xoBible:

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audio Bible for places print can't reach - using viral marketing and hi-tech to bring the Scriptures to all

The most Bible-deprived people are illiterate villagers in the two-thirds world. Although the print age revolutionized Bible distribution it leaves them almost untouched. So far electronic communications have done relatively little, though Christian radio reaches some and Bible mp3 players are beginning to appear.

If you prefer video lo-fi here or hi-fi here.

The One Laptop per Child project may allow us to change that. OLPC aims to produce a tough, easy to use laptop that can operate without mains electricity; and to distribute them so widely that the goal is a laptop for every child in the poorest countries. These laptops are networked, to each other, and through each other to the Internet. They are also multimedia capable.

This means that if MP3 recordings of the Bible were available in someone’s tribal language their children or grandchildren could download them and play them, and pass them on to friends and neighbours. The illiterate villagers could HEAR the Bible.

XO design

Once the OLPC laptops achieve wide distribution (millions are planned in the first year and many millions more in each succeeding year) the social and technical networks to achieve this dream are almost in place.

A central server could collect and serve as originating distribution point for the MP3 Bible portions. Where no recording is yet available if missions or local churches can arrange for local communities to make the recordings. We have shown (in NZ) that this can work through the PodBible project. The OLPC project provides the recording, upload and distribution network!

The OLPC project could provide the technology to achieve for the poorest parts of Africa, Asia and South America what print did for Bible distribution in Europe, and more.

What we have already

• Distribution network: OLPC and national governments will distribute the laptops, and usually provide Internet connectivity.
• Bibles: UBS, Wycliffe and others have already translated the Bible into many, many, local languages. (All we need is copyright permission! See below.) For many langauges existing audio recordings can be reused, we are making contact with the missions and other organisations concerned (see networking) if you are connected to such an organisation please check that we have included you!
• Proof of concept: PodBible has shown that MP3 distribution over the Internet can work: a small local church (with a few friends) now provided daily “readings” to over 800 people.
• Value added component and interface: BibleTime offers a OLPC-ready open source Bible software package that could be adapted to enable also access to the MP3s.
• Priorities: A list of priority countries where OLPC plans the first and second wave of deliveries, the first priorities seem to be Brazil, Argentina, Libya, Nigeria, and Thailand.

What we’d need

• Networking with local churches and with missions and Bible translation agencies to obtain buy in: copyright permission, networks to pass on the idea and information about access.
• And most importantly moderation (people who can check uploaded files before they go public to avoid errors or malicious use of the project site).
• The code to make the website work.
• A server (and later perhaps more) since even with the distributed OLPC network there will soon be a significant load delivering these “Bibles”.
• Some central co-ordination and planning.

Summary

The OLPC project offers the most cost effective means of Bible distribution ever (whether cost is measured in dollars or people-hours).

This network will deliver to the places and people that are most difficult to reach by traditional means. In a format they can hear.

This page/site will be updated so that you can leave comments or discuss the project - as soon as possible - in the meantime contact Tim Bulkeley...