[Foundation-l] Putting the Foundation back in WMF

[Ray Saintonge]

Brian McNeil wrote:
> I'd like to see the Foundation have a "security blanket" too. Although, the
> way I see this is you're more likely to get support from developing
> countries before you get it from the developed - in terms of a government
> actually giving money.
>   
That's an interesting theory.
> I'm curious about what impact a project like Wikipedia has on a country's
> economy. The database of information at your fingertips has to save a
> fortune in research costs for companies all over the world, and from my
> perspective I'd be delighted to see a portion of my taxes - no strings
> attached - going to the Foundation.
>   
I think that most of the national economic effects will be 
infrastructural, and not easily visible. Education is a part of a 
nation's infrastructure.  Investments in this sort of thing does not 
produce an immediate bang for the buck, and that holds back some 
companies from investing. 
> People in the developing
> world need practical information, and they can share it via wiki. Simple
> things like the cheapest way to dig a reliable well, or how to efficiently
> irrigate a crop are the things that interest them. Ways to incrementally
> improve their standard of living because they learn something new.
>   
We've had editors who believe that how-to articles are too POV to 
include in the 'pedia. :-)
> I expect in 5 or so years Uruguay's economy will start to see the payoff
> from investing in OLPC, and a significant percentage of the students who've
> got the machines will rely on Wikipedia as well as contribute to it.
>   
It will take much longer than that, and the effect will be gradual.

Ec