𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗧𝗲𝗰𝗵𝗻𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗴𝘆 𝗥𝗲𝘄𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗲𝘀 𝗪𝗵𝗼 𝗚𝗲𝘁𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗦𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗸

The invention of the movable-type printing press by Johannes Gutenberg in the mid-15th century radically lowered the cost and time to reproduce texts and broke the monopoly of hand-copied manuscripts held by church and elite scribes.

This technological shift unleashed a rapid spread of books and pamphlets, fueling the Reformation, scientific exchange, and early political dissent by giving new voices the means to reach broader audiences.

However, one notorious example of the printing press’s dark side was the 1487 manual Malleus Maleficarum (“The Hammer of Witches”), which was widely reprinted in the 16th century and helped inflame witchcraft panics and persecutions across Europe by giving clergy and secular authorities a “how-to” guide for identifying, prosecuting, and executing alleged witches.

Today, the legacy of the printing press is visible in mass literacy, public education systems, and the expectation that citizens can access diverse sources of information. It laid the groundwork for newspapers, books, and social media, shaping how societies debate policy, organize social movements, and hold institutions to account. Most recently, individuals can create their own platform for a large audience.

In the near future, the same dynamics that followed the printing press—explosions of voice, conflict over authority, and new forms of literacy—are likely to intensify. Within a generation, millions of new citizen historians, community journalists, and micro-movements could reshape public life in ways traditional gatekeepers can neither predict nor fully control.

There will be a renewed premium on curation, where the pendulum between control and dispersion swings back to consistent arbiters of reliable information.

Founders who recognize trust and reliability

as rare commodities will feel the wind at their backs.

This new style of post, called Go Wide: A Life Less Curated, offers a weekly, two-minute exploration of surprising moments from the past, their impact today, and their potential implications for tomorrow. It serves as an antidote to algorithms and echo chambers by revealing how major historical events impacted the world and might shape what comes next.

What do you think? Do you agree with this prediction? Do you have other topics we should explore? Let us know by writing info@webuildscalegrow.com.

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When Technology Rewrites Who Gets to Speak: Image by skarletmotion

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