Cén áit don chultúr sa ré nua teicneolaíochta?

Ag taifead ag ceolchoirm

In this article for Beo! I write about the place of culture in the technological age. at the very botom you’ll find link to a previous blogpost that covers some of the same ground. I kick off here with a link to a great blog post by Aonghus Ó hAlmhain about developing programmers. I also write a little about the Stop SOPA Ireland campaign.

Críochnaigh mé m’alt deiridh ar thaobh aibhéise de shaghas inar chuir mé tús le ceist mhór i leith oideachas na teicneolaíochta. Bhí roinnt plé ansin idir mé féin agus Aonghus i dtráchtaireachtaí leis an alt féin agus ar Twitter. I ndeireadh báire, scaoil Aonghus leis ar a bhlag féin inar mhínigh sé an scéal ar fad agus a thuras pearsanta isteach i saol an ríomhcláraitheora. Is spéisiúil an léargas é agus is fiú a léamh.

Sa bhlag mhír seo pléann sé na bunclocha atá de dhíth chun ríomhcláraitheoir a thógáil. Táim féin den tuairim gurb iad foighde agus stuacacht na tréithe is mó atá de dhíth ar ríomhchláraitheoir: foighde chun chur suas le cliaint dúra cosúil liomsa agus stuacacht chun leanúint leat i gcoinne constaicí loighice agus dothuisceana a bhíonn, go minic, féinchruthaithe.

Ach in ionad a bheith ag scaoileadh fúm is tharam anseo faoin droch-chaoi ina bhfuil oideachas na teicneolaíochta sa tír seo, tharraing scéal eile mo shúil le mhí anuas: is mise snag breac na teicneolaíochta amach is amach! Is mó constaic a pléadh sa nuacht teicneolaíochta le déanaí ó shocraigh roinnt comhlachtaí idirlín tabhairt faoi lá lándorcha in agóid ar SOPA. Rinne acht rialtas SAM “Stop Online Piracy Act” jab an-cheisteach de reachtaíocht cóipchirt don idirlíon. Fuair an reachtaíocht seo an-chuid tacaíochta ó na foilsitheoirí móra ceoil, scannáin agus téacs ach is beag comhlacht idirlín, ceoltóir, ealaíontóirnó foilsitheoir beag a bhí chomh tógtha leis. Is féidir an scéal ar fad a léamh is a thuiscint trí SOPA a chuardach ar líne. An fhadhb is mó a bhí ag lucht a fhreasúra ina gcoinne ná an tslí gur shocraigh lucht a dhréachta ar chasúr a úsáid in áit an chleite. A luaithe is a bhí ábhar faoi chóipceart scaipthe ar ghréasán bhí sé i gceist an gréasán sin a ghearradh ón idirlíon trí iarraidh ar ISP a chuntas a dhúnadh agus trí stop a chur le suíomhanna eile, beag nó mór, nascadh leo.

In Éirinn

Ag taifead ag ceolchoirmShocraigh brúghrúpa Éireannach StopSOPAIreland úsáid a bhaint as an spéis idirnáisiúinta seo i gcúrsaí dlí, teicneolaíochta agus cearta chunfeachtas tráthúil a sheoladh le haird a tharraingt ar reachtaíocht atá idir láimhe san Oireachtas faoi láthair. De réir mo thuisceana, tá deacracht ag an dream seo leis an mbealach ina bhfuil an reachtaíocht seo á achtú chomh maith le hábhar an achta féin. Is é bun agus barr an scéil ná nach ionann múnla gnó na gcomhlachtaí ceoil, scannáin, bogearraí is leabhair (EMI srl.) atá “ag cosaint a gcóipceart” agus comhshaoil réadúil an chultúir chéanna seo. Níl an t-airgead céanna le déanamh as an gcultúr seo a scaipeadh a thuilleadh agus tá an dinosaur ag fulaingt, ag casacht is ag rith ón scamall dubh atá ag alpadh a dhomhain. N’fheadar céard a bheas fágtha: cúpla puirtleog raithní, crogall agus armadillo? Ach fásfaidh bláthanna agus feilecáin, rud nár mhair faoi ré na ndionosár.

