Weekly Reflection #1: Reflecting on Creative Commons
Creative Commons, is a non profit organization that has been sharing articles, images, artifacts, music, and educational resources with the public for over 20 years. Organizations like Wikipedia, Khan Academy, YouTube, and The Met rely on getting a Creative Commons license in order to openly share information to the public. On their website you can read through different licenses and get support choosing the right license. Being a non profit organization as well, means there is no cost to accessing their resources and getting a open license.
Before reading through their website, I thought copyright was just about protecting creators, but after reading about their mission I now see how the organization balances protection with accessibility. I also now better understand the importance of open licensing and being able to freely share information in today’s digital world. As a student, I assumed that everything you find online is automatically free to use, but reading about licensing has made me realize it is the creator’s choice to share with the world. I also learned about their global movement to make knowledge more accessible.
This is something very important to reflect on, and it has made me realize how much I benefit from open resources everyday. I also learned about the opportunity to license my own work, encourage collaboration, and join the movement towards a more open internet environment.
