While researching ways to counteract propaganda, I came across the Internet Archive, a fantastic resource that culls audio, video, text and computer programs that for whatever reason have fallen into public domain. In other words – PURE INFORMATION out the wazoo.
In the moving images section for example, you can download the complete versions of Killers from Space (1954), directed by W. Lee Wilder, a movie about atomic bombs and aliens, and the minor classic Big Trees (1952), directed by Felix E. Feist, starring Kirk Douglas as a timber baron planning to chop down old wood sequoias in a Quaker colony. Can it get any better than this? Yes, there are a slew of Max Fleischer-produced Superman cartoons, math lectures, newsreels, propaganda films and stuff that I haven’t even looked at in the text, audio and computer program sections.
Additionally, I strongly urge everyone to take a gander at the reason why I happened onto this site in the first place – the Fairbanks (Jerry) Productions, Brink of Disaster Part I and Part II (1972), directed by John Florea. No joke, Brink of Disaster, is about a revolutionary war hero who travels back in time to quell campus rebellion in the 1970s. From its whacked-out premise to its re-christening of “freedom of speech” to “freedom of filth”, Brink of Disaster is a must.
In conclusion, sites like the Internet Archive are all about what the Internet can be and should be.
I agree that sites like the archive are what should abound on the internet. And this one’s pretty neat.
My only problems with them are these, at least with regard to the written materials:
I like the smell of old books. You just don’t get the same feeling of age-steeped ambiance from internet archives that you do from browsing a library or used book store.
Usually when I come to sites like this it just reminds me that there’s a bunch of stuff I’ve already paid for that I should be reading.
Actually I should probably be doing something else more productive anyway, like doing the dishes, or working at my place of employment.
I’m with you on the book thing. Old books is where it is at. I tried to read an e-text of Edgar Rice Burrough’s, Warlord of Mars, a while back and it was near impossible.
Another site I’d recommend though (and I think I did mention it before once) is audiobooksforfree.com. It has some pretty swell narrated texts available on a pay optional basis. Basically paying them will get you a better sound quality version of the book.
I think they’re able to provide this stuff so cheaply because most of these are pretty old texts so they might not have to pay copyright on them.