Wikipedia auf CD-en

translation of Wikipedia auf CD

The German Verein Wikimedia Deutschland is in contact with a publishing company called Directmedia Publishing who wants to publish the German Wikipedia on a CD-ROM to spread the wikipedia. This page is meant for a public discussion for technical and practical aspects of this project.

previous and parallel ideas

Wikipedia on CD/DVD, Wikipédia CD Rom, WikiProjekt Wikipedia-CD), Wikimedia and Mandrakesoft

Approach

• Wikipedia auf CD/1. Bericht
• Wikipedia auf CD/2. Bericht

Motivation

The Digital Library consists of some 180 editions (as of July 2004), among them ca. 50 lexica. Apart from a historic encyclopedia, the 6th edition of Meyer's Great Conversation Lexicon (1905-1909), there is no current encyclopedia for copyright reasons. This gap should be filled in the interest of the customers who want to compile a personalized digital library for their own.

For wikipedia, it's a chance to get attention beyond the Internet and to reach people who can write good contributions but are not used to the Internet and to the possibility to publish own content.

Implementation

The following tasks are to be done:

1. Preparation and setting up a closed final-review wiki, where a copy of the wikipedia will be placed in order to remove non-articles and copyvios.
2. Preparation of correction-lists with "critical" articles that have to be reviewed before they are placed in the cd-rom-version.
3. Writing of the introduction texts to explain wikipedia to the user of the CD-ROM

Do not make suggestions what could be done or what should be done: just do it!

Screenshot: see http://www.digitale-bibliothek.de/Digibib4/WikipediaScreen2.png

Publication

In the beginning of September 2004, there will be a snapshot of the german wikipedia, polished up and converted into the data format of the Digital Library. The CD-ROM shall be available in mid-September.

Apart of the data files of wikipedia, the CD-ROM will contain a new version of the reader-software for the Digibib-Format, namely Digibib4 for Windows, MacDigibib and - premiere! - Digibib for Linux. Ca 30.000 CD-ROMs will be sent by Directmedia to registered customers. Another 10.000 CD-ROMs will be given to book shops at cost to cover the material costs. Book shop owners can give the CD-ROM to their customers at free will. Additionally, there are talks with some larger computer magazines to bring the CD-ROM to as many Covermount-CDs as possible.