When I grew up, my family owned a set of encyclopedia britannica’s. They were great – and saved me many times when writing papers or just satisfying my curiosity as a kid.

But about 15 years ago, encyclopedias become obsolete. The internet changed everything. In short order, we had access to more information, more viewpoints, and in more formats than a thousand encyclopedias could ever offer.  I love those old encyclopedias, but the human race at large was better off because we had something better. Namely, boundless information at our fingertips thanks to the open web.

But in the main halls of learning, you still see the equivalent of Britannica used every day.  Watch students walk around any college campus today, and you see heavy bags full of dead trees. It’s a strange conundrum. Those textbooks are still assigned and are still needed for the vast majority of courses.  But ask any student and it’s clear that the open web is a far more valuable resource for them.

Don’t understand a concept as explained in the text? Go find hundreds of alternatives online.

Need to quickly refer to a concept on the go? Just type into a search box, don’t search a TOC.

Want a different viewpoint on an ethical debate? Go to the web, or your social graph.

Want to learn in a different modality? There is a video for you on the web. Or a different diagram. Or an online tutorial.

Have a question or need help? Find help online too.

The reason we invested in Boundless is because we believe that the open web is the most powerful educational force the world has seen since the printing press.  Everything you could ever want to know is right there, and it’s there for free.  Someone just needs to unlock this information for learners everywhere.

You would think I’m crazy to buy a set of encyclopedias today (unless they are a decorative item purchased on fab). But we buy virtually the same for our kids every day. Boundless is changing that, and if they are successful, we’ll be better off.

As expected, large publishers are not too happy about this. They’ve seen it coming for years, and are working hard to make sure they maintain their monster margins while navigating a shift to digital. It’s too bad that they have followed the path of Yahoo, and others in pursuing a litigation strategy in defense of their old business models.  But I suppose that’s expected.

The folks at Boundless have shared their point of view – check it out here. The data is compelling, and I’m proud that the company is standing their ground just like the transformative companies that have come before them like Facebook, Paypal, YouTube, Google, and others.

I’m all for boundless information for learners everywhere. I hope you are too.