Author Topic: EP Flash: Printcrime (Read 16764 times)

SFEley · **on:** January 11, 2007, 06:33:55 PM

EP Flash: Printcrime

By Cory Doctorow.
Read by Karen Roman.

Da. What they did to him. When he was done, he looked like he'd been brawling with an entire rugby side. They brought him out the door and let the newsies get a good look at him as they tossed him in the car. All the while a spokesman told the world that my Da's organized-crime bootlegging operation had been responsible for at least 20 million in contraband, and that my Da, the desperate villain, had resisted arrest.

Rated PG. Contains moderate violence and very slippery slopes.

Download the Escape Pod Flash.

Bdoomed · **Reply #1 on:** January 12, 2007, 02:12:54 AM

aaahhh, seems like it would make for an awesome dystopia story!

madjo · **Reply #2 on:** January 12, 2007, 10:05:02 AM

It is indeed an interesting story (and as I said on the frontpage)
Such printing devices could one day be true

And I'd probably be someone who would print printers with it too. ;-)

Russell Nash · **Reply #3 on:** January 12, 2007, 11:35:35 AM

I loved Ms. Roman's voice. Who is she? My Google search gave 1.5 million answers, so I need some help narrowing it down.

MIT has created a MiniLab which basically can make anything from gears to printed circuit boards and they expect in later models to just give out the plans so everybody can use the Lab to make more Labs.

FNH · **Reply #4 on:** January 13, 2007, 12:38:43 PM

I loved this story. It made my head expand. So much back story was hinted at, my mental juices started flowing, please tell me CD wrote more of this...

sirana · **Reply #5 on:** January 13, 2007, 08:36:10 PM

Just wanted to say, if you liked this story, Cory has a Podcast of a boatload of others at http://www.craphound.com/podcast.php
There are really some gems in there (all read by Cory himself), including Locus-winning story "I, robot", Nebula-nominated "Ownzored" and my personal favourite "Power Punctuation" (kinda My-fair-Lady for corporate slaves)

gifo · **Reply #6 on:** January 14, 2007, 01:20:07 PM

Flash fiction is all about getting a certain tone just right... Cory got it pitch perfect. Of course you are left wishing for more, but that would be the point here.

wakela · **Reply #7 on:** January 15, 2007, 03:52:14 AM

I thought the story was well written and very well read.

but why wasn't Da priting out printers from the beginning? Isn't this the very first thing you would do? Also, there was a brief reference to printed machines not being durable and needing replacement parts quickly. If this is true then it seems printing counterfeit goods, printers or not, wouldn't be dangerous enough to be illegal.

As political commentary, I think it was over the top. The trend has been for people to more empowered with cell phones, personal websites, digital cameras, etc. But I'm an optimist.

madjo · **Reply #8 on:** January 17, 2007, 09:33:05 AM

Quote from: wakela on January 15, 2007, 03:52:14 AM

As political commentary, I think it was over the top. The trend has been for people to more empowered with cell phones, personal websites, digital cameras, etc. But I'm an optimist.

From what I gathered from the story is rather that Cory wants people to be able to copy stuff.
(He used to be an employee of EFF, and he is still connected to it)

Brian Reilly · **Reply #9 on:** January 17, 2007, 12:49:50 PM

I love Cory's stuff, but I think the idea of Da only just realising that he could make new printers was a bit contrived. Surely it would have occurred to someone by that point. And once it did, the number of printers would have increased exponentially.

Brian

Thaurismunths · **Reply #10 on:** January 17, 2007, 02:03:37 PM

Quote from: Brian Reilly on January 17, 2007, 12:49:50 PM

I love Cory's stuff, but I think the idea of Da only just realising that he could make new printers was a bit contrived. Surely it would have occurred to someone by that point. And once it did, the number of printers would have increased exponentially.

Brian

I pondered that a bit as well and came up with a couple possibilities:
Printers are illegal. That probably means that cops are seizing and destroying them, and that their production is as illegal as a meth lab.
Printed stuff sounds like it's lower quality or breaks down more easily, so printed printers wouldn't be as good as regular printers (why waist the time and goo, or goop, or whatever).
I'd be hard to imagine a world where no one had used a printer to make printers, but if they flooded the market with bootlegged printers, and everyone could "print" their own stuff, the bottom would drop out of the market for printed goods, then there wouldn't be a market for anything but goo. With any kind of controlled substance there's usually an organization who tries to control it in order to keep profits up. Perhaps her dad had the idea that he would be the guy that he would flood the world with printers, and to heck with the black market control of prices?

Brian Reilly · **Reply #11 on:** January 17, 2007, 03:01:54 PM

Printers being illegal would be an incentive to make more printers. It'd reduce your exposure. Make a printer for 2 or 3 and then you are out of the distribution business. After making a printer for a couple of friends (who make a couple to pass on), you've done your bit and so can restrict yourself to using your printer for personal use. Meanwhile, exponential growth happens. This is far better than making and distributing a variety of goods, which would vastly increase your risk of arrest/violence/murder etc.

