[kwlug-disc] Semi-OT: Internet Archive/Wikipedia donations

[Paul Nijjar]

On Mon, Dec 14, 2015 at 10:25:26AM -0500, Giles Malet wrote:
> 
> > Is anybody planning to contribute to [...] Wikipedia
> 
> You should probably do some reading about where your money actually
> goes when you donate to them, and then decide if your money is going
> where you wish it to go. In case you aren't aware, this is pretty
> contentious. See for example (from a couple of years ago even):
> 
> http://www.theregister.co.uk/2012/12/20/cash_rich_wikipedia_chugging/
> 
> I'm sure there are more up-to-date articles around.
> g
> 

Thanks for the article. I agree that Wikipedia may not be well
managed, that it may squander some of the money I donate, and that
it is ripping off its volunteers. Of these, the last is the most
frustrating. 

I agree that Wikipedia is not transparent about its fundraising and
that the fundraising is irritating (exactly how many people would have
to donate $3 for the fundraiser to end? and would they do us the
courtesy of actually ending the fundraiser? Why is it so hard to
find out how much they have raised so far?). 

Nonetheless, Wikipedia is providing me with a service I use pretty
much every day I am online. Furthermore, it is doing so with no
visible advertising and (according to Privacy Badger) limited
tracking. The content itself is free enough that it can be forked when
Wikipedia crosses the threshold of being unaccountable. 

I view contributions to Wikipedia less like charity and more like
business transactions: I would much prefer to live in a world where
there are lots of projects that are as inefficient (but effective) as
Wikipedia to ones where all charities satisfy whatever criteria are
trendy to satisfy this week, but there is no Wikipedia. 

That does not mean I give the organization (or even the encyclopedia)
a free pass for the ways in which it is ineffective. But at this point
I would still be willing to contribute.

- Paul 

-- 
http://pnijjar.freeshell.org