WikiSignifica

WikiSignifica

• Link to proposal on mailing list: [1]
• Naming suggestions:WikiSignifica, WikiPeople'sAlmanac
• Domain name:en.WikiSignifica.org
• Scope: An almanac similar to the Book of Lists and People's Almanac created by Irving Wallace, his son David Wallechinsky, and daughter Amy Wallace. It would include interesting facts, obscure historical incidents, interesting links and other esoteric and unknown knowledge.

• Relevant links:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Book_of_Lists http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/People%27s_Almanac

I found a website with selections from the almanac http://www.trivia-library.com/

From the introduction:

"We feel that adults, inundated and manipulated by special-interest propaganda and government doubletalk in the guise of facts, are desperately searching for the truth and honesty in the information given them. We feel that young people are eager to learn about things that are relevant to their lives. We feel that most people suspect that there is more to a fact than meets the eye, and when possible we want to turn each fact around and show the world its backside. ... This is a reference book to be read for pleasure. This is an informative book that is meant to provide entertainment. This is a book in which to look up facts and also have fun. ... We have thought it more important to know ten times more about ten artists or athletes than to know next to nothing about 100 of them. ... We have deliberately chosen depth over breadth. We have purposely omitted retail figures on business, population of states, corn yields, list of fraternities, common-stock dividends, hydroelectric plants, and similar data, in order to make room for a guide to existing Shangri-las where people live to the age of 100 or more, a revealing rundown of some last wills of celebrated personages, survival kits for those who live in the city or visit the wilderness, a gallery of fascinating footnote people who have been overlooked by history books."