Uncensored Library Banned Journalism Housed In Virtual Minecraft Architecture

Schools that ban books usually cause a negative impact on those who are aspiring to be censors. This results in a rise in interest in illegal literature. Reporters Without Borders, a group that advocates for the public's awareness of media that are censored by governments, spearheads efforts to make such material more visible. Their Uncensored Library project brings together journalism and architecture in an unlikely virtual reality environment that is the world of interactive gaming of Minecraft.

On the surface, Minecraft is a game of collaborative construction . Its low-res look may not appear conducive to elements like: reading articles or even entire books in game. There are "items" in Minecraft that can be used to create books with an endless number of pages. Creators can transcribe text into these "books," rendering them accessible and downloadable. The books are then placed into "chests" and organized in the virtual space for accessibility.

The concept, in part, is to work around normally blocked channels. Reporters Without Borders has had some success with this approach including the audio-centric Uncensored Playlist. It bypassed the censors and was operated by music streaming services. In the Uncensored Library the spatial layout helps users find the information they need and also allows for other ways of interaction and creation in addition, such as memorials to journalists who were killed located within the library's walls.

James Delaney, Blockworks' project leader, says that the style is Classical and formal. It's the exact type of architecture you will find in the British Museum or New York Public Library. "That was deliberate, because this style of architecture is typically used by governments to support their own positions of authority." The team behind the design "wanted to take that and transform it into something else. We are using this formalistic, authoritarian style but it's stuffed with free information.
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Reporters Without Borders handles the criteria for inclusion, which makes sure that the library's information remains accurate, truthful sensitive, sensitive, and secure. Cian Mahar reports. It appears to be working: The library has regular visitors from countries such as Russia, Egypt, Mexico and Saudi Arabia where information is not free.

Flags and maps decorate the interior of the virtual library's architecture and highlight areas in which censorship is more prevalent and aiding in the virtual wayfinding within the stacks. The design choices are created to appeal to younger users who are already familiar with Minecraft and to help them learn about the issue of information suppression. Not all countries are accepting this as a given and some are pushing back, attempting to ban the main server. As with all things on the internet, once the cat (gif) is out of the bag it's over. Anyone can download and transfer the entire library onto another server at anytime.

The Uncensored Library website states: "In many countries, websites social media, as well as blogs are controlled or censored by oppressive leaders. Young people, in particular are forced to grow up in systems where their viewpoint is heavily manipulated by governmental disinformation campaigns. Although the majority of media outlets are blocked or controlled, the most effective computer game on the planet is still available.