[Foundation-l] Advertisements?

[Jimmy Wales]

Nathan wrote:
> Can you comment on in what circumstances or at what point the Board would
> consider a step like that?

Oh, I have no idea.

This question pops up in the community from time to time, and the press 
loves the question.

One of the concerns I have about this whole issue is that it can be such 
a "third rail" to even discuss it or look into it.  I think that's 
unfortunate.  My longtime position is that we should really make sure we 
have a very good idea of how much money we are turning down before we 
turn it down.  (Including various variants such as one-click permanent 
opt-out, opt-in, search page only, approval by community on a per-ad 
basis only, etc.)

My own sense of things is that even after we look (together, as a 
community) at all those options (calmly, rationally, and without people 
going into hysterics that the discussion is even happening), we will 
still turn down ads.  But we will then be doing so in a responsible 
adult manner, rather than a knee-jerk manner.

But, this is just the opinion of one community member / board member.

--Jimbo