[WikiEN-l] Wikipedia in the news

Wed Mar 24 18:40:57 UTC 2004

David Speakman wrote:
> A paper edition of WP, in my opinion, would fail to sell. It loses all
> of WP's strengths, including:
> 1. WP is not paper
> 2. WP is constantly changing to be up to date
> 3. WP is accessible wirelessly via the Internet
> 
> As a venture capital journalist for the past seven years, I am
> skeptical. 
> Traditional paper encyclopedia companies are going out of business.

I think that some skepticism is warranted, of course.  But consider
this: our cost model is radically (radically!) different and lower as
compared to a traditional paper encyclopedia company.  

Judging from publishing industry statistics,
http://www.publishers.org/industry/index.cfm

the paper book per se is in no danger of extinction -- sales continue
to increase year-to-year.

Publishers make money all the time, even when they have to pay for the
content.  Drive that cost to zero, as we have, and it seems inevitably
lucrative.

--Jimbo