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An Anonymous Coward writes:
After donating to SoylentNews, my next favorite online charity is archive.org — I use the Wayback Machine to fix old broken links, check books out of their huge online library and listen to the live music archive.
Since I've donated before, I got the once-a-year reminder from them today and this time they have an unnamed donor that is matching donations (don't know for how long). So I sent them twenty-five bucks for a job well done.
Brewster Kahle's pitch is here, https://archive.org/donate/
...
We need a Web that’s reliable. That sets the record straight. We need a Web that’s on our side. A Web that’s not creepy, that doesn’t spy on us. So let’s fix the frickin’ Web!When I started this nonprofit 22 years ago, people called me crazy. Collect web pages? Why? Who would want to read a book on a screen?
Did you know, this past year we’ve:
We’ve fixed 1.5 million broken links in Wikipedia using the Wayback Machine?
Journalists have cited the Internet Archive 1200+ times to set the record straight?
Readers have borrowed 4 million books and downloaded 900 million texts with complete reader privacy?
Nearly all of the archive.org pages I visit show 0 trackers with EFF Privacy Badger. Oddly the donation page shows a half dozen, perhaps tied to the various payment options (like credit card logos)? I blocked them all and the page still displayed OK.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday December 01 2018, @10:04AM (2 children)
Why don't you like Wikipedia?
(Score: 2) by takyon on Saturday December 01 2018, @02:28PM
They beg for money every year despite having more than enough cash to run the operation, possibly indefinitely, and then spend it on questionable stuff. Similar story at Mozilla.
I'll reply with some links later.
[SIG] 10/28/2017: Soylent Upgrade v14 [soylentnews.org]
(Score: 2) by takyon on Saturday December 01 2018, @04:30PM
Mar. 2008: Jimmy Wales accused of editing Wikipedia for donations [wikinews.org]
May 2008: Wikimedia Foundation muzzles Wikinews [theregister.co.uk]
Dec. 2012: Wikipedia doesn't need your money - so why does it keep pestering you? [theregister.co.uk]
Oct. 2013: Where does your Wikipedia donation go? Outgoing chief warns of potential corruption [dailydot.com] (+The Register [theregister.co.uk])
Wikimedia timeline of events, 2014–2016 [mollywhite.net]
Dec. 2014: Wikipedia won't stop BEGGING for cash - despite sitting on $60m [theregister.co.uk]
Dec. 2015: Wikipedia has a ton of money. So why is it begging you to donate yours? [washingtonpost.com]
Jan. 2016: Wikimedia Foundation bins community-elected trustee [theregister.co.uk]
We Googled the ex-Google guy and Google said he was clean, says Wikimedia [theregister.co.uk]
Feb. 2016: Wikimedia Foundation director resigns after uproar over “Knowledge Engine” [arstechnica.com]
Jun. 2016: Wikimedia boss scoops $100,000 payrise – after stepping down [theregister.co.uk]
Dec. 2016: Will Wikipedia honour Jimbo's promise to STOP chugging? [theregister.co.uk]
Jimbo Welshes on pledge to stop fundraising [theregister.co.uk]
3 billion fewer banners ads as fundraiser is finally cancelled [theregister.co.uk]
Jun. 2017: Golden handshakes of almost half a million at Wikimedia Foundation [theregister.co.uk]
It's interesting to see the evolution of Sue Gardner from 2008 to 2013. She became a "disgruntled former employee".
The site costs single digit $millions to run, but they raise double digit millions and spend it on high salaries and other garbage. They should have enough cash by now to fund the site's actual operations solely on returns from investment and never need to run banner ads.
The news articles above don't represent everything wrong with the site. They mainly cover the Wikimedia Foundation and its finances but don't touch on various problems with Wikipedia such as the deletionism and community turf wars.
[SIG] 10/28/2017: Soylent Upgrade v14 [soylentnews.org]