[Foundation-l] Fundraising & Networking updates

[Chad]

On Jan 16, 2008 4:39 AM, Erik Moeller <erik at wikimedia.org> wrote:
> On 1/15/08, simonpedia <simon at cols.com.au> wrote:
> > 1.           I know that advertising is a no no, even though when a do a
> > Google on most organisations/companies it brings me back a Wikipedia page,
> > usually in the top five, adorned with a company logo. This advertising (or
> > product placement) goes on for many products and services, from aeroplanes
> > to universities. Is there any reason the WMF wouldn't create a
> > company/product templates, so it's made plain to an occasional reader, and
> > charge for it?
>
> I think this is a very odd definition of "advertising" or "product
> placement"; the logos are there because these are the official
> identifying marks of the company, and thereby add to a comprehensive
> encyclopedic description thereof. They are added by our readers under
> "fair use", and there's no top down decision that we want them - it's
> the community that judges them to have informational value. Turning
> this into any kind of officially sponsored content seems highly
> problematic, as it would blur the line between content and ads much
> more than even Google ads would.

I don't. For any company you Google who happens to have a Wikipedia
article, you see a page with their logo and a company description.
Now, it may be a neutral description, but the company is still there.
People pay SEOs truckloads of money to get that kind of Google
ranking for their companies, and an entire industry has emerged
from search engines (as you know). You mean to tell me that these
companies who are otherwise paying very heavily to get that top-ranked
spot aren't getting free advertising from us? We may not be getting paid
for it, but companies left and right are advertising all over Wikipedia and
this must stop.

Chad

On Jan 16, 2008 4:39 AM, Erik Moeller <erik at wikimedia.org> wrote:
> On 1/15/08, simonpedia <simon at cols.com.au> wrote:
>
> > 2.            As one reads through this monthly thread, and tries to make
> > some sense of all the semi related conversation (between the usual suspects)
> > before they are archived after 30 days, does it ever occur to the team how
> > impossible it is for a newbie to get orientated? The idea of a forum in
> > which threads aren't cut (I,e, where discussions go back years) and
> > conversations can be related (redirected) across elists and the workers
> > identified, has been raised quite often. Is there any reason why they aren't
> > used? (Apart from "We don't want to change!!!")
>
> I don't understand your question; what archiving are you talking about?
>
> > 3.            The aim of the Foundation is to spread knowledge. Its major
> > costs are hardware and software development. It wants to continue its
> > projects, unencumbered by commitments to private donors, while ensuring they
> > are kept forever, hopefully in the context in which they are created.
> > Logically, the only alternative to 'pan handling to privates' is for WMF's
> > projects' contents to become part of the global networks of NRENs, which are
> > funded by the public purse.
>
> Erm, no. There are many revenue sources that can be combined to
> sustain the organization in the long run. For example, institutional
> support from charitable foundations, grants, and business development
> all do not qualify as "panhandling to privates". On the hosting front,
> we are actively building relationships with non-profits, public
> organizations & for-profits to support & expand our infrastructure.
>
> > 4.           Considering all the never-ending talk going back years, about
> > improving Communications in and between projects and groups, will you be
> > revisiting your Jan 2007 proposal? HYPERLINK
> > "http://lists.wikimedia.org/pipermail/foundation-l/2007-January/026707.html"
> > http://lists.wikimedia.org/pipermail/foundation-l/2007-January/026707.html
>
> Probably not in this form - if that was a good idea, the community
> would have picked it up and run with it already. But I do think we
> should find new ways to facilitate volunteer promotional activities.
> These don't initially need to take place in a dedicated project;
> improving the self-organization tools e.g. on Meta and more
> prominently pointing people to the right places seem like good
> beginnings.
>
> Best,
> Erik
>
>
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