# What the heck is the Wikipedia background image? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 9, 2007, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-is-the-wikipedia-background-image/425840 "2007-11-09T22:22:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![vetbridge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b5e925/32.png) [@vetbridge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vetbridge)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2007, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-is-the-wikipedia-background-image/425840/81 "2007-11-15T16:53:17Z")
Could it be a book about the Great Wall of China? ---
**Author:** ![BMalion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e274bd/32.png) [@BMalion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BMalion)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2007, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-is-the-wikipedia-background-image/425840/82 "2007-11-15T17:30:04Z")
[QUOTE=vetbridge] Could it be a book about the Great Wall of China? [/QUOTE] Not according to post #57. ---
**Author:** ![Keeve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f07891/32.png) [@Keeve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Keeve)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2007, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-is-the-wikipedia-background-image/425840/83 "2007-11-15T23:22:46Z")
Wikipedia is more than an encylopedia. It is a community, and there are lots of places inside where the really heavy-duty Wikipedians discuss various topics of the look and feel of the site. I’ve rarely gone into those places, so I don’t know how to navigate them well., but surely this must have been discussed by them internally. Can someone either give us a link to those discussions, or tell them about our views? ---
**Author:** ![Arnold\_Winkelried](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Arnold\_Winkelried](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arnold_Winkelried)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2007, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-is-the-wikipedia-background-image/425840/84 "2007-11-16T00:09:42Z")
[QUOTE=Keeve] Okay, so what is it really? My guess has been that it looks like a very stylized bull: The vertical ellipse is the head, the horizontal one is the horns, and the outer one is merely a frame. [/QUOTE] I believe it’s a T for Toyota. ---
**Author:** ![WoodenTaco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/45deac/32.png) [@WoodenTaco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WoodenTaco)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2007, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-is-the-wikipedia-background-image/425840/85 "2007-11-16T00:18:07Z")
[QUOTE=Arnold Winkelried] I believe it’s a T for Toyota. [/QUOTE] Are you sure it isn’t the Angkor Wat? :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![imthjckaz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/imthjckaz/32/3223_2.png) [@imthjckaz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/imthjckaz)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2007, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-is-the-wikipedia-background-image/425840/86 "2007-11-17T00:24:31Z")
I still see a pony. ---
**Author:** ![HeyHomie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heyhomie/32/207_2.png) [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2007, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-is-the-wikipedia-background-image/425840/87 "2007-11-17T01:37:47Z")
[QUOTE=Labdad] Can you see the “11” in the [Big Ten](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/e/e6/BigTen.png) logo? [/QUOTE] Yes. ---
**Author:** ![Clark\_K](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c77e96/32.png) [@Clark\_K](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clark_K)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2007, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-is-the-wikipedia-background-image/425840/88 "2007-11-17T02:48:29Z")
[QUOTE=wendigo1974] True, then again I never got the meaning of the [British Rail logo](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:BR-logo.svg) until it was pointed out to me. [/QUOTE] Please point it out to me, because I don’t get it. ---
**Author:** ![Mushbrain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/94ad74/32.png) [@Mushbrain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mushbrain)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2007, 11:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-is-the-wikipedia-background-image/425840/89 "2007-11-17T11:41:37Z")
[QUOTE=Keeve] Wikipedia is more than an encylopedia. It is a community, and there are lots of places inside where the really heavy-duty Wikipedians discuss various topics of the look and feel of the site. I’ve rarely gone into those places, so I don’t know how to navigate them well., but surely this must have been discussed by them internally. Can someone either give us a link to those discussions, or tell them about our views? [/QUOTE] I’ve done a search before, but it’s not easy to find something. The little that may be there _about_ the image itself is drowned out by loads of technical discussion on the Wikimedia software _using_ the image. [Wikipedia:Village pump (miscellaneous)](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Village_pump_(miscellaneous)) looks like the place to start an inquiry. (it’s not the most in-depth forum itself, but with a broad reach, and we’re most likely to get attention there and tickle someone’s interest to find out more) ---
**Author:** ![jillscott8763](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de053/32.png) [@jillscott8763](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jillscott8763)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2007, 11:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-is-the-wikipedia-background-image/425840/90 "2007-11-17T11:51:43Z")
[QUOTE=Keeve] Wikipedia is more than an encylopedia. It is a community, and there are lots of places inside where the really heavy-duty Wikipedians discuss various topics of the look and feel of the site. I’ve rarely gone into those places, so I don’t know how to navigate them well., but surely this must have been discussed by them internally. Can someone either give us a link to those discussions, or tell them about our views? [/QUOTE] Short answer: No Long answer: No, but I’ll let you know later. Seriously, the politics on this site are ridiculous. Why do you care anyway? It’t not like anyone really takes it seriously anyway; why rely on a website that anyone can edit more than a website that one person edits? ---
**Author:** ![antechinus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/fbc32d/32.png) [@antechinus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/antechinus)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2007, 12:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-is-the-wikipedia-background-image/425840/91 "2007-11-17T12:02:41Z")
This is really interesting. That so many people have not seen it to be a book. To me it is patently obvious that it is a book - without needing to look at the image file. Funny how different people’s perception is. ---
