4A - Thursday, November 1, 2007 The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com 0 Edited and managed by students at the University of Michigan since 1890. 420 Maynard St. Ann Arbor, MI 48109 tothedaily@umich.edu KARL STAMPFL IMRAN SYED JEFFREY BLOOMER EDITOR IN CHIEF EDITORIAL PAGE EDITOR MANAGING EDITOR Unsigned editorials reflectthe officialrpssition of the Daily's editorialhoard. All other signed articles and illustrations represent solely the views of their authors. The Daily's public editor, PaultH. Johnson, acts as the readers' representative and takes a critical look at coverage and content in every section of the paper. Readers are encouraged to contact-the public editor with questions and comments. He can be reached at publiceditor@umich.edu. BAYU for 'U' Education will help, but antiquated laws must be updated There is finally a glimmer of hope for all students who willingly - or unwittingly - upload files using Universi- ty computers. Effective last Tuesday, the University has initiated Be Aware You're Uploading, a new automated system that notifies students via e-mail if they are uploading files using peer-to-peer programs such as Kazaa, Limewire or Freenet. Until now, students have struggled to protect themselves from the Recording Industry Association of America's legal aggres- sions armed with only a vague understanding of the laws they're breaking. With the RIAA's continuing efforts to target unsus- pecting students, however, education alone won't be enough: It's time to challenge the outdated and poorly defined laws that are used to punish online file sharing. There's only three things he mentions in a sentence: a noun and a verb and 9/11." - Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden on why Republican candidate Rudy Giuliani is unqualified to be president during Tuesday night's Democratic presidential debate. Arequest for criticism 0 With this week's unmasking of Johnny Quest, the notori- ous blogger who wrote sar- castically about the _ Greek community, our campus lost one of its newest icons and also one of its most critical voices. Although his conduct was child- . ish at times, Quest's NEIL blog posts added a TAMBE valuable critique of campus culture. Campus communities and groups lack constructive external criticism, a valu- able tool to improve organizations. Our campus could use more voices like Johnny's. Questwas useful to campusbecause he brought freshness and consistency to the infrequent and usually mun- dane criticisms leveled against cam- pus groups. He was a muckraker who ruffled feathers, was unafraid to be candid and was undeterred by political correctness. He was sarcastic without being an extremist. More important, his blog posts were more like a conver- sation that prompted many dissenters to disagree freely, which they did, rather than a lecture. Quest's writing was a quasi-exercise in organizational evaluation and encouraged critical thinking and argument. There are many campus communi- ties that would be better understood with more exposure. Quest penetrated one such community and at least tem- porarily provided some explanations about its workings. With his critical, challenging opinions, Quest provided insights that many others would be afraid to share. His contribution was valuable, even if it skirted pleasantries and went straight to the bad and ugly. In addition to providing insight into campus culture, Quest's criti- cisms provided fodder for organi- zational improvement. Criticism and advice from independent third parties is a valuable resource for any organization trying to improve. Just as Quest was a watchdog of the Greek community, others could play similar roles for additional groups on campus. As an example, The Michi- gan Daily recently appointed its first public editor, who provides periodic analysis and criticisms of the paper. The University Board of Regents could also benefit from third-party criticism and insight by creating a student regent position. Obviously, Quest was far from the ideal critic. At times, he inaccurately used stereotypes to characterize his subjects, which undermined any dis- cussions he helped to start. Also, some of his writing was simply inflamma- tory and didn't seem to serve any pur- pose other than causing controversy. What's most detrimental, however, was that Quest wrote anonymously. His undercover posting shielded him from his own critics, allowing him to blogmore recklessly. By writingunder a pseudonym, Quest was contradict- ing the same transparency he was advocating for. However, Quest would have never been taken seriously if he was just some independent . person writing. Because he was a mystery, he was frus- trating enough to garner attention. It is a shame that Quest felt he had to post anonymously. Criticism should be wel- comed instead of shunned. Criticism should be embraced by its recipients. Just as important, critics should try to deliver their criticism responsibly. Following the example of Quest doesn't necessarily mean becoming the next offensive, sarcastic blogger that people will talk about. Maybe being Quest-like means participating more in class discussions or calling a congressional representative once a year. Maybe it means talking up com- munity issues with a friend. A great 0 0 Johnny Quest filled a void; others must follow. start could be to write a letter to the editor of this newspaper to make criti- cisms of this column. I hope the next Johnny Quest is as bold as the original, daring to speak freely in places that it is uncommon or uncomfortable to do so. I also hope that the next Johnny Quest can express his or her opinion without the veil of a mystery identity. Indeed, we can all learn something from Quest's short run