Wikibooks:Bookshelf Ideas

Various proposed bookshelves, not yet implemented. When you implement one of these, please move the discussion below to the appropriate talk page.

Social Science
It appears that books on history and the social sciences have been disregarded by most persons- the number of contributors seems most limited. I suggest that persons consider spending time to contribute to US History, World History, and others.

Secondly, is there any prospect of combining the presently minimal Humanities bookshelf with the History Bookshelf, yielding one shelf on Social Sciences? Lord Emsworth 00:48, 5 Oct 2003 (UTC)


 * I was the one who started US History, about a month ago... it's kinda neglected, but I hope to add more as I get time. Etothex 07:27, 5 Oct 2003 (UTC)


 * As the Social Sciences and Humanities really are distinct disciplines with different methodologies and standards, I would agree that keeping them separate is the best approach. I would, however, be happy to start contributing to the Humanities offerings. I am trying to figure out how to start contributing some material for an introductory Philosophy text book, as I am both a professor and student of the subject. Would it be appropriate/acceptable to organize and synthesize some of the excellent GPL'ed information on Wikipedia and combine it with my own material and prose to start forming something that resembles an organized text?  --RMK, 22 Oct 2003 (sorry, no account yet)


 * Sure, getting material from the main Wikipedia is a great way to jump start a book. And you can certainly divide the social sciences and humanities into two sections if you think appropriate. Welcome, I am excited to have you here, especially as a professor. --Karl Wick


 * Thanks for your warm welcome and speedy response. I have begun an introductory text on Western Philosophy, but only just. Hopefully, time will permit me to continue working on it. BTW, since I work at a university, I also know an historian or two who might be willing to help with the texts there--I'll ask. I also work full-time and teach in Technology and may be able to help there as well (yes, I realize it is a seemingly strange mix). --RMK

Game strategy guides
I notice that we have a page for Computer Game Walkthroughs, and was wondering if there'd be any support for expanding that page into a general game strategy guide bookshelf? Information about the classical games such as chess, go, and poker could be moved here from wikipedia, as well as newer, less well known games. This could provide content as well as some public interest. What does everyone think? Gentgeen 22:33, 7 Jan 2004 (UTC)
 * Sounds like a good idea... --mav 11:47, 8 Jan 2004 (UTC)


 * We're currently trying to build a concensus to move these pages over here at WikiProject Games. Any opinions from the Wikibookians would be appriciated. Gentgeen 08:12, 14 Jan 2004 (UTC)
 * Update? Sj


 * This is a great Idea. Lets figure out the best way to do this because this will be a great boon to the internet and the gaming communities.  Heres the problem I see us bumping up against.  gamefaqs.org already has a serious monopoly on the internet game walkthrough 'market' (seriously go check that site out its monsterous) and this wikibook may be looked upon as a kind of competition with them and it won't win.  AFAIK all game players looking for walkthrough information go there due to the number of games they have cataloged there and the quantity and quality of the walkthroughs.  They do not realize the true merits of the wiki so they will not venture to this wikibook.

Gamefaqs.org already has walkthroughs for virtually every game in existence. Is there ANY way this book could work together with them??? Perhaps we could somehow ask gamefaqs to put a link to the wikibook for each game in their catalog? This would allow game players to find these books when they are looking for more information. I have bumped into problems hundreds of times in the faqs there that I would have fixed if I could have. and I have thought of tons of game tips that I would post online if I could. Now I can thanks to Computer Game Walkthroughs but it would be very useful to find a way to work with gamefaqs on this issue.

Merit Badges
Hello, this is w:en:user:TUF-KAT from the 'pedia, just dropping by to the Staff Lounge for some cocktails... Created BSA Merit Badges to place resources on earning merit badges in the Boy Scouts of America. If anybody else would like to contribute, please do. Each merit badge has ten to fifteen or so requirements (though it varies from at least two to more than twenty) on subjects like Reptile and Amphibian Study, Swimming, American Labor, Traffic Safety and Model Design and Building. Making at least a brief guide wouldn't take too long, and could also be used as the basis for a less specialized module (example: an Ornithology module could do much worse than educating the reader on all the requirements for Bird Study merit badge or Citizenship in the World, and the same for Environmental Science, though the old requirements were better (can't find a copy on the web). The new ones require experiments -- any dicussion about those?  Might be best to have a separate namespace or bookshelf or something for experiments, so they can be easily cross-referenced). Since it's so simple, I may just do the Mammal Study module tonight and see if anyone has any comments. TUF-KAT 06:47, 26 Feb 2004 (UTC)

Geography
Do we have any geography texts (such as US Geography or Geography of Europe)? If we don't, what bookshelf would they go under? Could we specify the age/grade level for each text, i.e. 10th grade US Geography or 5th grade Geography of Europe? Is there anything on this subject at all? Or does all of this belong at Wikipedia? If it doesn't, we should start something. - SamE 00:42, 3 Jul 2004 (UTC)