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

[Noein]

On 09/12/2010 21:20, Philippe Beaudette wrote:
> [...]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.
You are saying that it was intentional.

> 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.
If those people are only willing to donate to Wikipedia, they have the
right to know that their money will instead go to or through the WMF.
Pretending to be Wikipedia is not your right, and certainly not with the
excuse of helping people to clarify their mind.
If you want them to donate to the WMF and they don't do it because you
think they don't know what it is, then inform them fairly and ask for
their donation.
This is a very borderline action, even if well-intended. A few seconds
of ethical considerations would have prevented it. Why were they not
taken? The goal of obtaining money cannot be an excuse for toying with
the trust of donors.
Once again it makes me wonder what the staff think Wikipedia, Wikimania
and their community are. Shouldn't the uttermost respect be naturally
expected?

My intend is not to accuse anybody. I'm assuming good faith but poor
understanding of the nature of the wiki[p|m]edia communities.