event

An Open Web Book Launched at Transmediale 2011

January 28, 2011 - Berlin - Today the book, An Open Web, is released for download and sale on the Web. Written in 5 days by 6 collaborators, An Open Web book sprint lead and Flossmanuals founder Adam Hyde said, "Zero to book in 5 days. It was an intensive process and loads of fun. The collaborators  met 9am Monday with no more text written than the title and 5 days later published the book."

Content

The Web was meant to be Everything. As the Internet as a whole assumes an increasingly commanding role as the technology of global commerce and communication, the World Wide Web from its very inception was designed to be a free and open medium through which human knowledge is created, accessed and exchanged. But, that Web is in danger of coming to a close. This book shows what is happening and how you can play an important role in keeping the web open.

The process for making the book is known as a 'Book Sprint.' It is an intensive and innovative methodology for the rapid development of books.  It took five people and locked them in a room in Berlin's CHB for five days with the goal to produce a book with the sole guiding meme being the title - An Open Web. The authors had to create the concept, write the book, and output it to print in 5 days.

An Open Web is written by Alejandra Perez Nuñez (Chile), Christopher Adams (Fabricatorz), Bassel Safadi (Fabricatorz), Mick Fuzz (UK), Jon Phillips (Fabricatorz), and Michelle Thorne (DE) with Sprint Facilitation by Adam Hyde (NZ).  Several others collaborated from the Web including Aleksandar Erkalovic, Barry Threw, and Mike Linksvayer.

The process opened up a new and networked discussion focusing on a new vocabulary about the Open Web. As the transmediale.11 publication, the Book Sprint is based on an idea by Adam Hyde and Stephen Kovats to write a book about the festival's theme.

The concept of web in the book is not only about the Open Web but it is made by the Open Web. The authors state that this book is "Open Web publishing at its best - written in 100% free software and open for anyone to contribute." The authors invite anyone to improve the book and make future revisions freely.

An Open Web available NOW: http://openweb.flossmanuals.net

For Information about the Free Software platform this book was written with please see: http://blog.booki.cc

The Book Sprint was held in Berlin January 17-21 2011, sponsored by Transmediale and FLOSS Manuals and the CHB.
www.transmediale.de
www.hungaricum.de
www.flossmanuals.net

All enquiries to: Adam Hyde adam [AT] flossmanuals.net

See also the fabricatorz site for more information:
http://fabricatorz.com/2011/01/an-open-web-book-launched-in-berlin/