as a blogger and strive to use our voices to courageously foster a more thoughtful, nuanced debate. If we want to improve our communities over time, having a respectful, critical debate is absolutely necessary. Neil Tambe can be reached at ntambe@umich.edu. To avoid court battles, the RIAA specifi- cally targets college students, even going so far as to hand out subpoenas during exams, when students are too overworked to inves- tigate their options. The RIAA doesn't serve the subpoenas to students itself; it instead gives universities guilty IP addresses and has them track the perpetrators. The Uni- versity chooses to serve these subpoenas, allowing many students to settle out of court. Settlements with students tend to run around $4,000, while taking the case to court increases settlement figures. Because of the additional revenue that comes without a court battle attached, the RIAA has no incentive to actually push these cases into court and thereby encourage the development of more responsive copyright infringement laws. As a result, students will continue to be prosecuted for a largely unde- fined crime. According to the University, the new BAYU system was designed to accomplish three goals: to help students avoid uploading unknowingly, to help students who choose to upload do so legally and to educate stu- dents of the risks involved in using peer- to-peer technology. BAYU is not only a sign that the University.cares about its students but is also a crucial tool in protecting stu- dents from being exploited by the RIAA in the future. However, the definition of spe- cific copyright laws addressing the issue of file-sharing would help students even more by clearing up misunderstandings about what's legal and what's not. In 1984, the U.S. Supreme Court heard Sony Corp. ofAmerica v. Universal City Stu- dios, Inc., in which it ruled that it was legal for apersontorecordtelevision programsfor individual use. In 2005, the Supreme Court decided in MGM Studios, Inc. v. Grokster, Ltd. that companies that create programs that promote illegal file-sharing are lia- ble for the violations committed by users. However, that precedent is easily avoided by companies that simply insert a warning before a copyrighted file can be download- ed. Although both of these decisions were useful in modernizing copyright laws stem- ming from the broad Copyright Act of 1976, they cannot be applied to the current issues with uploading and file-sharing, necessitat- ing that the courts revisit them and make their specific applications more clear. For now, the companies that make file- sharing programs, not people who occasion- ally use them, should be held accountable for illegal file-sharing, in accordance with Supreme Court precedent. But until copy- right laws are fully developed, users can only avoid prosecution through education, something that BAYU will be effective in providing to the University community. DAVID GOH The Daily's other side JUSTIN SCHON Biden will fight for educatiol The University's Office of Student Publications, which oversees The Michigan Daily, The Gargoyle and The Michiganensian, held a dedica- tion ceremony for its newly renovat- ed building recently. The ceremony served both to honor Stanford.Lipsey - the benefactor for whom the pub- lications building is named - and as a reunion of alumni who served in one way or another at the three publications. As a member of the business staff of The Michigan Daily, I really felt out of place. Perhaps because the overwhelming majority of alumni in attendance represented the edi- torial staff of the Daily, the stories the speakers regaled the crowd with all focused on praising the journal- istic excellence and great experi- ences gained from working in this building. There was a distinct lack of interest in the improvements of the business operations of the Daily over the years. When I first decided to join the Daily, recognizing the essential need to separate editorial and corporate interests, I had to choose between writing for the paper or learningthe business aspect of the newspaper industry. My eventual decision does not reflect my lack of passion for journalism but a logical conclusion based on the skills I have. The lack of emphasis on the busi- ness operations at the reunion was of great concern to me. While I rec- ognize the dedication of the writ- ers and editors who work countless hours making sure the Daily lives up to its editorial standard,the business, staff members play no small role in ensuring that the paper is actually published. Such a lack of attention could be attributed to the lack of awareness of the extensive amount of work the business staff does. The Daily relies heavily on adver- tisingrevenue to pay forits expenses. Our sales executives work diligently selling display, classified and online advertisements. Our production crew designs advertisements and non-editorial publications such as the Student Handbook. The circula- tion manager ensures the newspa- per reaches our readers every day of the academic year, and the finance team manages client relations to gain their trust so they continue to place ads in the Daily. As business manager, I have the responsibility of balancing the budget and ensur- ing ample resources for the writ- ers and editors to best accomplish their work while engaging in fiscal planning essential to the continued growth of the publication. Does the decision to serve on the business rather than the editorial staff signal our selling out to cor- porate interests? Does it represent a trade between passion and greed? I don't think so. It is unfortunate that we inculcate in our students such a disregard of the economic applica- tion of their skills. The landscape of the