Editing Encyclopedia:Reference desk/Miscellaneous (section)

= May 19 =

== Explain on Print Encyclopedias ==

Why are there only few print encyclopedias being published today? And why isn’t Wikipedia making official and real print copies anytime soon? What is the purpose if they are going all digital? [[Special:Contributions/107.115.29.138|107.115.29.138]] ([[User talk:107.115.29.138|talk]]) 19:10, 19 May 2025 (UTC)
:Print media is right up-to-date the moment the contributors stop contributing and the editors stop editing. The manuscript then goes to the printers, and after printing in each language desired, the bulky, resource-intensive printed media is physically shipped hundreds and thousands of miles to warehouses. There, the bulk packages of books are broken down into smaller batches for distribution to wholesalers. After the books arrive at the wholesalers' warehouses, they they are distributed (usually by truck) to retailers. Once the books are on the retail shelves, customers -- some of whom may have pre-ordered, but most of whom will only see the edition after it is on the shelves -- purchase the book. It is then taken home (or to a library; adding additional delay) for use. This process takes months, during which time there is no updating. If one is lucky, the edition being consulted is only a year or so out-of-date. As for Wikipedia, the charm and beauty of it is that the last time the contributors stopped contributing and the editors stopped editing -- about five seconds ago -- is possibly the point at which it begins to go out-of-date. That process, however, stops when the next contributor / editor makes a change. [[User:DOR (HK)|DOR (ex-HK)]] ([[User talk:DOR (HK)|talk]]) 22:23, 19 May 2025 (UTC)
::More information about this print encyclopedia? [[Special:Contributions/2600:387:F:4B16:0:0:0:9|2600:387:F:4B16:0:0:0:9]] ([[User talk:2600:387:F:4B16:0:0:0:9|talk]]) 05:31, 20 May 2025 (UTC)
:Reading [[Print Wikipedia|this]] thoroughly may help explain why Wikipedia isn't printed.  More [[Wikipedia:Size of Wikipedia|info on size]] here.  And [[Wikipedia:Version 1.0 Editorial Team|some ancient history]] relating to producing a version that could be printed.  Btw, there was once a facility for producing [[Wikipedia:Books|books of Wikipedia articles]] that could be printed.  That can still be done manually, with printing through specialized third parties, I believe -- but I've never had any interest in trying it.  -- [[User:Avocado|Avocado]] ([[User talk:Avocado|talk]]) 12:44, 20 May 2025 (UTC)

== Farret's Head, Scotland ==

In a book on [[mental calculators]], I read that [[George Parker Bidder]] as a young boy was asked by [[Queen Charlotte]]: "How many days would a Snail be creeping, at the rate of 8 feet per day, from the [[Land's End]], in Cornwall, to Ferret's Head, in Scotland, the distance by admeasurement being 838 miles?" (He immediately gave the correct answer of 553,080).

I tried looking up "Ferret's Head", but I couldn't find any such named location in Scotland. I would assume it is another name for [[John o' Groats]] or perhaps [[Duncansby Head]], and indeed the shortest route by car from [[Land's End to John o' Groats]] is 838 miles. Is anyone aware of such a location in Scotland named Ferret's Head? [[User:Dreykop|Dreykop]] ([[User talk:Dreykop|talk]]) 19:29, 19 May 2025 (UTC)

