# 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:** 8\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![Indistinguishable](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/90ced4/32.png) [@Indistinguishable](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Indistinguishable)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2007, 7:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-is-the-wikipedia-background-image/425840/101 "2007-11-18T07:11:23Z")
[QUOTE=Malachi Throne] I believe if you check with [imdb.com](http://imdb.com) you’ll find that I was getting Oscar nominations before you were born. [/QUOTE] Are you claiming to actually be the character actor [Malachi Throne](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malachi_Throne)? If so, [imdb](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0861943/) doesn’t list any Oscar nominations, at least so far as I can see. ---
**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 18, 2007, 1:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-is-the-wikipedia-background-image/425840/102 "2007-11-18T13:45:00Z")
[QUOTE=garygnu] Here, I increased the contrast. [Book](http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f295/bedgyro/wikibook.jpg) [/QUOTE] Now I can see it very clearly. Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![Mushbrain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/94ad74/32.png) [@Mushbrain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mushbrain)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2007, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-is-the-wikipedia-background-image/425840/103 "2007-11-18T14:32:47Z")
[QUOTE=Tenebras] 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. [/QUOTE] Well, there’s [http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Image\_talk:Headbg.jpg](http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Image_talk:Headbg.jpg) and [Wikipedia:Help desk/Archives/2007 May 12 - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Help_desk/Archives/2007_May_12#Backround_image) for example. Apparently more than one or two people are confounded/intrigued by this background picture. Also, I think there’s a slight difference between discussing a blue background and an actual image. Did they use a stock image of any old book? Or does it show a particular book that carries some sort of symbolism for the open source idea? Like the puzzle ball was chosen “to symbolize the continuous construction and development of the project” [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Wikimedia\_logos#Puzzle\_ball\_logo\_.282003\_on.29](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Wikimedia_logos#Puzzle_ball_logo_.282003_on.29) Maybe there’s a similar background (pun intended) to the book image? ---
**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, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-is-the-wikipedia-background-image/425840/104 "2007-11-18T20:42:54Z")
Sorry, I was getting **Keeve** and **Hint: KT x P** confused. Interesting discussion about what book it is, I believe might exist. Interesting discussion about what f-stop to use when taking a photo of the Great Wall of China to yield such beautiful light lines… not so much. **Keeve** , sorry for the misunderstanding. I hereby withdraw my comments. ---
**Author:** ![Keeve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f07891/32.png) [@Keeve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Keeve)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2007, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-is-the-wikipedia-background-image/425840/105 "2007-11-19T01:24:28Z")
Slight hijack: What is the purpose of this picture, and why is is called “background”? The term “background” suggests (to me) that it is a sort of watermark which is visible behind everything else on the page. But from what I can tell, this picture goes away as soon as all the other stuff appears. Does this picture do anything other than slow down the page loading? ---
**Author:** ![H3Knuckles](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ba8739/32.png) [@H3Knuckles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/H3Knuckles)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2007, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-is-the-wikipedia-background-image/425840/106 "2007-11-19T02:19:58Z")
[QUOTE=Arnold Winkelried] I believe it’s a T for Toyota. [/QUOTE] It’s a T, like you say, but count me in as another person who always thinks “stylized bull” when I look at it. I know that’s wrong, but it’s what I see. ---
**Author:** ![zeno](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zeno/32/15040_2.png) [@zeno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zeno)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2007, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-is-the-wikipedia-background-image/425840/107 "2007-11-19T22:40:58Z")
A stylized T to be sure, but composed perhaps of two electrons? ---
**Author:** ![pizzabrat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e9c0ed/32.png) [@pizzabrat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pizzabrat)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2007, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-is-the-wikipedia-background-image/425840/108 "2007-11-20T01:44:03Z")
I hope this “it’s the Great Wall of China” thing becomes an SDMB running gag. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-is-the-wikipedia-background-image/425840.md?page=5)