ISBN numbers (was, Re: [Wikipedia-l] Re: Wikipedia funds)

[Fred Bauder]

I do this a lot, but after all I am a book seller. I think it is very
helpful to someone who regularly buys books and helps them find one at a
reasonable cost once they learn how to use the various links offered.
(Although I think Wikipedia has too many choices presented, many of them
poor choices for one reason or another)

And yes, when I get going good I will look up every edition of a book and
make comments on availablily and cost.

Fred

> From: Delirium <delirium at rufus.d2g.com>
> Reply-To: wikipedia-l at Wikimedia.org
> Date: Tue, 20 Jan 2004 19:47:07 -0800
> To: wikipedia-l at Wikimedia.org
> Subject: ISBN numbers (was, Re: [Wikipedia-l] Re: Wikipedia funds)
> 
> To sidestep the issue of partnering with booksellers for a bit, I have a
> more fundamental question: why do we have ISBN links at all?  ISBN
> numbers do not identify books; they identify particular printings of
> books by particular publishers.  Our job, as an encyclopedia, is to
> discuss the books themselves; if the reader wishes to find which
> publishers have the book currently in print in his or her country, I
> don't see that as our role (there are plenty of places to look that up,
> or ask your local bookstore).  Not to mention that with the vast
> majority of books we'd be interested in documenting in an encyclopedia,
> there are dozens (sometimes hundreds!) of ISBN numbers under which the
> book has been published.  Are we going to end every article on books
> with a lengthy list of ISBN numbers?  Or are we going to arbitrarily
> pick one from our favorite publisher?  I'd propose we instead just leave
> them out entirely.
> 
> -Mark
> 
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