Abigail Smith and Sue Rynhart play origial music by Irish composersAn toradh is mó dar liom as an aird seo atá ar SOPA agus reachtaíocht digiteach, idirlín agus cóipcirt ná gur tharraing seo ceist na cruthaitheachta sa ré dhigiteach go lár an aonaigh arís. Ní haon saineolaí dlí mé ach tá deirfiúr agus triúr deartháir agam gur ealaíontóirí is ceoltóirí iad (Is mise caora bán na clainne – iad siúd na cuilthíní). Tá i measc mo chol ceathracha dearthóir faisin, ceoltóir eile, iriseoir, grianghrafadóir (atá pósta le grianghrafadóir): sin an-chuid daoine atá ag brath ar chultúr agus ar a gcearta mar chruthaitheoirí an chultúir sin le snáith a choinneáil faoin bhfiacail. Maith dom mar sin má bhraitheann tú go bhfuilim rud beag claonta ar cheist an chóipchirt sa ré dhigiteach.

Níl aon cheist gur gá le hathbhreathnú ar dhlithe cóipchirt atá de dhíth mar nach n-oireann dlí analógach don ré dhigiteach; dlí a scríobhadh in am an leabhair, na téipe agus an cheirnín. Sa ré úr seo, is féidir cóip dhigiteach fhoirfe a dhéanamh go síoraí. Nuair is féidir é sin a dhéanamh, druideann costas tairgeadh an bhunruda i ngar do neamhní. Conas gur féidir luach a chur leis an mbunrud mar sin? Ach fós tá costais ag baint le cruthú cultúir: go bunúsach, caithfidh ealaíontóir ithe agus ar thaobh eile an scéil, is gá foireann a íoc i dtionscail idirnáisiúnta an cheoil is na scannánaíochta.

Na Duartain in Aisce

Pret a mediatiserIs minic anois go mbíonn sé indéanta cóip a fháil go ‘mídhleathach’ nuair nach féidir aon ní a fháil go dleathach: féach mar shampla an clib TV ar do chuid iTunes: níl faic ann ach is féidir duartan a fháil den tsraith is nuaí ar teilifís áit ar bith ar domhan: ná caill do shobalchlár Filipíneach is ansa leat arís go brách! Nó an raibh tú féin chomh díomach is bhí mé féin faoi raon clár a bhí ar fáil ó Netflix nuair a seoladh iad le rí-rá mór anseo le déanaí? Is cinnte go luíonn bochtanas an rogha seo ag doras na gcomhlachtaí móra foilseacháin agus rialtas na tíre seo mar nach féidir leo réiteach a shocrú le leitheidí iTunes, Netflix, Spotify srl. a ligfeadh dóibh a gcatalóg a roinnt anseo. Céard é an dara rogha mar sin? Fan go dtí go bhfuil an t-ábhar ar fáil ar DD nó ar DVD?

Ach ní ceist teicneolaíochta seo ar fad dar liom. Is gá dúinn, in ionad léimt isteach ar an scéal, smaoineamh ar céard tá uainn. Tá fonn orainn éisteacht le ceol, leabhair a léamh, breathnú ar scannáin agus bogearraí áisiúla a úsáid. Tá a leithéid ann agus tá siad ar fáil go dleathach. Tá roinnt den ábhar seo agus luíonn a gcóipceart leis an duine a chruthaigh é ach tá cuid eile de agus is le comhlacht a luíonn an cóipceart. Is iadsan atá ag seasamh an fhóid i leith a gcóipceart ar son na gcruthaitheoirí agus ar ndóigh, ar maithe le leas a bhaint as an gceart céanna sin.

