so I'm trying out the new 'beta' interface for wikipedia - which is basically a bit cleaner with a few extra bits 'n bobs, but really fundamentally exactly the same - anywhoo - the 'make a book' feature which has been on wikipedia for quite a while sort of caught my eye (I think they've separated it out on the left hand side a bit?)

Which led me to wonder if that feature has been mentioned here at all? Basically you can create a pdf of wiki pages, and there's tools to add chapters, titles etc. etc. - there's also a commercial arrangement with 'PediaPress' (a german company?) who will print your book cheaply, and kick back 10% to the foundation.

Here's my wonderful essay about sexual content on wmf projects as a book - interestingly (or not!) - I presume it would be illegal for me to distribute this book to minors in most parts of the world.....

... I continue to rattle the odd cage here and there about wiki porn - feel free to forward this pdf to anyone you think might be interested - or edit the wiki page (if you can) - or make suggestions about this, or other interesting book projects this groovy new tool allows :-)

Why would I want to give the foundation 10%?

I'd rather publish a book first, and then consider copying it to Wikipedia - but thinking better of it, of course .

Why use their garbage service when you can do the same thing through any of a number of other services that don't cut a kickback to the Wikimedia Foundation?

I was just about to order a few copies, because I'd quite like to see what they're like physically (and it'd be fun to hand out a few at meetups ;-) - when I came across these terms and conditions;

(2) The Customer guarantees that the contents and materials of a sent file do not infringe valid German Law.

(3) The Customer guarantees in particular,

a) that no illegal documents, materials and contents which glorify violence, are demagogue or racist, no propaganda material, emblems of anticonstitutional parties or their alternative organizations or instructions on how to commit a crime, pornographic documents, materials or contents concerning the sexual abuse of children or sexual actions with animals and no discriminating statements or pictures concerning race, sex, religion, nationality, handicaps, sexual preference or age will be sent to PediaPress;

b) that no laws relative to the protection of children and young persons will be violated. This applies in particular for the legal regulations of §§ 184 ff. German Penal Code (StGB) (dissemination of pornography), 185 ff. German Penal Code (StGB) (insult, slander, libel) as well as for the provisions of the Interstate Treaty for the Protection of Minors from Unsuitable Media Content;

So no pictures concerning sex (or race, religion, nationality?! etc. etc.) [edit - because I'm stupid, I missed the adjective 'discriminating' - leaving just 2) and 3 b) ] - and the 'Interstate Treaty for the Protection of Minors from Unsuitable Media Content' raised my eyebrow - anyone have any idea what this is, and how it might impact wikipedia?

I presume from this that it may be illegal for me to submit this book to be printed, so I'm steering clear. Maybe en-wiki should make some of this clearer?

Damn, with those T&Cs practically nothing on Wikipedia is eligible to be printed!

well I found the english version of the code of conduct based on the 'German Interstate Treaty on the Protection of Minors in the Media (JMStV)' - by my reading WMF isn't really compliant , and I think it should (in principle) try to be - perhaps not with the letter of this one, but at least with the spirit (there are others to work from too, of course....)

Anywhoo... I flicked this over to the foundation mailing list to see what they reckon.

Plenty of not-surprising wiki-idiocy resides in the background regarding PediaPress. Paul Wehage wrote me a note about it back in January, which I've tidied up a bit and posted online at Wikipedia Review.

did you really have to use the erect dude on the toilet as the titular image? surely you could've used a better one =]

well in terms of making a point - you know... it kinda stands out..... ;-)

in reply to greg - looking on wiki, it seems that 'the community' feels the service should be suspended? (there was a note on the help page to that effect - check my contributions to see where I removed it, cos the service is rather self-evidently still up and running) - there's plenty of disorganised grumbling about this one, t'would seem......

heh... perhaps I shouldn't have been such a shrinking violet - the book sharing service shows that this gem of a book is currently being shared by wikipedians - gotta love the wiki!

I foiund priabyhtemusdsung;s esdasy to bewe veryer useeyfuykl andsbyh= ingfdujiormayrtive .

Unforueitunareyuly nowe mye keytrboardbs hagdes someer stickcty keyds ansdg UI need tu get a bnew onwe.....