New Goal Set for Project Gutenberg: One Billion Readers

Kris777 · 06-03-2009, 12:49 AM

Michael Hart on May 24th 2009

The first goal of Project Gutenberg was simply to reach totals of estimated audiences of 1.5% of the world population, or the total of 100 million people.

With the advent of cell phone [mobile phone] access we are now setting our goal at 15% of the world population or 1 billion.

Given that there are approximately 4.5 billion cell phones now in service around the world, that means we would have to reach just over 1/5 of all cell phone users to accomplish this.

Possible. . .but not likely unless we make it extremely easy!

To this end we will be emphasizing eBook reader programs for a wide range of cell phones.

Given the estimated 4.5 billion cell phones that we could make eBooks for today, presuming they can all display plain eBooks, and the extremely slow rise in Kindle sales as compared to the iPod, iPhone, Blackberry Curve, and all the others, we should be able to reach more readers than Kindle and Sony combined if we just reach one cell phone user out of a thousand. This has to include many more languages than English, of course, so our effort also has to be multi-lingual, if we are to reach anyone beyond the number of people comfortable enough with English to read our eBooks on their cell phones.

As many of you know, we already have well over a thousand book titles in French, followed by lesser numbers in German and the other more popular languages, but not nearly enough to really, sincerely, say we are offering a library in these languages.

Once we complete a survey of our Top Ten languages we are down to under 50 books per language. . .it’s a start, only a start.
http://www.pg-news.org/

HarryT · 06-03-2009, 08:59 AM

How are they going to KNOW how many people are using it? There seems little point in setting a goal if there's no way to know when you've achieved it!

Andybaby · 06-03-2009, 10:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HarryT

How are they going to KNOW how many people are using it? There seems little point in setting a goal if there's no way to know when you've achieved it!

#of downloads is my guess

possibly, and much better, number of Unique Visitors to the site

zelda_pinwheel · 06-04-2009, 03:56 PM

that is an admirable goal and i hope they reach it soon (i have no doubt at all they will eventually). i'd be really interested to see the statistics for the consultation of pg's website !

DaleDe · 06-05-2009, 03:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by zelda_pinwheel

that is an admirable goal and i hope they reach it soon (i have no doubt at all they will eventually). i'd be really interested to see the statistics for the consultation of pg's website !

How can they possibly reach such a goal? Steve Job's has already said nobody reads anymore.

Dale

pilotbob · 06-05-2009, 04:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaleDe

How can they possibly reach such a goal? Steve Job's has already said nobody reads anymore.

Dale

That's so true. And he has never been wrong.

BOb

Jellby · 06-06-2009, 05:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaleDe

How can they possibly reach such a goal? Steve Job's has already said nobody reads anymore.

Who's talking about reading? I thought all this was about downloads and hits

sirbruce · 06-06-2009, 04:19 PM

Why reach billions when you can reach... millions?

06-03-2009, 12:49 AM	#1
Kris777 Banned Posts: 1,767 Karma: 2520493 Join Date: Oct 2008 Device: Nexus 7, jetBook-Lite, jetBook mini, Toshiba Thrive, JETBOOK COLOR	New Goal Set for Project Gutenberg: One Billion Readers Michael Hart on May 24th 2009 The first goal of Project Gutenberg was simply to reach totals of estimated audiences of 1.5% of the world population, or the total of 100 million people. With the advent of cell phone [mobile phone] access we are now setting our goal at 15% of the world population or 1 billion. Given that there are approximately 4.5 billion cell phones now in service around the world, that means we would have to reach just over 1/5 of all cell phone users to accomplish this. Possible. . .but not likely unless we make it extremely easy! To this end we will be emphasizing eBook reader programs for a wide range of cell phones. Given the estimated 4.5 billion cell phones that we could make eBooks for today, presuming they can all display plain eBooks, and the extremely slow rise in Kindle sales as compared to the iPod, iPhone, Blackberry Curve, and all the others, we should be able to reach more readers than Kindle and Sony combined if we just reach one cell phone user out of a thousand. This has to include many more languages than English, of course, so our effort also has to be multi-lingual, if we are to reach anyone beyond the number of people comfortable enough with English to read our eBooks on their cell phones. As many of you know, we already have well over a thousand book titles in French, followed by lesser numbers in German and the other more popular languages, but not nearly enough to really, sincerely, say we are offering a library in these languages. Once we complete a survey of our Top Ten languages we are down to under 50 books per language. . .it’s a start, only a start. http://www.pg-news.org/

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06-03-2009, 08:59 AM	#2
HarryT eBook Enthusiast Posts: 85,544 Karma: 93383043 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6	How are they going to KNOW how many people are using it? There seems little point in setting a goal if there's no way to know when you've achieved it!

06-04-2009, 03:56 PM	#4
zelda_pinwheel zeldinha zippy zeldissima Posts: 27,827 Karma: 921169 Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Paris, France Device: eb1150 & is that a nook in her pocket, or she just happy to see you?	that is an admirable goal and i hope they reach it soon (i have no doubt at all they will eventually). i'd be really interested to see the statistics for the consultation of pg's website !

06-06-2009, 04:19 PM	#8
sirbruce Provocateur Posts: 1,859 Karma: 505847 Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Columbus, OH Device: Kindle Touch, Kindle 2, Kindle DX, iPhone 3GS	Why reach billions when you can reach... millions?

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