G'day folks,
The Independent reports:
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/europe/frances-favourite-encyclopaedia-fal...
"The brave new world of instant enlightenment at the touch of a computer key has claimed a heavyweight victim. The 2008 edition of Quid, France's favourite encyclopaedia, has been cancelled by its publisher for lack of interest. The annual sales of the 2,000-page tome, which reached more than 400,000 in the mid-1990s, collapsed to just over 100,000 last year. "
More in story.
Regards
*Keith *
On 20/02/2008, Keith Old keithold@gmail.com wrote:
The Independent reports: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/europe/frances-favourite-encyclopaedia-fal... "The brave new world of instant enlightenment at the touch of a computer key has claimed a heavyweight victim. The 2008 edition of Quid, France's favourite encyclopaedia,
http://www.alexa.com/site/ds/top_sites?cc=FR&ts_mode=country&lang=no...
We're #14 in France, as compared to #9 for the world.
has been cancelled by its publisher for lack of interest. The annual sales of the 2,000-page tome, which reached more than 400,000 in the mid-1990s, collapsed to just over 100,000 last year. "
As I said: [[worse is better]] in practice. We may not be competing with the paper encyclopedias, but they appear to be competing with us, and failing to do so.
To what extent this is a good thing is open for discussion. e.g. what can we practically do to become a replacement as good as the thing we appear to have replaced?
- d.
To what extent this is a good thing is open for discussion. e.g. what can we practically do to become a replacement as good as the thing we appear to have replaced?
Well, we can always try and persuade them to release the latest edition under GFDL and then incorporate it into the appropriate articles. I'm not sure they'd go for it, but it might be worth asking.
On 20/02/2008, Thomas Dalton thomas.dalton@gmail.com wrote:
To what extent this is a good thing is open for discussion. e.g. what can we practically do to become a replacement as good as the thing we appear to have replaced?
Well, we can always try and persuade them to release the latest edition under GFDL and then incorporate it into the appropriate articles. I'm not sure they'd go for it, but it might be worth asking.
No they are trying to make is as a website which is fair enough. Wouldn't be totally surprised if Microsoft puts in a bid for them.
On 2/20/08, geni geniice@gmail.com wrote:
No they are trying to make is as a website which is fair enough. Wouldn't be totally surprised if Microsoft puts in a bid for them.
I think they've had a website for years. It was getting a million hits a month. When I tried it, no response.
Steve
On Feb 20, 2008 2:43 AM, Keith Old keithold@gmail.com wrote:
"The brave new world of instant enlightenment at the touch of a computer key has claimed a heavyweight victim. The 2008 edition of Quid, France's favourite encyclopaedia, has been cancelled by its publisher for lack of interest. The annual sales of the 2,000-page tome, which reached more than 400,000 in the mid-1990s, collapsed to just over 100,000 last year. "
If a one-volume book of the price mentioned does not cover the costs, their problem is not wikipedia but extravagance. There have been successful projects of similiar size before with a much lower circulation.
Mathias