:After some further digging on the topic, I found that [https://web.archive.org/web/20220125012411/https://lionlocomotive.org.uk/lionsheart/LH10.pdf#page=4 some sources] actually spell it as "Farret's Head", but I still can't find any such place. [[User:Dreykop|Dreykop]] ([[User talk:Dreykop|talk]]) 19:53, 19 May 2025 (UTC)
::Possibly an egregious misreading of [[Dunnet Head]], or a mishearing / alternative spelling of [[Faraid Head]], or a confusion with Farr Point (no article)?
::[Edited to add] I favour Faraid Head myself. Depending on the source of the anecdote, it's possible that someone (perhaps unfamiliar with this remote Scottish location) misunderstood Queen Charlotte's strong German accent. {The poster formerly known as 87.81.230.195} [[Special:Contributions/94.1.170.37|94.1.170.37]] ([[User talk:94.1.170.37|talk]]) 23:04, 19 May 2025 (UTC)
:::Yes, Faraid Head sounds best, though seems to me a rather unremarkable location to be used in such a question. Makes one wonder what's so interesting about it that Queen Charlotte would know that the distance to it is 838 miles. Also, just curious, how did you know all these places? [[User:Dreykop|Dreykop]] ([[User talk:Dreykop|talk]]) 04:56, 20 May 2025 (UTC)
:::::Being an elderly Brit (who lived in Scotland for a while), I have general familiarity with the UK's geography, and I have various atlases and maps to hand. I just looked along the North Scottish coast for points and headlands with possibly relevant names. {The poster formerly known as 87.81.230.195} [[Special:Contributions/94.1.170.37|94.1.170.37]] ([[User talk:94.1.170.37|talk]]) 13:26, 20 May 2025 (UTC)
::::Presumably, some published list of trivia that Charlotte had at her disposal contained an item like, "the longest distance between any two points on the island of Great Britain is between A and B, having been admeasured to be X miles". (Google Maps gives a walking distance of 804 miles.<sup>[https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Sennen,+United+Kingdom/58.603333,-4.775833/@54.3757284,-8.5348052,5z/data=!4m9!4m8!1m5!1m1!1s0x486ab84463e35c33:0x37e8d8c886a5ad5c!2m2!1d-5.6927695!2d50.0744458!1m0!3e2?hl=en]</sup>) &nbsp;&ZeroWidthSpace;‑‑[[User talk:Lambiam#top|Lambiam]] 07:19, 20 May 2025 (UTC)
:It looks like the speed of 8 feet per day was chosen to make the calculation easier and the distance of 838 miles (with the repeating digit 8) and the number of feet per furlong (with the repeating digit 6) also helps:
:<math>\frac{838\,\mathrm{miles}\times 8\frac{\mathrm{furlongs}}{\mathrm{mile}}\times 660\frac{\mathrm{feet}}{\mathrm{furlong}}}{8\frac{\mathrm{feet}}{\mathrm{day}}}=838\times660\,\mathrm{days}=(11110\times(8\times6)+1100\times(3\times6))\,\mathrm{days}=553080\,\mathrm{days}</math>
:There are only two multiplications, then some shift operations and addition of six numbers, each of which have only two non-zero digits. Although still impressive, not as impressive as it appears on first sight. Now I wonder, was this coincidence, was the queen a hobby mathematician who knew the tricks or is the story apocryphal? 8 feet per day is slow for a snail; most can cover that distance in less than half an hour. The number 838 could also be tuned. I doubt the distance was know to single mile accuracy and is was probably calculated by summing the lengths of many segments, with some intermediate rounding. [[User:PiusImpavidus|PiusImpavidus]] ([[User talk:PiusImpavidus|talk]]) 09:35, 20 May 2025 (UTC)
::Charlotte "assembl[ed] a significant library containing volumes on all kinds of intellectual pursuits, she collected natural history specimens and scientific instruments, and employed, funded or corresponded with both male and female scientists, often by means of intermediaries". See {{cite journal|last=Hansen|first=Mascha|date=6 July 2022|title=Queen Charlotte's scientific collections and natural history networks|journal=Notes and Records|publisher=The Royal Society|volume=77|issue=2|pages=323–336|doi=10.1098/rsnr.2021.0070|url=https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rsnr.2021.0070}}. [[User:DuncanHill|DuncanHill]] ([[User talk:DuncanHill|talk]]) 09:48, 20 May 2025 (UTC)

== selling car with above-water loan ==

Car is worth about $15K, outstanding loan is about $7K, owner is too cash-poor (and in other debt) to simply pay off the loan to get the title and sell the car.  Is there a straightforward way to deal with that through the loan servicer?  Find buyer and get some kind of document where the buyer pays the loan servicer and the seller?  I have to think this is a standard type of transaction.  I'm not the seller but just discussed it with her and am puzzled by the situation.  Thanks. [[Special:Contributions/2601:644:8581:75B0:8F01:9261:FCD:4BB9|2601:644:8581:75B0:8F01:9261:FCD:4BB9]] ([[User talk:2601:644:8581:75B0:8F01:9261:FCD:4BB9|talk]]) 22:20, 19 May 2025 (UTC)
:Sell the car for the best price, then pay off the remainder of the debt. [[User:DOR (HK)|DOR (ex-HK)]] ([[User talk:DOR (HK)|talk]]) 22:26, 19 May 2025 (UTC)
::You can't sell the car without the title (official document saying you own the car), which is held by the loan servicer til the loan is paid off.  This has to be a very common situation with a standard way to do the necessary juggling, something like escrow for a house sale.  That's what I'm asking about.  [[Special:Contributions/2601:644:8581:75B0:8F01:9261:FCD:4BB9|2601:644:8581:75B0:8F01:9261:FCD:4BB9]] ([[User talk:2601:644:8581:75B0:8F01:9261:FCD:4BB9|talk]]) 00:25, 20 May 2025 (UTC)
:Essential information for respondents: OP is based in the US (California). &nbsp;&ZeroWidthSpace;‑‑[[User talk:Lambiam#top|Lambiam]] 06:40, 20 May 2025 (UTC)
:Here is a webpage on dealing with this issue: [https://www.lendingtree.com/auto/how-to-sell-a-car-when-you-still-have-a-loan/]. Some companies will buy a car with an outstanding loan; e.g. [https://www.carvana.com/sell-my-car], [https://www.autonation.com/sell-my-car]. For selling to a private party, perhaps some of the answers given [https://www.reddit.com/r/askcarsales/comments/r9scjr/how_do_i_sell_a_car_to_a_private_party_buyer_if_i/ here] are also helpful. &nbsp;&ZeroWidthSpace;‑‑[[User talk:Lambiam#top|Lambiam]] 06:56, 20 May 2025 (UTC)