I've recently become aware that someone has uploaded some recordings I made 20 years ago to Youtube. My initial reaction was to decide to ask them to take it down. On realising that Youtube no longer allows me to 'message' the uploader directly, and not wanting to Streisand-effect myself by putting my request in the comments on the video, I spoke to my collaborator on the recordings (some teenage band demos). He said he didn't think anyone would be too upset by these being online and that he'd leave them up if it were up to him. My concern is more for the long term - Youtube is owned by Google, and the video description links to an old Facebook page, which no doubt has our real names and our pictures - it's not out of the realms of possibility that a 'background check' app might exist in the future, which would almost certainly draw from Facebook and Google data, which would render those who made the recordings liable to have to defend an out-of-context quote they made as a teenager at every job interview or internet date they might go on for the rest of forever.
I've made this website as sort of 'insurance'. Proof that, should I not get the recordings taken down, I at least attempted to, or that I at least considered the implications of leaving them up. I've named it as something which shouldn't make it immediately obvious which recordings I'm talking about, but which if I do decide to identifiy the recordings is obviously related to these. If that makes sense.
So why would I not want my recordings to be avaiable? Why would I consider 'disowning' them, or at least not wanting them associated with my 'real' name? Lots of reasons. First, some of them aren't very good. Second, some of them could be considered offensive. Third, there are people on, or mentioned in, the recordings who never agreed to be immortalised on some coorporation's servers. Fourth, there are a lot of unauthorised samples used through-out the recordings.
If the website progresses, I'd love to explore some of the above. Like, how does someone go about removing recordings of themselves they don't like from the internet? Is it even possible? How does copyright work for demos / things made for the amusment of a small amount of people? Should 'offensive' art be allowed to be circulated like this? What does Google's / Youtube's policy say about all of this? How should someone approach guiding their own teenage children through their own 'creative' phase?
If the website doesn't progress, then hopefully it will stand here, on the internet, as a vague proof that I considered these things at the appropriate time.
Ray.
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