5 ms·

In some ways Charity Navigator is like the BBB, and people need to take those ratings with a grain of salt. What is not said here, but I think it was started t

In some ways Charity Navigator is like the BBB, and people need to take those ratings with a grain of salt. What is not said here, but I think it was started this article there was a break-down on Twitter [2] recently where someone broke down the grants Wikimedia Foundation gives to other charities, A lot of Wikimedia has become advocacy for social issues not the spread of free information. Some of those Social issues many of the donors to Wikimedia may not agree with, and it being redistributed to some pretty controversial organizations. People donating to Wikimedia thinking they are advancing Wikipedia but in reality the bulk of the foundation spending is issuing grants to other charities. >>Meanwhile eg the American Cancer Society gets 73/100 and spends more on fundraising than WMF's entire budget I am reminded of this TED talk[1] from several years ago that talks about fundraising and charity [1] https://www.ted.com/talks/dan_pallotta_the_way_we_think_about_charity_is_dead_wrong?language=en https://www.ted.com/talks/dan_pallotta_the_way_we_think_abou... [2] https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1579778161889652736.html https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1579778161889652736.html

navaati 4y ago
Hey, what is "the BBB" here ?
- jeremyjh 4y ago
  Better Business Bureau
- loloquwowndueo 4y ago
  Better business bureau https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Better_Business_Bureau https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Better_Business_Bureau
- phpisthebest 4y ago
  BBB == Better Business Bureau a private organization in the US that "rates" business based on certain factors and customer complaints. It is often confused with having some kind of governmental authority, approval, or validity when in reality they just a non-profit trade organization. Very similar to charity navigator but rating for-profit businesses
  - bombcar 4y ago
    And it can become a bit of a scam where if you’re a “paying member” of the BBB you can “respond” to complaints and they disappear.
    - greyhair 4y ago
      After fighting with Ford over a recall issue for over a year, I opened a claim with the BBB. Two months later they closed it with a note that Ford explained that my car had been determined to be outside the claim (even though it experienced the recall related failure). Four months later, Ford issued be a check for the full cost of the repair, with an apology note. Even though at that point, I had given up. I have to believe that the BBB claim had some effect on that. The BBB may have accepted Ford's word, and closed the claim, but it resulted in some messaging up the consumer complaint chain.
      - bombcar 4y ago
        Yeah it can work sometimes, especially if you get into the “marketing” budget of someone big - they often have some leeway.
        phpisthebest 4y ago
        That is one of things people do not understand why "Twitter" Customer service is different than regular customer service Twitter "Customer Service" is marketing budget
      - stjohnswarts 4y ago
        Ford and most corps have a deny-deny-deny culpability policy until the complaint hits someone who can make a decision on the matter (they actually have queues/emails). There is a hard money limit for the peons to be able to admit that it's the company's fault, above that amount it is a blanket deny and delay policy. We had a recent President who also lived by the same policies; lawyers have ingrained into the DNA of business.
- deleted 4y ago
  [deleted]
weberer 4y ago
>In the videos they discuss issues in science like objectivity (they're against it) and bias (they're in favour). Its a shame so much money is being funneled to these groups since that's exactly the opposite goal of most donators to Wikipedia.
- KennyBlanken 4y ago
  I'm going to go out on a limb and guess that you didn't verify, even slightly, anything that tweet-thread author said. Either that, or like the author, you agree with their claim that grant money going to journalists who are people of color is 'furthering the inescapable American culture war.' Jeez, how dare those black people engage in journalism that isn't about white culture. They're declaring war on American (white) culture!" /s
  - akolbe 4y ago
    I agree, in part. That Twitter thread starts of really well but jumps the shark right towards the end.
    - phpisthebest 4y ago
      Only if you read it in the most uncharitable way, and ignore the very real aspects of the "Culture War" around things like CRT, Anti-Racism, DEI, ESG, etc that have very real political and partisan aspects to them. Often intersecting with the very concept of what role government should play in people's life, what authority government should have, and how government should regulate both behavior and economies
      - akolbe 4y ago
        I am uncomfortable with the video stills at the end that do seem to be picking on black people. Maybe I am doing the Twitter user an injustice, but there were four other grant recipients they could have been picking on as well: https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Knowledge_Equity_Fund#Grant_recipients https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Knowledge_Equity_Fund#Grant_... This said, I agree with the premise that the Wikimedia Foundation is partisan. Its General Counsel came from the Tides Foundation, which is as partisan as any of its equivalents on the right, and its Chief Advancement Officer, responsible for fundraising and strategic partnerships, had a long career in political philanthropy before joining Wikimedia: https://sfgov.org/civilservice/sites/default/files/Documents/civil_service/FINAL_Annual_Report10_11.pdf#page=13 https://sfgov.org/civilservice/sites/default/files/Documents... https://www.sfweekly.com/news/greening-the-left/ https://www.sfweekly.com/news/greening-the-left/ https://www.sfgate.com/politics/article/COMMUNITY-Growing-change-Redwood-City-2560448.php https://www.sfgate.com/politics/article/COMMUNITY-Growing-ch...
KennyBlanken 4y ago
That twitter thread is garbage start to finish. It starts with 'wikipedia started out in a basement on a shoestring, so clearly all the millions spent two decades later is being pissed into the wind', which is absurd. ...then attacks SERCH claiming they've done nothing but release 'youtube videos with 50 views', attacks them for not having produced any within the last year (maybe their grant ended?) when if one google "SERCH foundation" they'd quickly see "Our signature program is Vanguard: Conversations with Women of Color in STEM, an online platform and monthly web series focused on women of color in STEM." and further: > WHAT WE DO > Produce a live web-series with timely and relevant content > Celebrate women of color with weekly #WCWinSTEM features > Publish original content written by and for women of color in STEM > Foster support and networking via our online platform > Convene as a community virtually and at in-person events > Advocate for ourselves + our STEM interests ....and then the big bad boogeymonster really blows its dog whistle when the author associates a foundation distributing grants to journalists who are people of color with "bankrolling the inescapable American culture war." You hear that sound? That's the sound of my eyes rolling, hard. Grants to people of color who work in journalism is furthering a "American culture war." Gosh, those pesky people of color, spreading their "culture war." The author of the thread then mentions Guy Macon, who, from a quick google, appears to be a transphobic bigot and a troll who made a point of purposefully misgendering a trans wikipedian just to get a rise out of them, and then made a huge scene when he wasn't allowed to erase history and pretend the whole thing didn't happen, and demanded that the person unblock him. Good lord, what a fucking child. https://www.reddit.com/r/RealWikiInAction/comments/rv9x94/guy_macon/ https://www.reddit.com/r/RealWikiInAction/comments/rv9x94/gu... https://wikipediocracy.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=292896 https://wikipediocracy.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=292896 ....and then it ends somehow vaguely tying wikipedia to an experiment involving octopii hatchlings getting killed, or something. It's a gish-gallop mess, and what a giant surprise it was to find that the author has a long, rambling thread about police killings in the UK that seems to say "that, really, if those black people just stopped committing crimes, they wouldn't get arrested and shot and stuff": https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1574101120347168770.html https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1574101120347168770.html ...and their response to "uh, who exactly is this person" is to troll people by giving them the name of an anime: https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FeKtlilX0AAqnKA?format=png&name=small https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FeKtlilX0AAqnKA?format=png&name=...
commandlinefan 4y ago
> for social issues not the spread of free information In most cases, openly opposed to the spread of free information.
bawolff 4y ago
> What is not said here, but I think it was started this article there was a break-down on Twitter [2] recently where someone broke down the grants Wikimedia Foundation gives to other charities, A lot of Wikimedia has become advocacy for social issues not the spread of free information I dont like the knowledge equity grants either, but it was still a tiny portion of Wikimedia foundation's budget. Describing it as "a lot" is outright misleading.

