What would Wikipedia look like if it were printed out as a traditional encyclopedia? Rob Matthews decided to make it his art project: behold, the 5,000 pages of Wikipedia (featured articles only, mind you) in book form: Link
- via Cliff Pickover’s Reality Carnival
seefish3
I mourn the wasted tree, and my wallet cringes at the wasted ink.
health
How is this an art project? How is this anything other than a monumental waste of time?
Idil
it would be just as interesting if he had somehow done it via computer rather than waste paper…
cuimhne
We get it…some of you don’t like modern art. You can stop complaining about the waste now.
DaveL
This work is probably more profound to those who remember using encyclopedias and libraries… not you iPod toting whipper snappers.
Kalel
The artist does make an excellent point, though, in that the fluidity of Wikipedia, while one of its strengths, is also one of Wikipedia’s greatest weaknesses.
The entries of Wikipedia ebb and flow with popular opinion, while a book, once printed, is not subject to the whims of fashion, political correctness, and changing social mores.
Mytake
Art project? Any art teacher that falls for that is a complete idiot. That kind of stuff reminds of Daniel Clowes’ excellent “Art School Confidential” comic (also adapted into a movie).
Danial
I doubt this would even come close to the enormity of the codex gigas.
Ajan
WOW, I always wondered about this. But was worried about the saving the trees thing. Just a couple of days My friends were into planting medicinal plants all over the place and in necessary areas where there are no hospitals..
Wonder if there’s a DVD or HDD for Wikipedia. Any ideas where I can find one??
SenorMysterioso
sounds like your friends were just trying to justify their marijuana farm Ajan
pyroger101
wow pretty cool, wonder what the internet would look like printed….
pyroger101
perhaps a neatorama version would be pretty cool! or “the best of neatorama” would make an interesting read!
Miss Cellania
I would have thought it would be bigger. I think my World Book encyclopedia took up more room. Of course, it was printed in maybe 18 volumes.
Tempscire
It’s sort of an interesting concept (digital-only encyclopedia in print), but I can’t help but wonder why he didn’t put it in separate volumes. Surely even the cost of binding would have been cheaper that way, as well.
Tom Taborda
what about Wikipedia’s own estimate of a ‘Enc.Brit.’-like printed edition:
954 Volumes!!!
Jason Argos
How small would it be if you took the inaccuracy’s and outright lies out before you printed it? =?
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