The E-Conflict World Encyclopedia, a one-man website run by David Driggs in Brush Prairie, Washington, provides much of the same information as CountryWatch and charges nothing.

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But Gates shares Buffett's interest in the media world and even likes to joke that he has created a digital encyclopedia called Encarta that now outsells World Book, which is controlled by Buffett.

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Wales, 39, is the father of the world's most sprawling encyclopedia, the online Wikipedia.

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Microsoft wanted to expand its Encarta brand of digital reference materials, which includes the world's bestselling electronic encyclopedia.

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In order to expand the availability of the encyclopedia to people from all around the world, 1000 copies will be printed and the use of different media and information sources, such as Wikipedia, will be utilized.

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