Last modified: 2011-12-14 17:37:28 UTC
Currently the text ISBN 1234567890 brings up a link to http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Booksources&isbn=1234567890 This is fine. Wikipedia does not want to endorse a particular bookseller or library, particularly when (heaven forbid) a vocal minority will shout that the most famous bookseller is a bit controversial [[Amazon.com#Patent_controversies]], though most people probably don't care. To get from ISBN 1234567890 to another site requires the user to click on the link and then search down for that site and click on the link provided. Two clicks and a search, which is innefficient. Thus I propose that the current system remains for logged-out users and by default, but logged-in users can set in their user preferences which bookshop or library they would like the link to refer them to. Have all the standard ones, Amazon US, Amazon UK, Amazon DE, Bookfinder, Frugal, etc. As a final note, there is nothing wrong in a charity selling things because by its constitution it's non-profit. Therefore having a link whereby people who click on it and Wikimedia foudation gets 2d for the link is not immoral, but is clearly not immoral if the user consents in the first place. Think of it as a donation. Dunc
I have no idea why o.eguavoen@gmail.com changed this to resolved, but it isn't (and evidently avarab@gmail.com) agrees with me since he reopened it... ?
(In reply to comment #1) Flood attack.
I created a userscript used by at least 220 users: [[User:Lunchboxhero/monobook.js]]. I had wanted to figure out how to add this to user preferences, but I no longer have the time. -Forest
It seems to me that this would conflict with the actual purpose of the book sources list, which is to provide a list of common sources (commercial or otherwise) and perhaps, in the future, could be extended to provide basic information on the title itself.
The problem with the present system though is that it doesn't just provide common sources, but tries to list every book source on the Internet including all university libraries, and so one's favourite on that page is then difficult to find. I suspect that as a feature, it is underused. No-one I think is going to want to check all of the sources. It is a bit difficult to get a wide opinion but do you use it? Try it. Is it useful? The Wikimedia Foundation cannot be seen to be endorsing one book source, because its users are far too conscientious. So the default must always be [[special:booksources]]. Great. So the question is then how best to deliver a service to the individual user. One way might be to keep a similar approach but set different lots of book sources for different geographical regions. That would probably have to be set in [[special:preferences]] as well. Atleast maybe all sources for one country could be displayed on one screen. I honestly do not think that it can be improved in any way in terms of providing more information, as that would require a database of ISBNs with author, title, etc, and I think that would take a lot of work building and maintaining for not much gain. My personal preference would be a tick box with drop down menu with one entry for each source to set where I want the link to go (OK, it'll have to be a long menu but it can have structure with indentation and null lines). Preferences is just about what you prefer, and if you prefer the default then so be it :)
Over 550 users are now using the [[User:Lunchboxhero/monobook.js]] script/
(In reply to comment #6) > Over 550 users are now using the [[User:Lunchboxhero/monobook.js]] script/ Good. Make it a gadget.
