“Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows” Translated Into Spanish by Fans
It’s fascinating, large projects that used to be very costly are now completed free of charge by online communities. When fervor strikes the crowd, creativity hits the online production line. The most recent example is Harry Potter fans that have read, translated and posted versions of “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows” online in both PDF and via a blog. Even the pictures and fonts match the original English version.
Widespread collaboration has been the theme of Web 2.0. Projects like Wikipedia, BitTorrent, and Flickr have redefined “working together.” They bring massive amounts of users together for one specific goal. The difference is that these are ventures that have a clear set vision and gained critical mass with the momentum of that vision.
A quote from a book I read recently, “Wikinomics: How Mass Collaboration Changes Everything,”
These changes, among others, are ushering us toward a world where knowledge, power, and productive capability will be more dispersed than at any time in our history—a world where value creation will be fast, fluid, and persistently disruptive. A world where only the connected will survive. A power shift is underway, and a tough new business rule is emerging: Harness the new collaboration or perish. Those who fail to grasp this will find themselves ever more isolated—cut off from the networks that are sharing, adapting, and updating knowledge to create value.
People banding together to translate Harry Potter in their native language within days of its release is pretty damned amazing. Copyright beware, impromptu projects like these will spring up more and more frequently as people envision value, with or without a ‘visionary.’
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Bary Schwatrz said
am July 28 2007 @ 10:14 am
Thanks for checking out my blog. Interesting post, i wonder if big projects like this will be seen more?
Jerad Kaliher said
am July 28 2007 @ 2:17 pm
@Bary, I think that the more interconnected we get the more we have an urge to complete these types of spur of the moment ventures.
Connie T. said
am August 6 2007 @ 8:08 pm
It is indeed pretty damned amazing. The internet, which might as well be considered a form of anarchy, (unless your accessing the web from China) has just inflated the balloon of opportunity into an unfathomable size. Generally I think its good, as in the example of Harry Potter being translated into other languages by “common people.” ¡Viva Harry!
On a more general note: Now don’t laugh at me, but I worry that the internet moves us at a pace we can’t keep up with. To take this a step further, what will be the long term consequences of all this technological advancement? (I write this with McLuhan in mind, btw, not that I’d ever claim to understand his philosophy….)
Jerad Kaliher said
am August 6 2007 @ 9:45 pm
@Connie, I guess if the Internet is anarchy than I’m an anarchist. It’s stories like this that interest me because I feel like they cut the fluff of the net. There is no room for BS, for instance, when there are 30 dweebs checking on your facts when you try to deface a Wikipedia post.
I think this is exactly what McLuhan would consider his ‘global village.’ From what I remember he wrote that instead of individuals as writers and thinkers we become a collective tribe of people with technology. In essence, the globe is becoming a village. The part your talking about is where it has the potential to cause totalitarianism OR to enable a worldwide community.
I guess it makes me an optimist to say that I believe in a more problem solving forum rather than extremist sheep-like behavior. Then again – you never know!