This chapter addresses the complex, sometimes unintended—but also potentially very rewarding—consequences of intervening into practices that are more commonly studied from a distance, and the political and ethical implications of this work. The case studies for this chapter explore what happens when media scholars become actively involved in the reshaping of media experiences and infrastructures, and in some sense become part of the very processes they seek to critique. Contributors were asked, has your applied media studies work ever produced truly unexpected results that raised unintended ethical or legal issues you had to address? How have you managed issues relating to Intellectual Property regulations with open, collaborative work online? Have you discovered any novel ethical challenges or responsibilities from putting work online—including objects created by people, living and deceased, from cultures that are different than your own? Have you ever been unexpectedly drawn into an applied media studies project as a participant in ways that redefined your understanding of your role as scholar, or expert, or lead investigator? How did you respond, and has this changed the way you work now?