A novel collaboration platform: Structuring books as networks

Abstract

Ever since Gutenberg introduced the art of printing in Europe in the mid 1400s, the way we consume and author books has remained somewhat static. In spite of several technological advances since that time, the very structure of books and the writing process has not been subject to change. Neither have the reading experience. This thesis explores a new way to read and write novels by applying a network structure to books and allowing collaboration on a big scale by leveraging the vast number of people connected to the internet. The thesis uncovers challenges in applying such a structure and proposes solutions to a number of them. Additionally a prototype under the name WebNovel is developed alongside the thesis.