Thaurismunths · **Reply #12 on:** January 17, 2007, 06:17:02 PM

I suspect making a copy of a copy with a copy would lead to reduced quality.
Also, if a few big angry men (the mob) knock on the doors of a few small time printers (bookies), and break their legs (break their legs), a whole lot less people would very quickly become uninterested in doing their own printing (taking bets), and if they're the only ones printing (running numbers) then they get to set the price. It's a popular tactic for organized crime and dictators alike.
Also, you said "restrict yourself." People and society alike have a notoriously hard time doing just that.
People are people everywhere they go.

wakela · **Reply #13 on:** January 17, 2007, 11:52:51 PM

Quote

From what I gathered from the story is rather that Cory wants people to be able to copy stuff.
(He used to be an employee of EFF, and he is still connected to it)

By stuff, you mean copyrighted material? So the story is a metaphor for people who get arrested just for illegally downloading and distributing MP3s?

wakela · **Reply #14 on:** January 17, 2007, 11:55:32 PM

Quote

Printed stuff sounds like it's lower quality or breaks down more easily, so printed printers wouldn't be as good as regular printers

I thought it was weird that Doctorow threw this in. It's not integral to the story, and I think it undermines its impact.

So you're going to print printers, huh? Then everyone will have one. Big deal, they'll all be broken within a year.

fiveyearwinter · **Reply #15 on:** January 19, 2007, 09:07:05 PM

Cory Doctorow's personal politics sometimes irritate me. But I have read all of his major release novels (free, although I have every intention of buying his print versions), and I did enjoy this back when I read it in Salon (or wherever).

Flash fiction is awesome stuff. I'd almost rather have more flash than full-length stuff.

Russell Nash · **Reply #16 on:** January 21, 2007, 10:39:48 AM

Quote from: fiveyearwinter on January 19, 2007, 09:07:05 PM

Flash fiction is awesome stuff. I'd almost rather have more flash than full-length stuff.

And that is why Steve offers both. Short or Flash, whichever floats your boat.

Ryuujin · **Reply #17 on:** January 22, 2007, 11:55:48 AM

Meh, I'm not sure how much I liked this story. It definately had it's merits, but it just seems like a repeat of something I've seen before - though I don't remember from where.

madjo · **Reply #18 on:** January 22, 2007, 04:22:43 PM

This story is now also available in mini-comic form.
Find the PDF of it on BoingBoing, here

rstubbs1 · **Reply #19 on:** February 05, 2007, 08:40:09 PM

“Test printing a two-story house” - science immitating art?!

http://news.com.com/2061-11204_3-6153114.html?part=barter-partner&tag=newsmain&subj=pluck.news

fiveyearwinter · **Reply #20 on:** February 07, 2007, 01:24:14 PM

I definitely think that the whole: "OMG PRINT MORE PRINTERS!" thing was obvious to anyone running a printer...but my guess is that this story was focusing more on the father's personal epiphanies concerning freedom of information/manufacture.

Meanwhile, if the vast majority of people were using printers to sell illegal goods, giving someone a printer could put you out of business, so I can see why people in that economy wouldn't.

ALSO OF NOTE: The PDF comic is thoroughly awesome and I've been printing it out and stashing them in weird places (bookstores, libraries, inserting them into every letter I mail to a friend).

I love strange guerrilla art.

Yatterings · **Reply #21 on:** February 14, 2007, 08:34:20 AM

I love this story and the fact that within 800 words it delivers a complete narrative. Sometimes coming to the realisation that you can make more printers does come late but it shouldn't stop people trying to spread ideas.

Anarkey · **Reply #22 on:** February 14, 2007, 10:54:50 PM

Quote from: fiveyearwinter on February 07, 2007, 01:24:14 PM

ALSO OF NOTE: The PDF comic is thoroughly awesome and I've been printing it out and stashing them in weird places (bookstores, libraries, inserting them into every letter I mail to a friend).

I love strange guerrilla art.

Thanks for the heads up on the pdf. Shiny.

BSWeichsel · **Reply #23 on:** February 21, 2007, 02:21:59 PM

Reminded me of the Last Book in the Universe quite a bit. not quite sure why but seemed to have the same sort of feel which was unique to that verse. But I did like the story and wish there was more to it.

Thaurismunths · **Reply #24 on:** March 10, 2008, 04:21:46 PM

The idea of 'printing' out everything you need for a device seems a little far fetched, but we're obviously getting closer.

InkJet-Printed, Flexible, Organic Solar Cells

Thanks Mr. Barlow!

Author Topic: EP Flash: Printcrime (Read 16764 times)

Russell Nash

Russell Nash

Ryuujin