Mashup (digital)
Encyclopedia
A digital mashup usually is in reference to:
1. Digital media
content containing any or all of text
, graphics
, audio
, video
and animation
drawn from pre-existing sources, to create a new derivative work. Digital text mashups like the comedic mashup, The Art of War Against Fat, appear by the thousands every day as users of blogs and online forums copy and paste digital text in juxtaposition to comment on topics of interest. Digital mashups represent a new phase in the re-use of existing works not so much conceptually as in ease of use. The creation of digital media formats such as ASCII text, Redbook audio, JPEG images and MPEG video has made it far easier for potential mashup creators to create derivative works than was the case in the past, when significant technical equipment and knowledge was required to manipulate analog content. A major contributing factor to the spread of digital mashups is of course the World Wide Web
, which provides channels both for acquiring source material and for distributing derivative works, both often at negligible cost. Current widespread practices of creating digital mashups have raised significant questions of intellectual property
and copyright
, which have been addressed by Lawrence Lessig
, among others. While questioning the law, mashups are also questioning the very act of creation. Are the artists creating when they use other individuals' work? How will artists prove their creative input?
2. Web or cloud computing
based applications are a combination of separate parts brought together with the use of the open architecture of public Application Programming Interfaces API. For example, a mashup between Google Maps and Weather.com could be made available as an iphone application, where the content and context of that content are drawn from outside sources through the published API.
1. Digital media
Digital media
Digital media is a form of electronic media where data is stored in digital form. It can refer to the technical aspect of storage and transmission Digital media is a form of electronic media where data is stored in digital (as opposed to analog) form. It can refer to the technical aspect of...
content containing any or all of text
Plain text
In computing, plain text is the contents of an ordinary sequential file readable as textual material without much processing, usually opposed to formatted text....
, graphics
Graphics
Graphics are visual presentations on some surface, such as a wall, canvas, computer screen, paper, or stone to brand, inform, illustrate, or entertain. Examples are photographs, drawings, Line Art, graphs, diagrams, typography, numbers, symbols, geometric designs, maps, engineering drawings,or...
, audio
Content (media and publishing)
In media production and publishing, content is information and experiences that may provide value for an end-user/audience in specific contexts. Content may be delivered via any medium such as the internet, television, and audio CDs, as well as live events such as conferences and stage performances...
, video
Video
Video is the technology of electronically capturing, recording, processing, storing, transmitting, and reconstructing a sequence of still images representing scenes in motion.- History :...
and animation
Animation
Animation is the rapid display of a sequence of images of 2-D or 3-D artwork or model positions in order to create an illusion of movement. The effect is an optical illusion of motion due to the phenomenon of persistence of vision, and can be created and demonstrated in several ways...
drawn from pre-existing sources, to create a new derivative work. Digital text mashups like the comedic mashup, The Art of War Against Fat, appear by the thousands every day as users of blogs and online forums copy and paste digital text in juxtaposition to comment on topics of interest. Digital mashups represent a new phase in the re-use of existing works not so much conceptually as in ease of use. The creation of digital media formats such as ASCII text, Redbook audio, JPEG images and MPEG video has made it far easier for potential mashup creators to create derivative works than was the case in the past, when significant technical equipment and knowledge was required to manipulate analog content. A major contributing factor to the spread of digital mashups is of course the World Wide Web
World Wide Web
The World Wide Web is a system of interlinked hypertext documents accessed via the Internet...
, which provides channels both for acquiring source material and for distributing derivative works, both often at negligible cost. Current widespread practices of creating digital mashups have raised significant questions of intellectual property
Intellectual property
Intellectual property is a term referring to a number of distinct types of creations of the mind for which a set of exclusive rights are recognized—and the corresponding fields of law...
and copyright
Copyright
Copyright is a legal concept, enacted by most governments, giving the creator of an original work exclusive rights to it, usually for a limited time...
, which have been addressed by Lawrence Lessig
Lawrence Lessig
Lawrence "Larry" Lessig is an American academic and political activist. He is best known as a proponent of reduced legal restrictions on copyright, trademark, and radio frequency spectrum, particularly in technology applications, and he has called for state-based activism to promote substantive...
, among others. While questioning the law, mashups are also questioning the very act of creation. Are the artists creating when they use other individuals' work? How will artists prove their creative input?
2. Web or cloud computing
Cloud computing
Cloud computing is the delivery of computing as a service rather than a product, whereby shared resources, software, and information are provided to computers and other devices as a utility over a network ....
based applications are a combination of separate parts brought together with the use of the open architecture of public Application Programming Interfaces API. For example, a mashup between Google Maps and Weather.com could be made available as an iphone application, where the content and context of that content are drawn from outside sources through the published API.