Knowledge is owned by everyone and yet no one
Like water, air, and all the nature gifted by God, knowledge in the public domain is possessed by everyone and yet owned by no one. It is a collective resource where ideas are freely accessible to all, unshackled from the exclusive claims of copyright. This open nature of public knowledge is vital for fostering cultural and educational proliferation, where technologies can play transformative roles. Project Gutenberg, an online library of free eBooks, is one of the most well-known initiative that has contributed to the human knowledge vault for 50 years.
AI-Enhanced Audiobooks Unlock Global Knowledge
In 2023 Sep, the project between Project Gutenberg, Microsoft, and MIT turns 5,000 ebooks in public domains into audiobooks with AI’s assistance. The project is a testament to how AI can enhance human interaction with the world’s knowledge. Microsoft’s neural text-to-speech technology breathes life into written words, making literature more accessible to people with different needs and preferences. This collaborative effort opened up a treasure trove of literature in a widely consumable format, thereby extending the reach and impact of shared knowledge.
Decentralize and Democratize Publishing with Blockchain
Although the project significantly improves the accessibility of knowledge by presenting it in more humanized and engaging ways, the maintenance of the knowledge vault, in this case the metadata and ebooks in various formats, still relies heavily on a few significant contributors like Project Gutenberg and Microsoft. The ownership model of knowledge needs to be reformed to become more resilient and ensure a broader range of people can participate in the operation of the knowledge base – and this is where blockchain can play a crucial role: to redefine the “relations of knowledge production” and facilitate a system where public domain works are not only preserved but invigorated through community participation. This is where the concept of “Decentralized Publishing” comes into play.
LikeCoin’s Unique Blend of Literature and Blockchain
LikeCoin emerges as a pioneering blockchain devoted to decentralized publishing in this evolving landscape. It preserves the treasures collected by Project Gutenberg and further enhances them. The initiative registers over 5,000 ebooks and audiobooks—initially digitized by Project Gutenberg, voiced by Microsoft’s AI, and supported by MIT’s technological prowess—and is now further organized and preserved on the LikeCoin chain, which is currently run by a decentralized community of content lovers. All books have obtained a unique identifier called ISCN (International Standard Content Number), similar to ISBN in the traditional publishing industry but a Web3 version. Among the reserves, 1,000 have been “published” as NFT eBooks so that the book can be further owned, distributed, and monetized. These books are now available for free download at Liker Land, an ebook store based on the LikeCoin ecosystem.
What is Decentralized Publishing
Publishing a book on the blockchain, was once a technically challenging, has been greatly simplified thanks to Liker Land’s user-friendly tools. This innovation mirrors the traditional book publishing process but with a unique twist for the digital age. The first step involves registering the book’s metadata, akin to obtaining an ISBN in conventional publishing, but in this case, it’s an ISCN (International Standard Content Number) recorded on the blockchain. Next, instead of printing physical copies, books are minted as NFTs (Non-Fungible Tokens), encapsulating ownership and uniqueness in the digital realm. Distribution also takes a modern turn, with books being made available in digital ebook stores as opposed to traditional brick-and-mortar bookstores.
Liker Land doesn’t just stop at these basic publishing tools; they also offer advanced features to enhance the digital publishing experience. Learning from the Experience of Project Gutenberg. Liker Land helps to convert ebook into audiobooks using AI-driven text-to-speech technology, and broadening the book’s reach through AI-powered translation services. Liker Land combines advanced technology with traditional industry, supporting both fiat and cryptocurrency payments, catering to the needs of various authors, publishers, and readers.
Besides books, LikeCoin offers a new approach to archiving news and media, creating an immutable knowledge base maintained by a decentralized network. This method ensures that knowledge remains anti-fragile, curate by community effort rather than resting in the hands of any single authority. The challenge of combating misinformation and censorship, especially in authoritarian regions, underscores the importance of decentralized publishing platforms.
Together We Own Human’s History
With the help of artificial intelligence and blockchain, content can be presented in various formats and languages, also allowing a wide range of people to participate in collaboration, preserving shared memories. The latest developments in decentralized publishing demonstrate how new technologies are driving the progress of human society and realizing the beautiful vision of knowledge as a public resource.