I’ve written an email to Steve Sloan’s boss looking for some insight into why he was told that he is not allowed to record any podcasts with students. When I get a reply, I’ll try to tell SJSU’s side of the story.
Steve’s been writing about how Hyperlinks Subvert Hierarchy:
This is where we cut through the haze and the smokescreens and the BS that has been and is business as usual and where we fix things and make the world a better place. You and I and all of us who partake in the global conversation; in my heart I believe we have the power to do that.
I’ve noticed that in the past month, the posts I’ve made which have driven the most traffic to this blog, the ones which have attracted attention, and the ones which I have put the most passion into all had something in common: they were all essentially about free speech.
Chinese Bloggers, Jorge Cortell, and Steve Sloan all are working to subvert the hierarchy in their respective societies in order to get their message out. The common message? Let’s talk. It’s that simple.
Hyperlinks are a piece of technology, but the human beings choosing to connect with one another are the engine driving these cycles of connection forward.
So here’s a round-up of some of the human beings who have gotten involved in this conversation:
- My Mom, via comments, explains that she shared the podcast in question with her students this week in Oklahoma: “It is disheartening to hear that the podcasts with students opinions are not supported by the university…The university should be supportive of broader experience for the students getting their opinions out to the public. There was nothing in that podcast that was hurtful to the university and I was impressed that I had the opportunity to share in it.“
- SJSU Alumnus Robert Scoble wrote: “San Jose State is a pretty cool University. I’d love to hear their thinking on this one. I thought a university is about sharing knowledge and preparing students for the world? I’d actually love to see the university lead the way here. This seems like it’s stuck in the past.“
- Bill Brandon: “This makes no sense.“
- More: Bruce Landon, Xplanazine, John Pederson
The fun part for me, as a student, is that I don’t need to pay attention to any rules about who I am supposed to talk to and who I’m not. My education is everywhere, and so is the conversation.