On 10/03/2008, Nathan nawrich@gmail.com wrote:
You're assuming that there is some connection between editorial control of articles and the allocation of advertising. There isn't. Take Google ads, for instance. Even a very conservative use of Google Ads would make Wikipedia more than enoug to sustain its finances, and would involve zero risk of an apparent endorsement from Wikimedia in my opinion. We wouldn't be determining which ads go where, what they say, etc. We're not talking about interleaving sponsored results in searches, or allowing paid endorsements of specific articles. There is a wide gulf, and this is a complex issue. Simplistic approaches and attitudes to this problem, which bears on the future of this endeavor, should be avoided.
And in a hypothetical situation where we're dependent on Google ads to stay alive. Google could threaten to withdraw the teet if we don't make-more-friendly one/all the articles relating to Google and their products.
Also, Google's AdSense product is always targetted advertising. You read an article about running shoes and, from the context of the article, Google would serve up ads for Nike, Addidas, &c.
I don't think it is a simplistic approach to want to avoid commericalising Wikipedia and threatening our neutrality in this way.