A German team of developers named PediaPress put a listing on Indiegogo to raise funds for a printed version of Wikipedia. The online encyclopedia has a massive amount of entries, since anyone from around the world can contribute to it. It would make for a million-paged printed version—which would make for one heavy book.
Christoph Kepper, the founder of PediaPress says the goal of his project is to "allow everyone to explore the physical dimensions of Wikipedia." Those physical dimensions would definitely make a statement, but it is not going to be a practical read.
Feedback on the goal-starter website has not been as positive as the company hoped. Some criticisms include the amount of paper it would use. However, the group vows to plant trees to make up for the materials used.
Hard Copy Internet Encyclopedias
PediaPress is Raising Funds for a Printed Version of Wikipedia
Trend Themes
1. Printed Wikipedia - PediaPress's venture into printing Wikipedia is a potential trend for companies looking to revive traditional publishing of online content.
2. Physical Digitization of Online Content - The physical rendition of online content is a significant innovation opportunity for companies to widen their reach and recombine print and digital media.
3. Environmental Responsibility Campaigns - PediaPress's pledge to plant trees to offset the materials used in printing Wikipedia is an emergent trend of companies to incorporate environment-friendly campaigns in their products.
Industry Implications
1. Publishing - PediaPress's innovative approach of converting Wikipedia to a printed version could be emulated in the publishing industry, manifesting a renewed interest in print media.
2. Education - The pedagogy sector should look into PediaPress's project as it signals an evolution away from traditional classroom materials and the dawn of the concrete incorporation of digital content in day-to-day learning.
3. Environmental Technology - Companies in environmental technology could look into PediaPress's tree-planting campaign as a model for their own production processes.