Free for All: Our Favorite Open-Source & Info-Sharing Resources
These picks make it easy to access and share all kinds of critical information
These days, staying on top of the news can feel like trying to drink from a fire house. And yet with misinformation on the rise, it’s never been more critical to stay informed. Where can you turn for the facts? The Internet, of course—but you need to know where to look. In honor of National Freedom of Information Day (March 16), we’ve put together a list of some of our favorite online resources for cataloging and sharing vital information. From multi-part investigations into key issues to a vast digital library designed to preserve freedom of the press, these picks will help you stay informed and be a better global citizen.
When it comes to open-source knowledge repositories, The Internet Archive is the one that started it all. Launched in 1996 to preserve websites, it has since expanded to include digital versions of books, audio recordings, and images—as well as a catalog of 625 billion web pages.
Bellingcat is a collective of independent researchers, investigators, and journalists who pursue deep-dive investigations into serious issues across the globe. Since launching, Bellingcat has become a crucial source of info on everything from drug trafficking to the use of chemical weapons. Listen to our recent Webby Podcast episode with Bellingcat founder Eliot Higgins for an insider’s perspective on how the group works.
Remember this the next time someone says computer games are a waste of time. The Uncensored Library is an innovative response to press censorship: It’s a free, open-source archive of censored books and articles built within Minecraft, one of the most popular computer games ever made. Thanks to the game’s unique structure, the archive can evade censors to keep these documents accessible to all.
A 2021 Webby People’s Voice Winner, Amnesty International’s Tear Gas: An Investigation project uncovers startling truths about tear gas, which is commonly used by security forces around the world to disperse protests. This multimedia investigation takes a hard look at the substance, its dangers, and the ways it’s abused by those in power.
While you’re browsing all these resources, you might need a handy place to store key bits of info. For that, try Clementine. It’s a web-based app that offers a clean, no-nonsense interface for quickly making notes, creating to-do lists, and storing bookmarks.
