Post by Silent Brad on Jun 18, 2009 3:42:25 GMT -5
Wikipedia, the online encyclopaedia written by volunteers, has been turned into book which is 5,000 pages long and 1ft 7ins thick by Rob Matthews
Made by Rob Matthews, the book contains 437 featured articles from the popular internet resource and comes up to his knee when stood on the floor.
Wikipedia, which carries articles which can generally be edited by anyone who can access the website, was launched in 2001 and is currently the most popular general reference work on the Internet.
Rob, a graphic design student from Brighton, Sussex, took two weeks to make the book as a statement about how people are now dependent on the internet for information.
He said: "I'm comparing the internet Wikipedia to a traditional encyclopedia by putting it in the same format.
"I wanted to make a comment on how everyone goes to the internet these days for information, yet it is very unreliable compared to what it has replaced."
Rob carefully selected 'featured' Wikipedia articles to fill his book, which can just about be carried, because these are thought to be the best the website has to offer.
The 22 year-old said: "These articles are deemed the best articles in Wikipedia, and are determined so based on their quality of referencing, accuracy, neutrality, completeness and style."
Mr Matthews admitted the task of putting the book together had been no easy feat.
He said: "It was difficult to produce, there was a little bit of trial and error when it came to binding, as I'd never tried to produce a book of that scale before.
"Some of the tools that would normally be used can't cope with producing a book on that scale."
Mr Matthews said he had had a great response to the book, which he later hopes to sell.
He said: "The reaction's been great - it makes people laugh, which is good."
Made by Rob Matthews, the book contains 437 featured articles from the popular internet resource and comes up to his knee when stood on the floor.
Wikipedia, which carries articles which can generally be edited by anyone who can access the website, was launched in 2001 and is currently the most popular general reference work on the Internet.
Rob, a graphic design student from Brighton, Sussex, took two weeks to make the book as a statement about how people are now dependent on the internet for information.
He said: "I'm comparing the internet Wikipedia to a traditional encyclopedia by putting it in the same format.
"I wanted to make a comment on how everyone goes to the internet these days for information, yet it is very unreliable compared to what it has replaced."
Rob carefully selected 'featured' Wikipedia articles to fill his book, which can just about be carried, because these are thought to be the best the website has to offer.
The 22 year-old said: "These articles are deemed the best articles in Wikipedia, and are determined so based on their quality of referencing, accuracy, neutrality, completeness and style."
Mr Matthews admitted the task of putting the book together had been no easy feat.
He said: "It was difficult to produce, there was a little bit of trial and error when it came to binding, as I'd never tried to produce a book of that scale before.
"Some of the tools that would normally be used can't cope with producing a book on that scale."
Mr Matthews said he had had a great response to the book, which he later hopes to sell.
He said: "The reaction's been great - it makes people laugh, which is good."
Source: www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/5549589/Wikipedia-turned-into-book.html
Wish he'd turn all of Wikipedia into different volumes of books. I'd shell out money to own a set.
