In the Middle Ages, we were told what to believe by the Church. After the appearance of the printing press and the Reformation, we were guided by state censors and the licensors of publishers. Later, with the rise of liberalism in the 19th and 20th centuries, publishers themselves took control, followed by broadcast media—a small, elite group of professionals.
This is how the democratization of knowledge emerged: the acquisition and spreading of knowledge among common people, not just privileged elites such as clergy and academics. Libraries—public libraries in particular—and modern digital technology such as the internet play a key role in the democratization of knowledge, as they provide open access to information for the masses.
Examples of Knowledge Democratization
Even in the startup world, where you typically need to be in a formal accelerator to gain information on how to start and manage a startup, Y Combinator came up with Startup School. By democratizing startup knowledge, YC hoped to spur economic activity around the globe while promoting and preparing companies for its more formalized accelerator program.
The Internet's ability to democratize content creation in both South Korea's gaming and music industries has led to the rise of many new artists and game creators.
The Four Principles of Mass Collaboration
Here are the four principles from Don Tapscott and Anthony D. Williams's Wikinomics: How Mass Collaboration Changes Everything:
Openness, which includes not only open standards and content but also financial transparency and an open attitude towards external ideas and resources.
Peering, which replaces hierarchical models with a more collaborative forum. Tapscott and Williams cite the development of Linux as the "quintessential example of peering."
Sharing, which is a less proprietary approach to (among other things) products, intellectual property, bandwidth, and scientific knowledge.
Acting globally, which involves embracing globalization and ignoring "physical and geographical boundaries" at both corporate and individual levels.
Industry Adoption and Innovation
Nevertheless, some industries are adopting new concepts faster than others. Those that are more digitally oriented are changing faster, while the rest in the offline world grow at a slower pace.
The same transformation is happening in the fashion design world with the help of the Fennec&Finch platform—the one-stop place where you can ideate and produce your fashion collections, even without being technically skilled. All that is needed is an idea. Through this marketplace, any creative person can become a brand and launch their product easily. This will surely bring significant economic growth to a sector that can create multiple job opportunities in this particular market.