Birgitte SB wrote:
I want to explain were I think the general opposition to advertisement comes from. While brion is correct that free-content is not against commercialism; free content is against consumerism. Advertising is a large part of the culture of consumerism. This is a culture that *is* at odds with the ideas of Wikimedia. This is where I believe the strong reaction against ads stems from more than anti-commercialism.
This is an interesting distinction.
It is sometimes hard to remember how much of a communication problem still remains within this organiztion. Six months ago it was nearly impossible to know what happening at the Foundation level. Now there are annoucements, reports, and even timetables! But this is not being spread much through the larger community.
I have noticed improvements in that six months. Those who have worked on this deserve the credit, and I can't picture Jimbo doing it all himself. Expanding the community that is informed will take it one step further.
Ec