The Finnish Institute in London and the Open Knowledge Foundation are publishing a book, and we want you to be a part of its history.
The Open Book (publish date 2013, details here) is a crowd-sourced publication which will contextualise the international open knowledge movement in the words of those who are helping build it today. This book, based on the ideas of more than 1,000 participants from over 50 nations who came together in to attend the world’s first Open Knowledge Festival this September in Helsinki, will highlight the hopes and motivations of those currently working to promote global change, and introduce the movement to new audiences. Based on pieces coming from a variety of leaders working in fields as diverse as sustainability, design, business and development, The Open Book will serve as a platform for discussion and a launching pad for new ideas about the future of a global movement in a time of rapid technological and societal change.
The book will begin with a pull-out concertina – a visual timeline introducing the most important events in the history of open knowledge and open data. As open knowledge advocates, we would like to invite you to help build this timeline with us.
We will also publish it online using the Open Knowledge Foundation’s own Timeliner based off Timeline.JS, so that it can be a living digital document which chronicles the legacy of open knowledge and open data movements over time.
To get involved, send us 1 to 5 key events, inventions or decisions that in your opinion have contributed the most to the evolution of open knowledge, and send these ideas to openbook@okfestival.org. Your submission can be very informal. We want to hear about the moments you have found the most inspiring.
If you wish to be attributed in the text for your contribution, please provide your full name. We also appreciate timeline contributions that include a photo and location where possible. The publishing deadline for contributions is January 13.
We look forward to learning from your wisdom!
Photo thanks to Veikko Kahkonen via the Finnish Institute in London.
Kat is Mozilla's Hacking Popular Culture Liaison. As part of the Open Knowledge Foundation's community team from 2011-2013, Kat coordinated OKFestival Helsinki and led the Local Groups network. She is a co-founder of the Open Design + Hardware working group and editor of The Open Book. Tweet @kat_braybrooke.
In the spirit of open, can I suggest a public forum fir people to post their list of 5 would be even better…?
Good point, John. Unfortunately due to a short publish deadline for the print version, we’ll have to continue the internal submission process for the concertina – however, our intent is that the online Timeliner version can exist as more of a ‘living’ document, with a publicly editable form which will allow anyone to include their events and see them added live. We’ll keep you posted when this is released!