Wikibooks:Reading room/Archives/2004/November

Feature Request: Printable versions.
I for one have a hard time reading online books that I can't see as either one big long page or as a final hardcopy printed out. I think there should be a "printer friendly" or an "entire book on a single page" option (where the nav bar and search bar are omitted and the body text is the full web-page).
There is no need for a "printable version" link; if you just "print" the page from your web browser, it will be printed without the sidebars and stuff. THe screen gets the "navigatable" version, the printer the "readable" one. (Magnus Manske, too lazy to log in)
Attracting contributors to a textbook: Differences from the 'pedia.
Over the past few days (aka User:212.113.164.97-105) and I were discussing about organizing Programming:C plus plus. As the topics weren't terribly C++-related and could be of a more general interest, I thought bringing the conversation to the lounge would offer better solutions than only the few who visit could provide.
Our dicussion was about:
The original discussion is still at .
I'd also like to know if there's anything to be done differently in wikibooks than what is being done in wikipedia. Wikipedians like me are prone to assuming that what works for wikipedia works here too. What are the things to keep in mind while writing a textbook rather than an encyclopedia? -- 21:23, 23 Oct 2004 (UTC)
"I prefer putting everything on one page until the page gets "too big". Then split off each section onto its own page. See http://CommunityWiki.org/BigBucketsFirst . -- 05:36, 2 Nov 2004 (UTC)"
I gave my 2c on Talk above, one can copy here if need be. The Big Buckets First idea probably doesn't hold for Wikibooks since we're aiming for a different kind of approach here (structure, not freeform). 21:33, 2 Nov 2004 (UTC)
"we're" (not me , It's starting to get to my nerves, this is a tool people, to write books not articles, one can use this tool or move it to another tool (the content is GFDL or compatible)... Don't spend so much time shouting from white horses, do a little of the work and clean the "dump" on the floor, you think that the work is copyrighted, do it bothers you, then go and contact the author, don't like the structure or have creative divergences then implement your ideas in a fork (this is only bad because it will reduce the readers and then the contributors pool for some time) but will reduce the noise, if someone dislikes one of the works it will be deleted/changed/redirected later, you should think that you will not live past 85 years (check your local average) and that the work will remain, why do you care so much about the "small" details and don't deal with the "big" problems, I place the content above the tool (the tool is cool but it's just a tool)... -- 01:23, 23 Nov 2004 (UTC)
WikiJunior project.
There is a proposal on meta that Wikibooks be used to develope a series of booklets (or it might be a magazine) aimed at 7 - 12 year olds. There is funding in place, so it's just a question of getting started. Would people who are intereted please come to wikijunior and contribute to the discussion. We need to choose a name and decide on what the first topic will be. 11:26, 29 Oct 2004 (UTC)
OK the developement of the first three titles has started. Please come to wikijunior if you are interested in helping out. 20:11, 7 Nov 2004 (UTC)
Book in PDF possible?
Hi, I recently wrote a new book "Associative Digital Network Theory" which is online (in PDF). It could fit in the categories: Computer Science / Discrete Math / Number Theory / Electrical Engineering. However, it is in PDF (from Latex) so it cannot readily be edited. Is this objectionable? Is "Wikibooks" the right place for it? 19:57, 15 Nov 2004 (UTC)
Template namespace.
Just so I'm sure before I do anything, does the template namespace exsist here like it does on the 'pedia, and can I use it as such? 22:09, 15 Nov 2004 (UTC)
AASFTactics.
I am not entirely satisfied with the way in which the module (a guide to the online PC game "America's Army: Special Forces") is presented. Most articles have large title pictures which take up space without contributing to the book, and it doesn't seem to quite have adapted to the Wikibooks 'style' yet. -- 18:25, 7 Nov 2004 (UTC)