On Tue, Mar 13, 2012 at 8:22 PM, phoebe ayers <phoebe.w...@gmail.com> wrote:
> On Tue, Mar 13, 2012 at 3:49 PM, Samuel Klein <meta...@gmail.com> wrote: > > 2010's 32-volume set will be its last. (Now I want to get one, to > > replace my old set!) Future versions will be digital only. > > > > > http://mediadecoder.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/03/13/after-244-years-encyclopaedia-britannica-stops-the-presses/?smid=tw-nytimes&seid=auto > > > http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2012/mar/13/encyclopedia-britannica-halts-print-publication > > > > I don't use it in print, haven't for years, and have been expecting > something like this for a while, but am still surprisingly saddened by > it too; there's something about the shelf of volumes that encapsulates > the world's knowledge that sort of symbolizes the whole idea of a > library to me. > > I've been asked to write a short editorial about this development from > a Wikipedian's perspective and am curious about (and would love to > include) other Wikimedian experiences -- did you use print > encyclopedias as a kid? Was a love of print encyclopedias part of your > motivation or interest in becoming a Wikipedian? Is there any value in > them still? Will you miss it? > > cheers, > -- phoebe > > I used to use them all the time when I was a kid, they were pretty fantastic. I got the same feeling from them I now recognize from Wikipedia - the tingly and powerful sense that I could look up almost anything and find out all kinds of cool details, vast amounts of information just waiting to be absorbed. By adulthood, I'd acquired a full Britannica set and several other smaller (and much older) encyclopedias. But in the last ten years, pretty much since Wikipedia came around, I haven't had much use for them. Our interactions have been less fulfilling, mostly consisting of boxing them up and lugging them around every time I move. Nowadays, the physical encyclopedias are more collectors items and household decoration than useful reference works -- and as set pieces, they lack a certain... mobility. I'll always have some nostalgic regard for the old heavy volumes, but the final transition to a lighter medium was pretty inevitable. _______________________________________________ foundation-l mailing list foundation-l@lists.wikimedia.org Unsubscribe: https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/foundation-l