navaati 4y ago

Hey, what is "the BBB" here ?

jeremyjh 4y ago
Better Business Bureau
loloquwowndueo 4y ago
Better business bureau https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Better_Business_Bureau https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Better_Business_Bureau
phpisthebest 4y ago
BBB == Better Business Bureau a private organization in the US that "rates" business based on certain factors and customer complaints. It is often confused with having some kind of governmental authority, approval, or validity when in reality they just a non-profit trade organization. Very similar to charity navigator but rating for-profit businesses
- bombcar 4y ago
  And it can become a bit of a scam where if you’re a “paying member” of the BBB you can “respond” to complaints and they disappear.
  - greyhair 4y ago
    After fighting with Ford over a recall issue for over a year, I opened a claim with the BBB. Two months later they closed it with a note that Ford explained that my car had been determined to be outside the claim (even though it experienced the recall related failure). Four months later, Ford issued be a check for the full cost of the repair, with an apology note. Even though at that point, I had given up. I have to believe that the BBB claim had some effect on that. The BBB may have accepted Ford's word, and closed the claim, but it resulted in some messaging up the consumer complaint chain.
    - bombcar 4y ago
      Yeah it can work sometimes, especially if you get into the “marketing” budget of someone big - they often have some leeway.
      - phpisthebest 4y ago
        That is one of things people do not understand why "Twitter" Customer service is different than regular customer service Twitter "Customer Service" is marketing budget
    - stjohnswarts 4y ago
      Ford and most corps have a deny-deny-deny culpability policy until the complaint hits someone who can make a decision on the matter (they actually have queues/emails). There is a hard money limit for the peons to be able to admit that it's the company's fault, above that amount it is a blanket deny and delay policy. We had a recent President who also lived by the same policies; lawyers have ingrained into the DNA of business.
deleted 4y ago
[deleted]

weberer 4y ago

>In the videos they discuss issues in science like objectivity (they're against it) and bias (they're in favour). Its a shame so much money is being funneled to these groups since that's exactly the opposite goal of most donators to Wikipedia.

