You can find Wikki's Official Guide to Tyria in that same instance, too. Which paraphrases (reworded only to not break the 4th wall and bring it into modern-GW2 perspective) the first paragraph of https://wiki.guildwars.com/wiki/Tyria and https://wiki.guildwars.com/wiki/Tyria_(world)), said paragraphs remain unedited since the GW2's release incidentally.
Fun fact: the book is something that Angel McCoy created shortly before the original release of Guild Wars 2, after a discussion I had with her about lore and the wiki. As you said, it was a subtle nod that was trying not to be 4th-wall breaking, and being respectful of the wiki editor's passion for knowledge.