Lessig’s “Code” v.2: Open Access and collaborative
Stewart Brand, author of The Media Lab and The Clock of the Long Now wrote about
Lawrence Lessig’s 1999 book, Code and other laws of cyberspace this way:
“Lawrence Lessig is a James Madison of our time, crafting the lineaments of a well-tempered cyberspace. This book is a primer of “running code” for digital civilization. Like Madison, Lessig is a model of balance, judgement, ingenuity, and persuasive argument.”
Now, Lessig is undertaking an innovative update of the book. Making the text of the first edition available under a Creative Commons open access license and inviting colloboration through a wiki.
Beginning in February, we’ll be posting Version 1 of Code to a Wiki. “Chapter Captains” will then supervise updates and corrections. Depending upon the progress, sometime near June, I will take the product and edit and rewrite it to produce Code, v2. The Wiki will stay live forever (under a Creative Commons license). The edited book will be published in the fall. I have donated my advance for Code, v2 to Creative Commons. All royalties beyond the advance will be donated as well.