Okay Geek Farm
Wikimedia Foundation fundraising isn't over
Chris Self
First introduced in mid-November, the Wikimedia Foundation has been fundraising money to keep Wikipedia online and advertisement free. They do this each year, and their 2010 effort, which was expected to end last night by virtue of it now being 2011, was short on their original goal. Because of that, Wikimedia has extended the deadline and will continue to take donations until its met.
Keeping Wikipedia on the Internet
Reasons for Fundraising
Wikipedia is the fifth most visited site in the entire world. Available in a multitude of languages, it’s obvious why it’s become that popular. On previous iterations of the fundraising page, Wikipedia founder, Jimmy Wales states that the website has been running dangerously on few servers and that new employess are needed to help maintain the site and keep it growing in the upcoming years.
“Wikipedia is something special. It is like a library or a public park. It is like a temple for the mind. It is a place we can all go to think, to learn, to share our knowledge with others. It is a unique human project, the first of its kind in history. It is a humanitarian project to bring a free encyclopedia to every single person on the planet.” - Jimmy Wales
Donating & User Controversy
If you’re willing to participate in the fundraiser to keep Wikipedia online, you’ll find that donating is extremely easy. When you first reach the donation page, you’ll be given the option to select from four predefined amounts ranging from $20 to $100. If you’d like to donate an amount not specified, you can enter a custom amount in the given field and then select your country’s currency. Once you’re all set to go, you can pay using your credit card or Paypal account. Donating is that simple.
Users have complained to Wales that it’s wrong and immoral to ask visitors for money. If you think about it, it’s what’s necessary to keep a non-profit company on its feet. Being advertisement free, Wikipedia has no solid method of income. All writers, including Wales himself, are all unpaid and write articles for free. This leaves it up to the visitors to make the donation and keep it running. A simple request that justifiable and completely understandable considering what the sites does for everyone around the world.
Keep It Advertisement Free
“To do this without resorting to advertising, we need you. It is you who keep this dream alive. It is you who have created Wikipedia. It is you who believe that a place of calm reflection and learning is worth having.” - Jimmy Wales
Wikipedia has become such a great place for free information — it’s special. The only thing that keeps it running is its readers. The editors are not paid a single penny; they write because they love it. It’s just like the people here at T3ch H3lp. If you’re interested in donating to help keep Wikipedia free, you can visit the donation page and help keep the site online. It’s the least you can do for all the times you tried remembering what was the name of that actor in that one movie, or when you’ve just wondering how the heck a fish can breath underwater.
