[Foundation-l] sell wikipedia

[William Pietri]

On 01/21/2010 12:20 AM, Huib Laurens wrote:
> Why would anybody want to buy it if it is possible to download it for free?
>    

This is a topic that's getting a lot of attention. For example, Kevin 
Kelly lists 8 things that are better than free:

http://www.kk.org/thetechnium/archives/2008/01/better_than_fre.php

In our case, some of them don't apply. But I could see us making use of 
personalization, interpretation, embodiment, and patronage. I also think 
we could sell a sense of association if we wanted to. Social status is 
another good along these lines (think premium members and first-class 
tickets) but I don't immediately see a way Wikipedia could make use of that.


I note that just last night I was browsing EBay to see what a set of the 
1911 Encyclopedia Britannica goes for. For $10, I could get it on DVD. 
Or I could pay hundreds for a physical set. I would never buy the DVD, 
but I might buy the physical set. And I already own a reproduction of 
the 3-volume 1768 edition.

Any practical reason I'd come up with for purchases like that, or my 
Addams Family pinball machine, would be tenuous justifications. I buy 
those things not for the things themselves, but because I love the idea 
of those things. It seems reasonable to me that people love the idea of 
Wikipedia just as much.

William