**Author:** ![jillscott8763](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de053/32.png) [@jillscott8763](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jillscott8763)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2007, 12:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-is-the-wikipedia-background-image/425840/92 "2007-11-17T12:20:56Z")
[QUOTE=Chrismoody] Hey.. That’s pretty cool.. It does kinda look like the great wall of china.. I didn’t see it until you put the images side by side. [/QUOTE] Unfortunately, “looks like” is not the same thing as “is”. ---
**Author:** ![jillscott8763](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de053/32.png) [@jillscott8763](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jillscott8763)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2007, 12:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-is-the-wikipedia-background-image/425840/93 "2007-11-17T12:32:10Z")
[QUOTE=chimera57] I doubt it. I _know_ it’s an open book, but every time I go to Wikipedia and that background image loads, I think “What the hell is that? Oh yeah, I remember, it’s an open book.” [/QUOTE] I think you think too much. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![jillscott8763](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de053/32.png) [@jillscott8763](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jillscott8763)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2007, 12:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-is-the-wikipedia-background-image/425840/94 "2007-11-17T12:41:31Z")
[QUOTE=Malachi Throne] I’m still not seeing the book thing, it’s more like rays of light. The Great Wall seems to be the main theme, though. [/QUOTE] You know, just yesterday morning, I was watching a TV program that said sometimes “slowly developing persons” had to be shown “obvious” pictures, such as the vase/2 faces before they saw the real picture. ---
**Author:** ![jillscott8763](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de053/32.png) [@jillscott8763](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jillscott8763)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2007, 12:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-is-the-wikipedia-background-image/425840/95 "2007-11-17T12:49:37Z")
[QUOTE=Clark K] Please point it out to me, because I don’t get it. [/QUOTE] –\>- / –\<- ---
**Author:** ![Malachi\_Throne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5a626/32.png) [@Malachi\_Throne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malachi_Throne)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2007, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-is-the-wikipedia-background-image/425840/96 "2007-11-17T17:48:42Z")
[QUOTE=jillscott8763] You know, just yesterday morning, I was watching a TV program that said sometimes “slowly developing persons” had to be shown “obvious” pictures, such as the vase/2 faces before they saw the real picture. [/QUOTE] So now you’re saying that I’m a “slow developing person”? I believe if you check with [imdb.com](http://imdb.com) you’ll find that I was getting Oscar nominations before you were born. I could respond in kind, but I like that advice above: > [@Colibri](#): > > [Moderating]Insults are not permitted in General Questions. Please do not do this again. > Colibri General Questions Moderator ---
**Author:** ![DSYoungEsq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c6cbf5/32.png) [@DSYoungEsq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSYoungEsq)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2007, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-is-the-wikipedia-background-image/425840/97 "2007-11-17T21:25:44Z")
[QUOTE=Malachi Throne] So now you’re saying that I’m a “slow developing person”? I believe if you check with [imdb.com](http://imdb.com) you’ll find that I was getting Oscar nominations before you were born. I could respond in kind, but I like that advice above: [/QUOTE] But you DO see now that it is a book, right? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![percypercy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8baadc/32.png) [@percypercy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/percypercy)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2007, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-is-the-wikipedia-background-image/425840/98 "2007-11-18T01:00:57Z")
[QUOTE=garygnu] Here, I increased the contrast. [Book](http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f295/bedgyro/wikibook.jpg) [/QUOTE] Thank you! I’d given up on seeing the book. I can see it clearly in the other picture as well. -Lil ---
**Author:** ![Tenebras](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/977dab/32.png) [@Tenebras](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tenebras)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2007, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-is-the-wikipedia-background-image/425840/99 "2007-11-18T03:11:04Z")
[QUOTE=Keeve] Wikipedia is more than an encylopedia. It is a community, and there are lots of places inside where the really heavy-duty Wikipedians discuss various topics of the look and feel of the site. I’ve rarely gone into those places, so I don’t know how to navigate them well., but surely this must have been discussed by them internally. Can someone either give us a link to those discussions, or tell them about our views? [/QUOTE] With all due respect, what you are suggesting is somewhat akin to asking us to search for the thread where all the Dopers discussed where the photograph of that amazing blue sky that forms the majority of the background of the Straight Dope logo was taken. Or, taking a trip in the Way Back Machine, hoping that scientists at NASA had engaged in serious discussions of the lunar civilizations you recently discovered by looking at jpegs from the Apollo missions on your monitor with a magnifying glass. It’s a photo of a book. Most likely a stock photo bought for $25 and picked out of a 3-ring binder labeled “Photographs of Books, $25 each” in black sharpie. I would print out a color glossy and mark it up with circles and arrows and a paragraph on the back explaining what it all means for you but (1) the original is black and white so color prints seem a bit extravagant and (2) I fear that the judge would walk in with a seeing eye dog and all my effort would be for naught. In related news, does anybody else think it’s weird that the [West Virginia State Quarter](http://www.usmint.gov/mint_programs/50sq_program/states/index.cfm?state=WV) has a picture of the [Paderno Bridge](http://www.all-art.org/419b.jpg) even though the bridge itself is in [Italy](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Italy)? Perhaps we should ask [Robert Byrd](http://byrd.senate.gov/) what he thinks. I’m sure he or his staff has discussed this important matter. ---
**Author:** ![crowmanyclouds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crowmanyclouds/32/19884_2.png) [@crowmanyclouds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crowmanyclouds)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2007, 5:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-is-the-wikipedia-background-image/425840/100 "2007-11-18T05:40:04Z")
[QUOTE=Tenebras] … In related news, does anybody else think it’s weird that the [West Virginia State Quarter](http://www.usmint.gov/mint_programs/50sq_program/states/index.cfm?state=WV) … [/QUOTE] I don’t see a quarter, it looks like a fish to me. CMC +fnord! 😃 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-is-the-wikipedia-background-image/425840.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-is-the-wikipedia-background-image/425840.md?page=6)