With government censorship affecting what gets published and what they can say, getting both sides of the story can be impossible in some places. For example, the recent incident with reporter Jamal Khashoggi. But Reporters Without Borders has found a way around this by creating an Uncensored Library in Minecraft.
This library was built online and filled with articles and books which have been banned in certain countries. Because Minecraft is a video game and not a publishing company, anything written in game is not subject to censorship laws. The creators hope this online library will give kids access to more information so they can inform their own opinions about what is going on around them. This library exists in a public server which allows any visitors to read, but nothing can be altered. This protects the works transcribed into the library.
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This is a brilliant way to circumvent government censorship by using a platform that is widely accepted in multiple different countries regardless of the rules and regulations surrounding what the public has access to. I agree that this will give children in other countries more information in order to form their own opinions about the world around them. From a future-thinking perspective, this has the potential to create a more informed younger generation that isn't confined by their location. Using platforms that are already accepted and inside countries that are heavily censored, especially to the outside world, would pave the way to better global communication and possibly even open up the intellectual market.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great way to use collaborative technology to solve a problem! I think it's great that we are able to prioritize the value of information and an informed society. It also makes me think about all of the ways that technology functions as more than just its manifest functions. Minecraft is also displaying the latent function a place for as information distribution. Communities that form online are just as important as those that exist in physical spaces, and this shows the importance of online communities to our society as a whole.
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