[WikiEN-l] No forks! (was: Re: Print edition)

[Ray Saintonge]

Jake Nelson wrote:

>Even if we don't use this plan, we definitely want to keep them separate
>from normal articles. The print versions should be different, and we
>shouldn't freeze or delete normal articles for this. I'm not keen on a
>en-print.wikipedia.org type fork as was suggested, but it's at least an
>option.
>
There are many valid objections against a fork, but the strongest 
argument for it may be simplicity.  Our thinking about the print version 
needs to be a lot more production oriented.   Complicated new software 
based solutions would be ill-advised.  Categories, have been discussed 
before, but not implemented.  We have not had the opportunity to shake 
out the bugs from category software or category schemes.  Production 
time is no time to be doing that.  Maybe those categories will be 
helpful for a later edition.  Six months is a very short time for 
developing a print ready product.  We need to develop a strict time line 
showing when certain steps absolutely MUST be completed.  There will be 
little time in all that for software bugs or NPOV wrangles.  Wikipedia 
as we now know it must continue to live without its purposes and 
procedures being in conflict with those of the print version.

>Personally, eventually, I forsee three versions: the Pocket Wikipedia
>(basically the first-paragraph thing), the Concise Wikipedia (a big volume),
>and the Unabridged Wikipedia (pretty much the entirety of the web content).
>Concise will want pictures, but shouldn't overdo it.
>
This is conceivable, but we shouldn't let the first edition get hung up 
on finding suitable pictures.  If we have them we use them, but we 
shouldn't feel obliged to look for pictures if we don't have them.

Ec