[WikiEN-l] Article size consistency 32k

Fri May 20 21:38:28 UTC 2005

--- Fred Bauder <fredbaud at ctelco.net> wrote:
> The issue is always download speed when we serve a diverse international
> audience and at least make noises about serving the poor and the third
> world. Serving up articles over 100kb long with several images each over
> 200kb will basically stop a slower computer with limited memory operating
> with a modem in its tracks, sometimes even requiring a reboot. Essentially
> the site becomes unusable.

There is also the issue of print. So while Wikipedia is not paper, it would be
nice to include articles on every major topic without having to cut down more
trees than needed. So we should summarize much more often and move more
detailed text to daughter articles (we'd likely only print selected parent
articles in a print version). 

Readers also very often have limited time and/or patience (especially on the
Internet). More condensed treatments should be available to serve those readers
while at the same time links to related articles can provide the detail for
those who need that. By 'more condensed' I mean articles that are in the size
range of a normal college term paper (10-15 printed 8.5x11 pages of prose with
standard font). 

-- mav

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