[Foundation-l] Offering Wikibooks content for sale

[Robert Scott Horning]

Michael R. Irwin wrote:

>However, "mavericks" should not be discouraged or encounter systematic 
>hostility from any components of the "community" or the WMF in future 
>participation because they choose to publish material in accordance with 
>the FDL.
>
>regards,
>lazyquasar
>  
>
Just to see how difficult of a job it was for this user who put the 
Wikijunior Big Cats up on the Lulu website, I decided to create a new 
account with Lulu and go through the process itself (without actually 
offering the book for sale).  For an average Wikimedia user who can deal 
with uploading images and handle a typical wiki:  It was so easy I 
almost forgot that this was controversial and just about offered the 
same content for sale in the same manner all over again.

The fact that Wikibooks is offering so many "books" via PDF makes it all 
that more tempting to have somebody do exactly this again, and this time 
with the entire inventory of Wikibooks and not just one Wikijunior book. 
 Mind you, Lulu Press is just the printing house.  *I* would have been 
the publisher and assuming the associated risks in that situation.  I'm 
still thinking of doing exactly that in the near future, although I 
would like to set up a joint account that would include some of the more 
active Wikibooks users as well if this were to get going.

I will say that I've been very cautious about doing this, and knowing 
how far to go and not tread on project space inappropriately has been a 
major concern of my.  Certainly I don't want to be seen as abusing my 
admin status to promote a business that I may be starting in this way.

-- 
Robert Scott Horning