The World is Flat in Open Source

Social software (see http://www.tomorrowconnecting.biz for a full introduction) is the set of technologies allowing people to collaborate online. Wikis are online tools that allow any registered users to update, add or delete content in a document. All changes are tracked, and old versions archived.

Now, Thomas Friedman, author of The World is Flat (buy online from Amazon.com or Kalahari.net), wants to put the book’s final edition online as a wiki, and allow readers to interact with the content directly, adding to his thesis about the effects of technology in leveling the global playing fields. This is a case of the medium truly being part of the message. Of course, his publishers must still approve, but it sounds like a great idea.

Read more about the story from FT, here.

Google books is doing something similar, of course, by putting as many out of copyright books online as they can. See previous post on this.

Also check out our Reading Community at TKB (TomorrowKnowledge) and read Friedman’s book with us.

Technorati tags: Thomas+Friedman, book, wiki, social+software, technology, globilization

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