act specifies “up to 20 years in jail”.