Wikipedia Meets $16M Budget Goal

netbuzz writes "Thanks to some 630,000 individual contributions that averaged $22 apiece, Wikipedia has reached its fundraising goal of $16 million, founder Jimmy Wales announced over the weekend. Writes Wales, '... this year is a little more incredible than most because this year we celebrate Wikipedia's tenth anniversary. It's so important that we kick the year off just like this: by fully funding the Wikimedia Foundation's budget to support Wikipedia and all the sister projects as we head into the next decade of our work together.' The online encyclopedia now boasts of being the Internet's fifth largest site, which renews questioning by some as to whether it can afford over the long haul to stand by its policy of refusing advertising."

Comments

Advertising is evil

[Anonymous Coward]

To quote TFA: "Advertising is not evil."

I beg to dissent. Advertising is evil. It could destroy Wikipedia, making it a selling its precious body to the economic interests of its advertisers.

On the other end, such an important thing has outlived its business model. I agree it can't survive on donations.

Now, if an illuminated biG market player could take it on itself, standing forever to the no-adv policy, wouldn't that be Great?

Re:oh gee. alright.

[DerekLyons]

so, because they begged, you are not going to wikipedia. before, you had no issues using the communal resource everyone came together and created, for FREE.

Why Should I have any issues? They advertise themselves as being open and available to everyone. Don't try and make me feel guilty for using them in exactly the manner they made themselves available for use. That's bullshit.
 

however, when they asked you to give a hand for the costs, you have suddenly got irritated.

No, I got irritated when they violated their 'no ads' by placing a huge and obtrusive ad at the top of every page.