Re: Use of Wikipedia content off the web

On Wed, 04 Feb 2004, Peter Bartlett wrote:

> -----Original Message-----
> 
> >> >   I do not mind dropping down a whole computer on their network
> >> >   to handle wikipedia. However, I see the sticky issue as
> >> >   licensing wikimedia content offsite.
> >> 
> >> If you do a complete database mirror including the software you
> >> will have the very same thing like on the live Wikipedia. So there
> >> won't be any complains about such an solution. You can put your
> >> local installation into read-only mode.
> >>
> >> Database dumps are only about weekly but that should be more than
> >> enough for you. Maybe we should do the dumps early Saturady so
> >> you can use the cheaper weekend for connecting and updating the
> >> database.

Folks,

  I have taken the suggested route, and put wikipedia down at two of
  the schools I work with. They have a dump from last month to be
  getting on with - but it has prompted some to expand the Zululand
  entries with some nice content (on wikipedia.org) so I will have
  to take another snapshot soon !

  After some initial skeptism from the teachers (wikipedia is tough
  to get your head around at first) they were won over by the most
  amazing content and are experimenting with using it in curriculum.

  It is a Linux Thin Client Lab, and at Nansindlela the problem (as
  always) is sufficient access to the computers - this just compounds it ..

  They have about 30 client computers scattered around the buildings,
  with about 1000 Zulu students.

  I want to thank you for your help in getting this up, and I salute
  all the Wikipedians who have made this stunning tool available
  offline in these rural schools. It is offline because of the
  prohibitive cost of telephone calls in South Africa.

  They still have no pictures, but that could easily be as big again,
  I imagine.

  I tried uncompressing the SQL dump on my States-side server, and
  rsync'ing it to the previous dump, but not much speedup is achieved
  and I will end up grabbing snapshot dumps during vacations.

Cheers,   Andy!

http://wizzy.org.za/