[Foundation-l] Wiki[p/m]edia

[Philippe Beaudette]

Hi everyone -

First, let me thank you all for your concern about the recent banners.  Michael Snow is right - we tested some things, thinking that we could manage to raise the yield slightly by deliberately attempting to clarify (not to confuse) for people that the Wikimedia Foundation was directly affiliated with Wikipedia.  Yes, it'll come as a shock to all of you <tongue-in-cheek> but there are people who don't know that Wikimedia is anything more than a mis-spelling of Wikipedia. </tongue-in-cheek>.  When we get letters saying things like "I'd donate, but only to Wikipedia, not to Wikimedia", it spells out for us that it's possible we could attract more people with the institution of Wikipedia than the institution of Wikimedia.  

Did we think it would be "drahma free"?  No.  Of course not.  But it was based on our best data and with nothing but the very best of intentions.  Suggesting that it was criminal is... well, regrettable.  I think that our data-driven approach has proven to be very successful this year, and this (hypothesize, test, measure, react) was in line with that method.  Obviously, this topic was more sensitive than many other areas where we've taken this approach.

To anyone we offended, I offer my personal apologies.  

With that said, the banners are being changed right now - they'll say Wikimedia.  

pb

_______________________
Philippe Beaudette
Head of Reader Relations
Wikimedia Foundation, Inc.

ofc: +1 415 839 6885 x6643 
mobile: +1 918 200 WIKI (9454)

pbeaudette at wikimedia.org

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