Tionscal Faoi Stró

Dublin City Jazz OrchestraMar sin is ceist oideachais agus moráltachta atá ann dar liom Má mhúintear go bhfuil luach ag baint le gach píosa ábhair a chruthaítear. Ach an ionann an luach a chuirtear síos do scannán nua Martin Scorsese agus céimí scannáin nó saothar Crash Ensemble agus buaiteoir X Factor? Gach seans nach gcuirfeadh formhór mór na ndaoine luach le haon cheann díobh. Sna argóintí seo freisin, bíonn an iomarca béime ar cheol: píosaí trí noiméad a d’fhéadfadh, ar lá maith, scríobh i maidin amháin, in aon uair amháin. Ach tábradaíl ar siúl ar scannáin, leabhair, bogearraí agus ar chláracha teilifíse, cnapáin chultúir a ghlacann na céadta uair an chloig ar na céadta daoine lena gcruthú. Teipfidh ar an tionscadal seo munar féidir múnla agus bealach nua a chruthú chun idirbheart an chultúir a chur i gcrích.

Conas gur féidir a leitheid a mhúineadh agus cé leis an “curaclam”? Thuig Tim O Reilly an cheist nuair a dúirt “Obscurity is the problem, not piracy”. Má tá saothar á chóipeáil, á íosluchtú, go dleathach nó mídleathach tá agat; is é an fhadhb is mó nuair nach bhfuil tóir ar an saothar; nuair nach bhfuil sé sa bhfaisean. Agus i gcomhthéacs cultúr an X-Factor, nach leor luach teachtaireacht téacs ar do chuid saothar? Nach “leo” siúd a vótáil ar a son buaiteoir an chomórtais?

Ní hé seo an chéad uair a scríobh mé faoi luach chultúir agus ealaíne agus táim cinnte go dtiocfaidh mé ar ais chuige.

Is your mother proud of you?

I couldn’t help thinking of that great rum ad that was on Irish screens in recent years as I finished Malcolm Gladwell’s Outliers – the story of success. The scene is the Caribbean and a family attempt to park their boat; another boater whips into the space that they finally find and among the insults shouted in a Jamaican accent is “Is your mother proud of you?” (I can’t remember for sure which brand it was so I’m finding it impossible to find the ad on YouTube – any helpful tips would be appreciated. Thanks!)

I couldn’t help thinking about this as I finished this book. The premise of Outliers by New Yorker staff writer Malcolm Gladwell is that traditional notions about what makes successful people, that there is some sort of magic formula for success, is pretty much nonsense. He believes that success is a result of circumstance, being born at the right time and in the right place. He has some pretty convincing examples and all in all it’s an interesting read as he delves deeper into what created groups of successful people at certain times. The example that he uses to introduce us to his notion is that in Canada the cut-off date for joining ice-hockey leagues is January 1st; you must be five-years-old by January 1st to start playing in the beginning teams. This gives an unfair advantage to those born in January over those born in December at an age when even three months is a developmental advantage, mentally and physically. Gladwell presents tables for a championship team and right enough, it’s plain as plain can be, that the relative ages of the team are very much weighted to the beginning of the year. Compelling stuff indeed. As an aside, I have to say I wondered throughout this chapter, considering Canada’s extreme seasons, do babies tend to be born at certain times of the year? I know, say, that Canadians tend to move house between May and August for obvious reasons; do they tend to have kids more in certain months for obvious reasons too and could this also affest their relative ages? But I digress!

That’s an example of the kind of unnatural selection at work that creates success according to Gladwell. He is not saying that these hockey players aren’t the best; he is saying that they could have twice as many brilliant teams with two cut-off dates, for example. Now that he has us thinking like him he goes on to examine individual cases. By chapter six I was thinking, “There’s something not right here. He seems like an intelligent guy, he must be lulling the reader into a false sense of security. He’ll twist it all around now and comment on the very thing that he is missing.” As the book progressed my sense of unease grew and grew, not one of the Outliers he discusses is female. Sorry no I’m wrong. He writes about his grandmother. Oh and his mum. If I was his mother, I’d thwock him over the head with the book.

