PediaPress. Wikipedia print-on-demand compendiums.
July 18, 2006 7:17 PM   Subscribe

PediaPress. Print-on-demand compendiums of Wikipedia articles.
posted by stbalbach (30 comments total)
 
Chocula.
posted by fire&wings at 7:18 PM on July 18, 2006


Ech.
posted by cortex at 7:20 PM on July 18, 2006


Very cool. I guess the FDL license that wikipedia is licensed under allows for commercial reuse like this? Anyone can do this, right?
posted by mathowie at 7:24 PM on July 18, 2006


CaretTop.
posted by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 7:29 PM on July 18, 2006


Great AJAXy interface, and the prices are more than resonable; I don't know that I feel compelled to order anything, but I like the idea nonetheless.
posted by youarenothere at 7:37 PM on July 18, 2006


mathowie writes "I guess the FDL license that wikipedia is licensed under allows for commercial reuse like this?"

"Wikipedia content can be copied, modified, and redistributed so long as the new version grants the same freedoms to others and acknowledges the authors of the Wikipedia article used (a direct link back to the article satisfies our author credit requirement). Wikipedia articles therefore will remain free forever and can be used by anybody subject to certain restrictions, most of which serve to ensure that freedom...

Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.2 or any later version published by the Free Software Foundation; with no Invariant Sections, with no Front-Cover Texts, and with no Back-Cover Texts.


More here and here. Actually, I'm surprised someone didn't do something like this much earlier.
posted by youarenothere at 7:42 PM on July 18, 2006


I would buy one, except I'm afraid that people will come over, rip out pages, cross out words, and write in the margins.
posted by Afroblanco at 7:44 PM on July 18, 2006


Something about a static paper output of Wickipedia content sounds so... useless.

But then, 20-some years ago I wrote a list of the World's Crown Princes for The Book of Lists (Volume 2), rewrote one entry a few weeks later when a monarchy changed hands and ended up with the whole piece killed (but I got paid 100%) when they realized it'd likely be out of date before they finished publication. THAT'S why I lo-o-ove the Web.

BTW, Matt, when're we gonna get that three-minute post-posing edit?
posted by wendell at 7:57 PM on July 18, 2006


I'm really hankering for a print version of Metafilter, where I can pick threads I'd like to be included in my own personal Metafilter book. I'd prefer to read Metafilter on paper.
posted by jayder at 8:41 PM on July 18, 2006


Damn posers.
posted by Eekacat at 8:42 PM on July 18, 2006


I guess the FDL license that wikipedia is licensed under allows for commercial reuse

Yep. So this is essentially the print version of those CDs of freeware which you could download anyway.
posted by pompomtom at 8:48 PM on July 18, 2006


Hey, Eekacat, you're welcome (re: the mushroom thing).
posted by taosbat at 9:16 PM on July 18, 2006


I'd rather have the articles printed on toilet paper so I can wipe my ass with some POV crap like the automotive articles.
posted by cellphone at 9:18 PM on July 18, 2006


It would be fun to get a list of the funniest vandalism and print it.

The Levi jeans one with other uses added for their underwater properties is kinda amusing.
posted by sien at 9:20 PM on July 18, 2006


I have a really extensive reference library at work. The most recent book in it was published in 1999, the year I first got a high speed internet connection.
posted by Slarty Bartfast at 9:29 PM on July 18, 2006


Heh. I passed this link on to my husband, who wasted no time ordering one.
posted by moira at 9:40 PM on July 18, 2006


Heh. I passed this link on to my husband, who wasted no time ordering one.
posted by moira at 11:40 PM CST on July 18 [+fave] [!]


So you admit to marrying a tool.
~wink~
posted by cellphone at 9:46 PM on July 18, 2006


Scrolls, yo. How about printing website-of-your-choice on a kickass ornate old-school scroll? Gives the words a little extra heft.

Or carved into stone! The Cave of the WikiWall. How much would that cost? Bigger hassle, sure, but a longer-lived media format...
posted by First Post at 9:49 PM on July 18, 2006


You could always rasterbate a screenshot.
posted by cellphone at 9:58 PM on July 18, 2006


Cellphone, husband replies, "The internet is my printer (wink)."
posted by moira at 10:13 PM on July 18, 2006


...or you could just click "print".
posted by zardoz at 11:11 PM on July 18, 2006


This is actually quite neat, but I think they need some more customization options.

Firstly, I was expecting something beautiful - like a hardcover "enclycopedia" style book - not something that looks like an Idiots Guide to Wikipedia.

They need an option to specify the order the articles are printed in. If you are hand-picking articles to add to a book, an A-Z enclycopedia format doesn't always make sense - you might want to divide the book into sections on different sub-topics, or have "general" chapters followed by more refined information. For instance, I tried putting together a "guide to jazz" - ideally, I would want the main Jazz article at the front, then a selection of articles on the roots of jazz and related genres, then an A-Z list of sub-genres, then an A-Z list of articles on composers and musicians, then chapters on musical theory. Instead, I got an A-Z book with "Acid Jazz" on the first page. "Acid Jazz" does not belong on the first page of any book.

Finally, what is this, books for the print-handicapped? Lets just see if we can fit a bit more text on each page, please. The large font size and open page layout contributes to the "Idiot's Guide-to" feel.

Nitpicking out. I do like it, really.
posted by Jimbob at 11:23 PM on July 18, 2006


If you are hand-picking articles to add to a book, an A-Z enclycopedia format doesn't always make sense -

Agreed. A book of Elements would have been cool but it would have to be sorted by atomic number, starting with Hydrogen not Actinium or whatever...
posted by vacapinta at 12:38 AM on July 19, 2006


Ironically, the Wikipedia logo is copyrighted. It can't be played with. :(
posted by Atreides at 4:47 AM on July 19, 2006


Or carved into stone!. Can do.
posted by stbalbach at 5:01 AM on July 19, 2006


PediWiki is the lazy-man's service, point click done. If you want custom (cover, ordering of articles. etc..) create a PDF or DOC and upload to LuLu.com - costs are about the same.
posted by stbalbach at 5:04 AM on July 19, 2006


Here's the post I wrote that stbalbach lifted his language from. :p
posted by Tlogmer at 11:29 AM on July 19, 2006


Uh. Here. Need more sleep.
posted by Tlogmer at 11:30 AM on July 19, 2006


Flattery, Tlogmer. You have a good blog.
posted by stbalbach at 1:00 PM on July 19, 2006


Thanks.
posted by Tlogmer at 8:41 PM on July 19, 2006


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