Open Legal Podcast?considering an open legal podcast
Joel Dueck and I are thinking about cohosting a podcast show. We’d collect questions about legal issues in free and open source software from the Internet, Joel would pick the most promising to put in his own words, and we’d discuss them together, extemp.
If you have questions you’d like discussed on that kind of show, drop us a line at sharkrepellent@kemitchell.com.
I’ve long wanted to do something like regular “office hours”, where I’d take questions especially from folks who can’t afford good legal advice for their projects, and do what I can. But I can’t be everybody’s lawyer, and forcing the counseling process through the narrow tube of a strict question-and-answer format is risky business. Moreover, I’d rather field questions at a slightly higher level than they tend to come in at legal clinics, so responses have a better chance of helping more than one person or project.
I was also hesitant to put myself in a spotlight. I’m way more interested in showing off just how much hackers can learn, understand, and apply for themselves, than in putting law or lawyers on a pedestal. Joel’s a perfect example of the much brighter, empowered-developer future I hope is coming.
I first ran into Joel through the Hacker Public Radio podcast, where he did a solo piece on the Blue Oak Model License. As usual, I was blown away by the deep and considerate attention hackers have given that new license. When I reached out and got him on the phone, it was clear there was plenty more deep consideration where that came from.
I’m secretly anxious that Joel may totally upstage me two-up, especially with his sonorous radio voice. But I also think he’d be the perfect mediator-instigator-partner.
If we do something, I’ll be sure to mention it here on the blog.
Your thoughts and feedback are always welcome by e-mail.