5 ms·

Another appeal from Jimmy Wales

11 points by enko 16y ago

InfinityX0 16y ago
Although mildly annoying, the appearances of these banner ads make me more interested in whether or not Wikipedia is A/B testing these, whether they're using some kind of intelligent segmentation, whether they even HAVE someone knowledgeable of that on staff, and what the results thereof are.
- rarestblog 16y ago
  http://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fundraising_2010/Banner_testing http://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fundraising_2010/Banner_testi...
aaronsw 16y ago
Apparently he's an official sponsor (and they took that ridiculous photo for him): http://www.mauricelacroix.com/en/Brand/Ambassadors/Jimmy_Wales.html http://www.mauricelacroix.com/en/Brand/Ambassadors/Jimmy_Wal... How much is he getting paid and is he donating it to Wikimedia?
jfb 16y ago
Am I a bad person to want to punch Jimmy Wales in the junk after those horrible "I look like Larry Ellison and I want your money" banner ads?
xenophanes 16y ago
Enough already. Jimmy Wales, former(?) serious Objectivist and Ayn Rand fan. Now he's begging for charity regularly. Pathetic change.
- wlievens 16y ago
  Really? Wikipedia is pathetic unless he starts charging for it?
  - xenophanes 16y ago
    A Randian begging for money is pathetic. He either did a 180 on his principles or he's just ignoring them (exactly as Rand told people not to do). And it's not like he wrote a paper explaining why it turns out Rand is wrong after all. I'm not the only one to think this: http://knol.google.com/k/why-ayn-rand-would-decry-jimmy-wales-wikipedia# http://knol.google.com/k/why-ayn-rand-would-decry-jimmy-wale...
markkat 16y ago
I don't blame him. He has a celebrity asset. Seems reasonable to cash in.
mrr2 16y ago
Considering the sheer breadth of knowledge Wikipedia makes available to the public for free, I think we can all afford the millisecond it takes us to scroll away from the banner ad. Better yet, I think we can all throw in some money towards the project. As for him being an ambassador to a watch company, its a pretty common concept as most Swiss luxury watch makers support everyone from athletes to humanitarians. Even if he makes money off of it, it isn't his obligation to donate it all to Wikimedia. In fact I think its a pretty smart concept to showcase Wikipedia to the type of clientele who might actually buy such watches.
ludwigvan 16y ago
I expect FSF to follow suit with rms making a personal appeal: http://stallman.org/photos/rms-full-size.jpg http://stallman.org/photos/rms-full-size.jpg
clojurerocks 16y ago
The one thing i dont understand about wikipedia is didnt they ever hear of videos and photos and things like that. Everytime i go to the site i feel like i entered a portal to 1990. Its ugly beyond belief and actually difficult to find proper information because of that.

11 points by enko 16y ago

Although mildly annoying, the appearances of these banner ads make me more interested in whether or not Wikipedia is A/B testing these, whether they're using some kind of intelligent segmentation, whether they even HAVE someone knowledgeable of that on staff, and what the results thereof are.

rarestblog 16y ago
http://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fundraising_2010/Banner_testing http://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fundraising_2010/Banner_testi...

aaronsw 16y ago

Apparently he's an official sponsor (and they took that ridiculous photo for him): http://www.mauricelacroix.com/en/Brand/Ambassadors/Jimmy_Wales.html http://www.mauricelacroix.com/en/Brand/Ambassadors/Jimmy_Wal... How much is he getting paid and is he donating it to Wikimedia?

jfb 16y ago

Am I a bad person to want to punch Jimmy Wales in the junk after those horrible "I look like Larry Ellison and I want your money" banner ads?

xenophanes 16y ago

Enough already. Jimmy Wales, former(?) serious Objectivist and Ayn Rand fan. Now he's begging for charity regularly. Pathetic change.

wlievens 16y ago
Really? Wikipedia is pathetic unless he starts charging for it?
- xenophanes 16y ago
  A Randian begging for money is pathetic. He either did a 180 on his principles or he's just ignoring them (exactly as Rand told people not to do). And it's not like he wrote a paper explaining why it turns out Rand is wrong after all. I'm not the only one to think this: http://knol.google.com/k/why-ayn-rand-would-decry-jimmy-wales-wikipedia# http://knol.google.com/k/why-ayn-rand-would-decry-jimmy-wale...

markkat 16y ago

I don't blame him. He has a celebrity asset. Seems reasonable to cash in.

mrr2 16y ago

Considering the sheer breadth of knowledge Wikipedia makes available to the public for free, I think we can all afford the millisecond it takes us to scroll away from the banner ad. Better yet, I think we can all throw in some money towards the project. As for him being an ambassador to a watch company, its a pretty common concept as most Swiss luxury watch makers support everyone from athletes to humanitarians. Even if he makes money off of it, it isn't his obligation to donate it all to Wikimedia. In fact I think its a pretty smart concept to showcase Wikipedia to the type of clientele who might actually buy such watches.

ludwigvan 16y ago

I expect FSF to follow suit with rms making a personal appeal: http://stallman.org/photos/rms-full-size.jpg http://stallman.org/photos/rms-full-size.jpg

clojurerocks 16y ago

The one thing i dont understand about wikipedia is didnt they ever hear of videos and photos and things like that. Everytime i go to the site i feel like i entered a portal to 1990. Its ugly beyond belief and actually difficult to find proper information because of that.