printed media industry has been in flux ever since the advert of the Inter- net. Newspapers worldwide struggle to remain the medium of choice for information as readers shift toward non-traditionalmedia as their source of news. To remain competitive, newspapers like the Daily require not only journalistic excellence, but also the business acumen to continu- ally update its business practices to engage the public. As advertising budgets for printed products decline, the business staff faces a monumen- tal task to remain competitive in the 'advertising industry. We must con- tinue to attract the brightest minds available to equip ourselves well in this challenge. While the camaraderie ofthe busi- ness staffers cannot be compared with the bonds forged between the writers, photographers and editors, it is strong nevertheless. Each staff is a valued contributor to the shared goal of ensuring the success of the publication. As we celebrate the grand tradition of the last 118 years of editorial freedom, let us not for- get the business staff. Acknowledg- ing their achievements is the first step toward increasing the interest and participation of former business staff members, many of whom enjoy tremendous success in their line of work and are well-positioned to give back to the Daily. Formalizing the symbiotic rela- tionship between the editorial and business staffs of the Daily will go a long way in ensuring another 118 successful years. David Goh is business manager of The Michigan Daily and an economics graduate student. Republicans and Democrats agree that the 2008 presidential election will be one of the most important elections of our life- time. That point may be debatable, but it's - clear that our country, has changes to makeD - now.! We cannot afford -. to continue fighting D on partisan grounds m and pushing problemso off onto future gen- erations. Among those _ future generations are BIDEN students likeus here at the University. There are many changes that our government needs to make so that our generation can prosper. These changes fall in areas like the war in Iraq, Social Security and health care - topics we have all heard a lot about. However, the most immediate concern for students is the cost of college, and Sen. Joe Biden (D-Del.) is the best candidate to deal with that concern. Biden is chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and previously served as chairman of the Senate Committee on the Judiciary. He is active on issues of edu- cation, including trying to help families pay for higher education. College costs are high, and they will only continue to grow unless something is done to keep them in check. The first thing Biden plans to do is to combine the two tax credits that are currently offered, the Hope Scholarship Credit and the tuition and fees deduction, into one $3,000 refundable tax credit that is the equivalent of a $12,000 deduction over four years of college. This would fit into Biden's overall plan of simplifying the financial aid system. Right now, no one fully understands the federal financial aid system in this country. Thou- sands of dollars in aid go unclaimed every year because people just don't know how to receive it. With so much money at stake, stu- dents absolutely must gain a better under- standing of how the financial aid system works. Continuing his efforts as senator, Biden also plans to expand eligibility for people to receive the tax credit, resulting in approximately 4 million more hard-work- ing families receiving financial aid to pay for. their children's college educations. Finally, Biden would raise the size of the Pell Grant to $6,300. Biden plans to This viewpoint is the instill the fifth in a series by - expecta- leaders of campus tion that everyone groups supporting can attend various presidential college by candidates. engaging students in a college planning and preparation process starting in eighth grade. This would ensure that families have plenty of time to prepare to send their children to college and to save up money. Currently, most students don't know how much aid they will receive or where they will receive it from until their senior year of high school. That is just unacceptable. Col- lege is a major step for a student. There must be adequate time to plan for it. Most people who are familiar with Biden recognize him for his foreign policy exper- tise, including his leadership on Iraq and Darfur. What students should realize is that he is an especially great candidate for them. As president, Biden will bring common sense to this country. Justin Schon is an LSA freshman and chair of the University chapter of Students for Biden. JOHN OQUIST ... ND N TH NET WAT AMINUTE .., WHAT ARE YOU DOING? - SLIDE WE HAVE.Y..REJ T WRITING DOWN WHATEVER'S ON TH uETHEN FALLING ASLEEP UNTIL THE NEXT LDEGOES UPI LET ME SEE THOSEI tELAX, PROFESSOR, WIIPEtat, FIst.N0 MORt WILL FILL ALL THIS IN POHERPOINTI BEFORE THE EXAM W HATI > / NOOOOOOOOOOIII YOU'RE NOT EVEN GETTING THE MAIN IDEAS. THESE AREN'T NOTES, THEY'RE BULLET POINTSI 15 BUT .BUT... HOW ARE WE SUPPOSED TO LEARN? BLOGS Read more analysis at www.michigandaily.com/thepodium. LETTERS TO THE EDITOR: Readers are encouraged to submit letters to the editor. Letters should be under 300 words and must include the writer's full name and University affili- ation. All submissions become property of the Daily. We do not print anony- mous letters. Send letters to tothedaily@umich.edu. EDITORIAL BOARD MEMBERS: Emad Ansari, Kevin Bunkley, Ben Caleca, Jon Cohen, Milly Dick, Mike Eber, Gary Graca, Emmarie Huetteman, Theresa Kennelly, Emily Michels, Robert Soave, Gavin Stern, Jennifer Sussex, Neil Tambe, Matt Trecha, Radhika Upadhyaya, Rachel Wagner, Patrick Zabawa 0