I do this a lot, but after all I am a book seller. I think it is very
helpful to someone who regularly buys books and helps them find one at a
reasonable cost once they learn how to use the various links offered.
(Although I think Wikipedia has too many choices presented, many of them
poor choices for one reason or another)
And yes, when I get going good I will look up every edition of a book and
make comments on availablily and cost.
Fred
From: Delirium <delirium(a)rufus.d2g.com>
Reply-To: wikipedia-l(a)Wikimedia.org
Date: Tue, 20 Jan 2004 19:47:07 -0800
To: wikipedia-l(a)Wikimedia.org
Subject: ISBN numbers (was, Re: [Wikipedia-l] Re: Wikipedia funds)
To sidestep the issue of partnering with booksellers for a bit, I have a
more fundamental question: why do we have ISBN links at all? ISBN
numbers do not identify books; they identify particular printings of
books by particular publishers. Our job, as an encyclopedia, is to
discuss the books themselves; if the reader wishes to find which
publishers have the book currently in print in his or her country, I
don't see that as our role (there are plenty of places to look that up,
or ask your local bookstore). Not to mention that with the vast
majority of books we'd be interested in documenting in an encyclopedia,
there are dozens (sometimes hundreds!) of ISBN numbers under which the
book has been published. Are we going to end every article on books
with a lengthy list of ISBN numbers? Or are we going to arbitrarily
pick one from our favorite publisher? I'd propose we instead just leave
them out entirely.
-Mark
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