"They"

Grade 4 technology class was today. It was the first class of a new quarter. The students were asked what they would like to learn about regarding technology. We threw out some ideas. We soon agreed that we'd like to learn a bit about graphics though this didn't quite follow the curriculum.

Games are a key component of class. There's an effort to have many games in the computer lab that encourage critical thinking and avoid the (usually) mindless "shoot-em up" games. One game the students play is called "Same GNOME" by Callum McKenzie. It's a critical thinking game where the goal is to remove objects from the screen in a collective way leaving as few objects remaining as possible, thus increasing the score. The game uses graphical themes for objects, such as colored balls and planets. We decided to learn how to edit those graphical themes to customize the game.

A student then asked a question which illustrates a pervasive defaulting view in regard to the world of copyright. He is concerned about creating new themes and editing existing themes. He asks -

"What if they find out?"

By "they", he was referring to the creators of the game. He assumed that we were learning to do something that "they" would have to grant us permission to do beforehand. Of course, no matter the licensing of the Same GNOME graphics, the class would be able to do this under "fair use" for educational purposes. In fact, one is told how to edit themes under the help menu. However, the question itself was rather telling.

We spoke about Same GNOME - released under the GNU GPL. I mentioned that we would simply be editing the graphics in class and not try to pass them off under our names to deceive people. After we talked a little about free software and the motives often found in those who create it, I ask the class what they think "they" will do if they "find out."

A young lady responds -

"Nothing. They'll just be happy."