His final chapter describes his family history and how because of certain historical events and family circumstances his mother managed to get an education and get out of Jamaica where she was brought up. It’s very weak after the rest of the chapters and a disappointing end to his otherwise thought-provoking book. I’m not the only woman who has noticed apparently and he gives an interview on the Today Show on MSNBC in which he discusses some of the main themes and even counters the issue that I have with the book as a whole. Again he may have a point in this interview, that his thesis that success is a product of our environment, the time we grow up in means that therefore time and environment have yet to produce successful women. He may have a point but I don’t agree. And neither do others.

In fact, he gives the lie to this explanation when he writes about the Borgenicht family in New York and how they grew their garment business from a few yards of cloth and one sewing machine to an empire. He describes Louis Borgenicht’s eureka moment when he comes home with his big money-making idea:

He grabbed [Regina, his wife] by the waist and began swinging her around and around.

“You’ve got to help me,” he cried out. “We’ll work together! Ma, this is our business.”

The italics are Gladwell’s but they make my point very well I think. This is extracted by Gladwell from Louis’ own memoir as told to Harold H. Friedman and published in Friedman’s 1942 book, The Happiest Man: The Life of Louis Borgenicht. Gladwell goes on to describe the early days of the Borgenicht’s business:

Day and night, he and Regina cut and sewed. […] Before long, he and Regina hired another immigrant just off the boat to help with the children so Regina could sew full-time, and then another to serve as an apprentice.

Note that they did not hire a seamstress to allow Regina to bring up the children. This was Regina’s business too. Yet Gladwell does not place the same emphasis on her contribution to the success of that business or his narrative.

The other issue I have with his argument about history not being kind to women is that it allows for a very narrow notion of success. He even gives that away himself when he talks about hockey players, computer programmers and lawyers being successful. Success is not just about power and wealth. Success is about fulfilment and leading a meaningful life. Gladwell emphasies the importance of meaningful work in creating success. What could be more meaningful than happiness, passion for life and joy in our daily existence? In his final chapter possibly he makes the oblique point that his grandmother and mother were successful because how many Jamaican women can boast that their sons have been on the bestsellers lists throughout the world? Only more than those who can boast the same about their daughters I would say. Of course this is only success if you consider being a good parent success and unfortunately this is not the kind of success that Americans obsess about and that propels books such as Gladwell’s to the lofy heights of those bestseller lists.

There are many women who could be considered successful and could be considered Outliers in Gladwell’s terms. For example, if we examine any female political leaders in the last twenty years. Gladwell divides his sucess stories from his not successful stories by examining the differences that a generation can make or even five or ten years to the circumstances his protagonists find themselves in. If women had attempted to begin their political careers five or ten years previously  more than likely they would not have achieved the success that they enjoyed. Society would not have been ready to vote for them, they would not have had legislation to protect them from the marriage bar or allow them time off to have children, the support in the political parties for their campaigns (based no doubt on voter research in many cases rather than any grand ideas but this is mere assumption on my part!) and possibly the temerity to go for it. Female political leaders like Margaret Thatcher, Hilary Clinton and our own Mary Robinson are truly outliers. If I knew more about the background of Susan Denham for example or female leaders from the world of business, journalism, sport, the Arts and technology I am sure I could thrash Gladwell to pieces. Sadly he’s paid healthy sums of money to write badly formed theses; I most definitely am not.

I would read other books by Gladwell because I enjoy reading anything that gets me going like this did. I chose Outliers for this month’s book club so I look forwar very much to hearing what the other members of the club have to say about it. Of course I haven’t even started on the exclusion of every single person beyond the continent of North America from his book but I’ll keep that for book club!

The Art of Travel by Alain de Boton. Can’t make out if it’s like a series of essays in a Sunday Supplement…