About a week ago, Dave spilled some bits talking about why he hates video cameras. In sum, it looked like this:
I’m at a cocktail party, but I’ve been drinking water because I’m being taped in every conversation I have. One guy is even live-broadcasting to god knows who. I feel like a presidential candidate. What if I say something which, taken out of context, sounds like I have a belief that’s politically incorrect.
When a journalist wants an interview, he refuses to do it and opts, instead, to answer the questions publicly so that there’s context. He argues that someone broadcasting his every word would make it easy for them to be taken out of context. This, of course, is silly. A video of the conversation gives more context than a poorly remembered text-quote ever could. It gives body language, tone, and exact words and phrasings.
Dave’s real problem is that he knows that, if someone video tapes him saying something untoward, he has no plausible arguments to avoid responsibility for his words. He can’t claim to be misquoted. He can’t claim a serious comment was a joke. He can’t exaggerate or downplay. All he can do is defend his words or apologize, and that scares the hell out of him.
(I’ve heard some arguments that this is just self-consciousness at work, but he seems pretty amenable to having his picture taken, so I don’t think that’s the real issue.)
The scene is a cocktail party. Several people are gathered around Dave Winer and he’s talking about his view of the future of media:
Dave Winer: “I was on a trainstation platform and someone took a picture of the scene. I thought “I’d love to have a copy of that picture” and I thought “Why should that camera have a wifi connection and an RSS feed. I could have my camera find their camera and subscibe to ther RSS feed and get a copy of their pictures”. And, of course, they could get the picture I take of them.
Why can’t our devices ALL be two-way, web connected and shareable. After all, I’m in their camera, right?
(Everyone listening nods).
So, I have a right to my own picture, right?
(Everyone nods).
(Dave notices that someone just outside the group has been taking a video of him and what he has been saying).
Hey… I don’t want to be video’ed. I want you to erase the tape. How dare you take my ideas. Let me see you rewind and erase me on there. I can’t believe this… what has the world come to. It’s like no one has any privacy any more. And everything we say is just free to grab… to steal.