Dictionaries and encyclopedias will die first!
Dictionaries and encyclopedias are types of books that need to constantly searched. That's why they are just suited to be in digital form that makes it easier. Additionally, electronic versions of them are easily accessible (via internet) or portable (if on CD). That's why their physical production (circulations) fall staidly and publishers that specializes in it suffer seals decline.
Agora's case
However, last year Agora - publisher of Gazeta Wyborcza (GW - one of the polish biggest daily newspaper) in cooperation with PWN (publishing house) published 20 volume encyclopedia that was added to their paper. Each of the volume was added to Wednesday's issue of GW. Company do not exactly announced their incomes but at that project and other books series (added to daily newspaper) Agora made in 2005 180 mln pln ($60 mln) and all books projects were reasonable profitable.
In spite of that in my opinion (probably common opinion) people that bought that encyclopedias do not do this to satisfy the need of "getting knowledge" but rather "having" or "collecting" it (book). They probably will not do it again soon.
Electronic versions
Today, thanks to internet we can easily find all information. In my opinion the biggest and the highest volume, however not always giving best results encyclopedia is Google. Google is answer for everything. All of us also know perspective project based of Wiki technology - Wikipedia. It is still growing up and the results are really good! Using them is easy, more comfortable, may be support for all possible digital supplements like sound or movie and what is very important is still (almost) for free.
Some tools:
Encyclopedias:
Wikipedia 1,2m + articles in English and 253 000+ in polish!
Dictionaries on-line
Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary
Polish-English dictionary
Agora's case
However, last year Agora - publisher of Gazeta Wyborcza (GW - one of the polish biggest daily newspaper) in cooperation with PWN (publishing house) published 20 volume encyclopedia that was added to their paper. Each of the volume was added to Wednesday's issue of GW. Company do not exactly announced their incomes but at that project and other books series (added to daily newspaper) Agora made in 2005 180 mln pln ($60 mln) and all books projects were reasonable profitable.
In spite of that in my opinion (probably common opinion) people that bought that encyclopedias do not do this to satisfy the need of "getting knowledge" but rather "having" or "collecting" it (book). They probably will not do it again soon.
Electronic versions
Today, thanks to internet we can easily find all information. In my opinion the biggest and the highest volume, however not always giving best results encyclopedia is Google. Google is answer for everything. All of us also know perspective project based of Wiki technology - Wikipedia. It is still growing up and the results are really good! Using them is easy, more comfortable, may be support for all possible digital supplements like sound or movie and what is very important is still (almost) for free.
Some tools:
Encyclopedias:
Wikipedia 1,2m + articles in English and 253 000+ in polish!
Dictionaries on-line
Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary
Polish-English dictionary
posted by Forty4 at
5:27 pm
4 Comments:
Those changes of popular knowledge like languages or encyclopedias must die in paper form. Interactive dictionaries or encyclopedias are available for everyone and can be fast updated according to fast changes in the world. Similar process is affecting programming languages and components by creating open source communities. I think in the background lie the idea, that every think that is not complicated, public available and easy to copy must be for free.
By
Anonymous, at 12:12 am
I totally agree with the title of this post! I don't remember when it was the last time I actually took a real dictionary or a real encyclopaedia. I always used internet for this. I bet if you ask 10 people at least 9 of them will say the same.
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