# How Wikipedia Works

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{{Short description|2008 how-to reference book}}
{{Hatnote|This article is about the how-to book regarding Wikipedia. For information on this site about Wikipedia and how to contribute, you may wish to see Wikipedia:About, Help:Introduction or Wikipedia:Teahouse.}}
{{Infobox book
 |image=File:Hww-cover.jpg
 |name=How Wikipedia Works (and How You Can Be a Part of It)
 |pub_date=2008
 |publisher=[No Starch Press](/source/No_Starch_Press)
|author={{Plainlist|
* Phoebe Ayers
* Charles Matthews
* Ben Yates}}
 |isbn=9781593271763
 |pages=536
}}
'''''How Wikipedia Works''''' is a 2008 book by Phoebe Ayers, Charles Matthews, and Ben Yates. Published by [No Starch Press](/source/No_Starch_Press), it is a [how-to reference book](/source/reference_work) for using and contributing to the [Wikipedia](/source/Wikipedia) encyclopedia, targeted at "students, professors, and everyday experts and fans". It offers specific sections for teachers, [users](/source/User_(computing)), and researchers.<ref name="review">{{cite magazine|url=http://1776productions.com/SBR_October_08.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090124083459/http://1776productions.com/SBR_October_08.pdf#page=19|archive-date=January 24, 2009|title=How Wikipedia Works|magazine=Sacramento Book Review|volume=1|issue=2|date=October 2008|page=19}}</ref> It was designed as a reference work and has detailed bibliographies for each section.

==Publication==
''How Wikipedia Works (and How You Can Be a Part of It)'' is published by [No Starch Press](/source/No_Starch_Press) as part of their series of technical how-to books.

The book was originally published under the [GNU Free Documentation License](/source/GNU_Free_Documentation_License). At the time of publication, Wikipedia was also released under the GFDL. The book has since been re-licensed under the [CC BY-SA](/source/Creative_Commons_License), which Wikipedia now uses.<ref>{{cite web|title=Licensing|website=How Wikipedia Works|url=http://www.howwikipediaworks.net/?page_id=29/|accessdate=September 2, 2022}}</ref>
thumb|Phoebe Ayers about Wikipedia and the Wikimedia movement (August, 2019)

==Reception==
''[The Register](/source/The_Register)'' (UK) called it "a great one-stop source for information of the world’s go-to source for information."<ref name="Reg">[https://web.archive.org/web/20081103105931/https://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/10/07/regbooks_wikipedia_200810/ "How Wikipedia Works"]. Geek Guide<sub>2</sub>. ''[The Register](/source/The_Register)''. October 7, 2008. Archived from the [https://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/10/07/regbooks_wikipedia_200810/ original] on November 3, 2008.</ref> David Weeks of ''MyMac.com'' called it a "fine reference guide" and praised its comprehensive content, but mildly criticized the book's length. He recommended that readers start by skimming through the book and consult it later for more detailed guidance when editing.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Weeks |first=David |date=December 8, 2008 |title=How Wikipedia Works – Book Review |url=https://www.mymac.com/2008/12/how-wikipedia-works-book-review/ |access-date=September 2, 2022 |website=MyMac.com}}</ref>

==See also==
* [Bibliography of Wikipedia](/source/Bibliography_of_Wikipedia)
* ''[Wikipedia: The Missing Manual](/source/Wikipedia_%E2%80%93_The_Missing_Manual)''

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{wikibooks}}
* [http://howwikipediaworks.net Website]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20090603120329/http://www.nostarch.com/wikipedia_rev.htm Reviews of the book], No Starch Press
* [https://www.archive.org/details/HowWikipediaWorks ''How Wikipedia Works''] ([https://www.archive.org/download/HowWikipediaWorks/HowWikipediaWorks.pdf pdf]), [Internet Archive](/source/Internet_Archive)

{{Authority control}}

Category:2008 non-fiction books
Category:Books about Wikipedia
Category:Creative Commons-licensed books
Category:Handbooks and manuals
Category:No Starch Press books

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [How Wikipedia Works](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/How_Wikipedia_Works) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/How_Wikipedia_Works?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.