KennyBlanken 4y ago
I'm going to go out on a limb and guess that you didn't verify, even slightly, anything that tweet-thread author said. Either that, or like the author, you agree with their claim that grant money going to journalists who are people of color is 'furthering the inescapable American culture war.' Jeez, how dare those black people engage in journalism that isn't about white culture. They're declaring war on American (white) culture!" /s
- akolbe 4y ago
  I agree, in part. That Twitter thread starts of really well but jumps the shark right towards the end.
  - phpisthebest 4y ago
    Only if you read it in the most uncharitable way, and ignore the very real aspects of the "Culture War" around things like CRT, Anti-Racism, DEI, ESG, etc that have very real political and partisan aspects to them. Often intersecting with the very concept of what role government should play in people's life, what authority government should have, and how government should regulate both behavior and economies
    - akolbe 4y ago
      I am uncomfortable with the video stills at the end that do seem to be picking on black people. Maybe I am doing the Twitter user an injustice, but there were four other grant recipients they could have been picking on as well: https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Knowledge_Equity_Fund#Grant_recipients https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Knowledge_Equity_Fund#Grant_... This said, I agree with the premise that the Wikimedia Foundation is partisan. Its General Counsel came from the Tides Foundation, which is as partisan as any of its equivalents on the right, and its Chief Advancement Officer, responsible for fundraising and strategic partnerships, had a long career in political philanthropy before joining Wikimedia: https://sfgov.org/civilservice/sites/default/files/Documents/civil_service/FINAL_Annual_Report10_11.pdf#page=13 https://sfgov.org/civilservice/sites/default/files/Documents... https://www.sfweekly.com/news/greening-the-left/ https://www.sfweekly.com/news/greening-the-left/ https://www.sfgate.com/politics/article/COMMUNITY-Growing-change-Redwood-City-2560448.php https://www.sfgate.com/politics/article/COMMUNITY-Growing-ch...

KennyBlanken 4y ago

That twitter thread is garbage start to finish. It starts with 'wikipedia started out in a basement on a shoestring, so clearly all the millions spent two decades later is being pissed into the wind', which is absurd. ...then attacks SERCH claiming they've done nothing but release 'youtube videos with 50 views', attacks them for not having produced any within the last year (maybe their grant ended?) when if one google "SERCH foundation" they'd quickly see "Our signature program is Vanguard: Conversations with Women of Color in STEM, an online platform and monthly web series focused on women of color in STEM." and further: > WHAT WE DO > Produce a live web-series with timely and relevant content > Celebrate women of color with weekly #WCWinSTEM features > Publish original content written by and for women of color in STEM > Foster support and networking via our online platform > Convene as a community virtually and at in-person events > Advocate for ourselves + our STEM interests ....and then the big bad boogeymonster really blows its dog whistle when the author associates a foundation distributing grants to journalists who are people of color with "bankrolling the inescapable American culture war." You hear that sound? That's the sound of my eyes rolling, hard. Grants to people of color who work in journalism is furthering a "American culture war." Gosh, those pesky people of color, spreading their "culture war." The author of the thread then mentions Guy Macon, who, from a quick google, appears to be a transphobic bigot and a troll who made a point of purposefully misgendering a trans wikipedian just to get a rise out of them, and then made a huge scene when he wasn't allowed to erase history and pretend the whole thing didn't happen, and demanded that the person unblock him. Good lord, what a fucking child. https://www.reddit.com/r/RealWikiInAction/comments/rv9x94/guy_macon/ https://www.reddit.com/r/RealWikiInAction/comments/rv9x94/gu... https://wikipediocracy.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=292896 https://wikipediocracy.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=292896 ....and then it ends somehow vaguely tying wikipedia to an experiment involving octopii hatchlings getting killed, or something. It's a gish-gallop mess, and what a giant surprise it was to find that the author has a long, rambling thread about police killings in the UK that seems to say "that, really, if those black people just stopped committing crimes, they wouldn't get arrested and shot and stuff": https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1574101120347168770.html https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1574101120347168770.html ...and their response to "uh, who exactly is this person" is to troll people by giving them the name of an anime: https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FeKtlilX0AAqnKA?format=png&name=small https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FeKtlilX0AAqnKA?format=png&name=...

commandlinefan 4y ago

> for social issues not the spread of free information In most cases, openly opposed to the spread of free information.

bawolff 4y ago

> What is not said here, but I think it was started this article there was a break-down on Twitter [2] recently where someone broke down the grants Wikimedia Foundation gives to other charities, A lot of Wikimedia has become advocacy for social issues not the spread of free information I dont like the knowledge equity grants either, but it was still a tiny portion of Wikimedia foundation's budget. Describing it as "a lot" is outright misleading.