How Wikipedia Works--New from No Starch Press

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE


How Wikipedia Works-New from No Starch Press
The Complete Guide to Wikipedia for Readers and Contributors

San Francisco, CA, September 19, 2008-Since Wikipedia's creation in 2001,
volunteer editors have written over two million articles, making it one of
the largest collaborations in human history. The beauty of Wikipedia is
that anyone can put their stamp on it.

"How Wikipedia Works" (No Starch Press, Sept 08, 536pp, $29.95) takes a
behind-the-scenes look at the Wikipedia community; shows how to use the
MediaWiki software that drives Wikipedia; and teaches readers how to
become a part of this landmark endeavor.

Early response to the book has been tremendous. Jimmy Wales, founder of
Wikipedia, said, "I have never read a better summary of how Wikipedia
works." Benjamin Mako Hill, a free software activist and hacker, described
the book as "the thoughtful, comprehensive, and freely licensed manual
that I've been waiting years for." 

"As book publishers and information seekers, we use Wikipedia all the
time," said No Starch Press founder William Pollock. "And, as editors, we
like to know where our information comes from and how to be a part of it.
That's why we're so excited about "How Wikipedia Works." This book is
written by core Wikipedia community members for both geeks and non-geeks
in the Wikipedia community. This is the book for everyone."

With insight and anecdotes from three Wikipedia veterans, readers of "How
Wikipedia Works" learn how to:

- Search and browse the site and evaluate article quality
- Start a new article; edit pages; and write, research, and collaborate
with others 
- Create a user account, communicate with other editors, follow the site's
policies, and settle disputes
- Contribute to existing articles by editing, adding new material, and
fact-checking

"How Wikipedia Works" promises to become the go-to resource for anyone who
loves to read and contribute to the ever-growing achievement that is
Wikipedia. "You already have the invitation. This book tells you what to
wear, how to talk, and what to bring to the most intellectually
stimulating party on the Internet," said Ward Cunningham, the creator of
the wiki.

How Wikipedia Works
No Starch Press
Sept 2008
536pp
ISBN 9781593271763
$29.95

Available in fine bookstores everywhere, from www.oreilly.com/nostarch, or
directly from No Starch Press (www.nostarch.com, orders@nostarch.com,
+1.415.863.9900).

For more information, to schedule an interview with one of the book's
authors, or for a review copy of How Wikipedia Works, please contact
Travis Peterson at No Starch Press (travis@nostarch.com, +1.415.863.9900,
x300), or visit www.nostarch.com.

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

PHOEBE AYERS (user:phoebe) is a science and engineering reference
librarian at UC Davis. She has been editing Wikipedia since 2003 and is an
organizer of the Wikimania conferences. 

CHARLES MATTHEWS (user:Charles Matthews) holds a PhD in mathematics from
Cambridge and has taught at Cambridge and Harvard. Matthews has been a
Wikipedian since 2003 and is an arbitrator and administrator of the
English-language Wikipedia. 

BEN YATES (user:Tlogmer) is a technical editor who writes a popular blog
about Wikipedia (http://www.enotes.com/blogs/wikipedia/). He has been
contributing to Wikipedia since late 2003.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
Chapter 12, "Community and Communication" (PDF):
http://www.nostarch.com/download/wiki_ch12.pdf 
Table of contents overview: http://www.nostarch.com/wiki_toc.htm
Detailed table of contents (PDF):
http://www.nostarch.com/download/wiki_dtoc.pdf
Index (PDF): http://www.nostarch.com/download/wiki_index.pdf
Large cover image: http://www.nostarch.com/wikipedia_big.htm	

ABOUT NO STARCH PRESS
Founded in 1994, No Starch Press is one of the few remaining independent
computer book publishers. We publish the finest in geek
entertainment-unique books on technology, with a focus on Open Source,
security, hacking, programming, alternative operating systems, and LEGO.
Our titles have personality, our authors are passionate, and our books
tackle topics that people care about. See www.nostarch.com for more
information and our complete online catalog. (And most No Starch Press
books use RepKover, a lay-flat binding that won't snap shut.)

ABOUT O'REILLY MEDIA
O'Reilly Media spreads the knowledge of innovators through its books,
online services, magazines, and conferences. Since 1978, O'Reilly Media
has been a chronicler and catalyst of cutting-edge development, homing in
on the technology trends that really matter and spurring their adoption by
amplifying "faint signals" from the alpha geeks who are creating the
future. An active participant in the technology community, the company has
a long history of advocacy, meme-making, and evangelism.

# # #

O'Reilly is a registered trademark of O'Reilly Media, Inc. All other
trademarks are the property of their respective owners.