The Feasibility of Printing Wikipedia: A Comprehensive Analysis

🖨️Printing the entire English Wikipedia would necessitate approximately six printers running continuously to keep up with the 150,000 daily edits.

💰The cost of ink cartridges for such an endeavor would be substantial, approximately $10,000 per day, making laser printers a more economical choice.

📚The physical size of the printed Wikipedia without images would be immense, estimated at 300 cubic meters, filling many bookshelves.

⏳Managing the printers 24/7 would require a significant workforce, adding to the overall expense of the project.

🔌While the electricity to run the printers is relatively inexpensive, the continuous operation would still accumulate costs.

How many printers would be needed to print the entire English Wikipedia?

—Six printers would be needed to keep up with the daily edits to the English Wikipedia.

What is the estimated daily cost of printing Wikipedia?

—The daily cost for ink cartridges alone is estimated to be around $10,000.

How much space would the printed Wikipedia occupy?

—The printed Wikipedia without images would occupy approximately 300 cubic meters of space.

What are the ongoing operational costs for such a project?

—In addition to the cost of ink, there would be expenses for electricity and a full-time workforce to manage the printers.

Is it possible to print Wikipedia without losing track of the updates?

—It is theoretically possible, but the logistics and costs make it an impractical endeavor.

00:00Introduction to the question about printing Wikipedia.

00:12Discussion on the number of printers needed for the English Wikipedia.

00:21Historical attempts at printing Wikipedia articles.

01:22Explanation of the cost and feasibility of maintaining printed Wikipedia.

02:34Speculation on the costs and challenges of protesting Wikipedia's shutdown with printed materials.