===a little thing I sent off to donations@wikimedia.org===
Dear Wikimedia Foundation:
In response to the banner currently running on Wikipedia (“To protect our
independence, we’ll never run ads”), I have this to say:
I wouldn’t mind ads.
Ads are useful. Ads are open. With an ad, you can tell right quickly where
the money’s coming from. Ads promote commerce. Ads can be aesthetically
fascinating. And ads are really easy to turn off.
Unlike requests for donations. Which are a headache. Which are a
guilt-trip. Which are really, really annoying. And which, because of that,
just don’t work very well. Certainly not on me!
I see no reason why advertisements would compromise your objectivity.
Wikipedia is just a bunch of content. It’s not like the people editing
Wikipedia are going to be influenced by ad sales. No more than the painter
cares what she gets told to put on the billboard.
I am a Wikipedia user. I am a freedom-loving etc etc &c. But I tell you,
that if ads on Wikipedia were an option that you could turn on or off…
…I would rather “donate” to Wikipedia by turning on ads, then I would by
writing you a check.
Anyway. Just one fellow’s opinion.
Godspeed, Wikimedia!
prose.davekov.com 