WikiReader (book)

WikiReaders are collections of articles from Wikimedia Foundation projects on a certain topic, in the form of PDFs published for download and intended to be printed, and also to be sold in printed form.

WikiReaders were started by German Wikipedian Thomas Karcher in late February 2004. He first came up with a 30-page collection of Wikipedia articles on Sweden. He also applied for an ISSN.

Guidelines for early WikiReaders

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Following guidelines resulted from the discussion on German Wikipedia:

  • in the intro there should be a paragraph explaining the online Wikipedia, license, openness and that the reader might work on the Wikipedia.
  • all links should be formatted like normal text (no underline or color)
  • weblinks should be left out where possible
  • before creating the reader there should be a table of contents in Wikipedia to give editors a chance to extend the article. One or two weeks with announcements should be enough.
  • Appendix
    • the English (official) GNU FDL must be included in every WikiReader (small font). To include a copy in the WikiReaders language is optional (Sadly only the English one is official.)
    • the sources must include the exact names of articles together with the date of last edit. No URLs needed, names only.
    • all names of registered editors must be included. IPs shouldn't.
      • there's a script for getting the list, ask User:TomK32 for it
    • no other, unnecessary statistics

How to create a WikiReader

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  • OpenOffice.org is proving to be a wonderful tool, especially the PDF which is included since version 1.1 makes it perfect for creating WikiReaders. Basically it's nothing more than defining a good layout and copy'n'pasting the content from Wikipedia.
  • Scribus is a real desktop publishing software with professional features and a fantastic PDF export function.

Printing WikiReaders

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WikiReaders are meant to be printed; there are already two available at the Webshop at http://www.wikireader.de and more might be coming if the first ones are successful.

Languages

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  • German/Deutsch, there are seven finished, available for downloading free of charge, two of which are also sold in paper form. Several others are in different states of completion.
  • English, there is one in development and several in planning.
  • French, with several proposed Readers.
  • Russian

Distribution

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I would like to know how these wikireaders are gonna be printed, then distributed. In particular, where and to who essentially (school, meetings...). Will they be free ? Anthere

I don't think they can be free without a government grant, large targeted personal donation or similar. They should be cheap, though. The shop is listing them at about $6 which seems very cheap to me (£3.33), but then the pound is strong at the moment. It presumably doesn't take into account large orders or postage and packing, either. If these documents get ISBN numbers I'll try to persuade my local library to buy copies. MrJones 09:59, 4 Jun 2004 (UTC)
Well, in principle, you could bill as much as you want for wikipedia content... it is the free competition (e.g. anyone can sell) that drags prices of open content down.

Other publications

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Wikipedia 1.0 is a proposed version of the Wikipedia content on CD-ROM and paper, see

See also

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basque: Baliabide digitalak azkartasuna dira, eraginkortasuna; papera plazera da.

bresciano: El digital l'è la fresa e la rapidità, la carta l'è el piaser.

breton: An doareoù dijital zo buan hag efedus. Ar paper zo ur blijadur.

ca: El digital és la rapidesa i l'eficàcia; el paper és el plaer.

cr: Digitalno je brzo i djelotvorno. Papir je u^Þitak.

cy: Mae dulliau digidol yn chwim ac yn effeithlon. Mae papur yn bleser

de: Digitale Informationen sind rapide und effizient; um mit Genuss zu lesen, braucht man Papier.

en: Digital is speed and efficiency. Paper is pleasure.

eo: Cifera estas rapideco, efikeco. Sed papero estas plezuro.

es: Lo digital es la rapidez, la eficacia. El papel es el placer.

et: Digitaalne tähendab kiirust ja efektiivsust. aga paber tähendab naudingut.

fi: Digitaalisuus on nopeutta ja tehokkuutta. Paperi on nautintoa.

flemish: Digitaal staat voor snelheid en efficiëntie, maar papier staat voor plezier.

fr: Le numérique, c'est la rapidité, l'efficacité. Mais le papier, c'est le plaisir.

furlan: Il digitâl jè la sveltece, l'eficacitât. La cjarte jè il plasê.

hu: A digitális gyors és hatékony. A papír viszont öröm.

it: Il digitale è la rapidità, l'efficacia. La carta è il piacere.

it-bolognese: Al digitèl l é la velozitè, l'eficiänza. Mo la chèrta l'é al piaSair.

it-calabrese: Lu digitali è la vilocità,l'efficacia.La carta lu piaciri.

it-neapolitan: 'O diggitale è 'a speditezza, ll'effecacia. 'A carta è 'o sfizzio.

it-parmigiano: Al digitäl l'é la rapidité e l'eficienza, la cärta l'é 'l piaser.

it-piemontese: ël digital a l'é la rapidità, l'efissiensa. Ma ël papé a l'é ël piasì.

it-romagnolo: Se computer u'ié la pressa e la giosteza; s'la carta u'iè e'plazir.

it-roman: Er diggitale è la svertezza, l´ efficenza; la carta è er piacere.

it-venetian: El digitale xe la rapidità, l'eficensa; la carta xe el piaxer.

it-zeneize: O digitale o l'é a speditessa, o riescî fïto. O papê o l'é o piaxei.

ladin: Digital é slum y efizienza, l papier é l plajei.

la: Digitale celeritas, potentia est. Charta voluptas.

lat: Viss digitalais ir atrums un efektivitate. Papirs ir baudijums.

limburgian: Digitaol gedond ès rap gedond, ên hênnighèts troêf, mê pepier gif plezier.

mapunzugun: Digital ta matugey ka feyti matugen; ti nolkan feyti ayizuamüngey.

nl: Digitaal is snel en efficiënt; papier, dat is pas plezier.

papiamentu: Digital ta rapides i efisiensia. Papel ta plaser.

pl: System cyfrowy to szybkosc, wydajnosc; papier to czysta przyjemnosc.

pt: O digital é a rapidez, a eficácia. O papel é o prazer.

pt-bra: O digital é velocidade e eficiência. O papel é prazer.

sv: Digitalt är snabbt och effektivt, att läsa från papper är en njutning.

For a different kind of wikireader discussion, see wikireader-l.