Thursday, December 8, 2011

ISTA 301 Blog: More Probabilistic Fun.

More potential has emerged after spending an evening at Time Market with a lot of literature grad students. First of all, the text generator is great fun when fed James Joyce's interminable masterpiece, Ulysses, as source material. Scraping the bottom of the barrel for technology related puns, this one has been christened "Joyce-stick." Its first words are pictured here, along with some of the aforementioned grad student commentary.



But the true inspiration of the night came only after a solid hour of beer sipping: Why not seed the text generator with the words of that infamous mad prophet of the airwaves, Glenn Beck

Well, we did. And we had dramatic readings right there in Time Market that grew increasingly loud after another round of drinks were ordered. Here's an excerpt:

We learned about Microsoft. What I'm starting to take the set apart and this was a warning in 1939 to the American people. Thank you for sending it. Think how many people even know that? And how it was turned around and it can be used for good. But when it comes to a very hard left groups like Free Press are advocating for. Eric Schmidt, the former CEO talked about where he sees the future. Same thing is happening, America, with your food. Thirty-eight percent of the households even watching her for the next block. And that is the key. That it is that we believe in evil. The only answer to millions in the same things from all over the country was two years ago -- me and you as individuals that listen to the experts. They're usually sells in a year. I mean, I just -- I like live television who told you yet that I've said something wasn't done. You got to print more money. Push it out. Today, it closed at over $1500. What was it -- $1511? That's insane. You would think you come to Washington, D.C. and now, they have been loose with power do. These elitist dopes in the media who are celebrating, I waited for a season because you are being lied to. And you need to know what you are thinking individuals that listen to our programs. Not all of these scenes -- put the six other currencies to determine its value internationally. Six currencies to determine its value internationally. Six currencies and it's the Fed. And that's not good. I think in Australia and the on the road Khilafah or caliphate on the caliphate. That's why it doesn't make sense because oil has to be purchased with dollars -- people holding euros have to sell to the people who hate it here do not believe me when I was only on the air for one hour every day at 5:00. This is where Google's street view cars downloaded e-mails, passwords, and other information. They're because this is the NewsCorp building. This is not difficult to figure out some things, maybe a little longer than all of us, and you try to think, what is it I want to show you a few things." She just happens to be running for vice president at the time." He says and he predicts, I saw this video and think he was serious, that every young person will one day be entitled to automatically change his or her name on reaching adulthood to disown youthful hijinks stored on their friends' so-called media sites. And let's not forget this super, super classic, quote, "We know roughly who you are, and all of us, and you think I have to. I'm not leading any boycott. I hate boycotts. You do with your time and information. They are working really, really closely with the government and that`s a spooky thing. And we've done amazing people. And I have made amazing people. And I have done that lately? Let me keep this brief. Tonight America, here`s what you are the answer, and that we must have dollars.
I did get curious though, as I was copying program transcripts off of Beck's web site and viewing the copyright notification that it obnoxiously embeds in text as you copy it to the clipboard. If I were to data mine Beck's site and build a probabilistic map of his prose, and then, say, post my program and the accompanying database online, would this be considered a copyright infringement?

I mean, it's not really a quotation, nor does it contain any actual prose from Beck that is more than a few words long, however it also contains no original material. It is "analysis," but only in a very mechanical sense. Would it be protected under fair use? As far as I know, nothing like this has ever gone to court (though Beck is not busy defending free speech, he has proven notably litigious.)

Interesting question, no?

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