[WikiEN-l] Wikipedia: The Missing Manual (O'Reilly, Dec 2007)

[Robert Rohde]

On 10/21/07, Anthony <wikimail at inbox.org> wrote:

> On 10/21/07, Oldak Quill <oldakquill at gmail.com> wrote:
> > On 21/10/2007, Anthony <wikimail at inbox.org> wrote:
> > > On 10/21/07, Oldak Quill <oldakquill at gmail.com> wrote:
> > > > Such a book could only help Wikipedia.
> > >
> > > If it were free content it'd help Wikipedia even more, though.
> >
> > On those counts, I agree with you - it would be far better if it were
> > free content (and perhaps Wikimedia could start such a project?). But
> > while proprietory knowledge exists and is so prevalent, I think an
> > extra book (whether proprietory or, preferably, free) helps.
> >
> I don't know that a proprietary book helps all that much.  How many
> newbies are going to shell out $27 for a PDF or $40 for a print
> version of this?  Free content would help a *lot* more, and *if* the
> WMF is in a legal position where they could force it to happen, I
> think they should.
>
> If the WMF isn't in such a legal position, then I go back to my
> comment earlier: "Wow, I'm rather surprised by that.  Ohwell."  Too
> bad.


Contrary to some perceptions, it is not unreasonable for someone who invests
the time and money to write a book to then expect to make money off of it.
Talk of "forcing" them to make this work free content is tantamount to
robbery and ridiculously unethical in my opinion.

-Robert Rohde