[Wikipedia-l] The Fact Factory: a Wikipedia knock-off

[Ray Saintonge]

Lars Aronsson wrote:

>I just learned that Amazon.com has some new web services stuff, that
>might be interesting.  You can download their kit, and write your own
>applications on your own website.  I haven't checked it out yet, but
>the info is on http://www.amazon.com/webservices
>
>I guess they are not placing their reviews under GFDL, though... that
>would have been a great service!  Is it OK to put book reviews in
>Wikipedia (on an Amazon scale)?  Do we know how many book reviews are
>already in Wikipedia?  Or should there be a separate wiki for this?
>
Of course copying Amazon's reviews would carry too much copyright 
violation risks.  

Wikipedians have sporadically written about their favorite books, and 
that does represent some kind of book review even if it's called 
something else. Since we're not in the book selling business we can give 
equal treatment to old classics as to the latest best seller.  It's been 
developping even better in the movies area.  This all has been 
functioning  quite well,  so there's no need for changes.

Eclecticology