5 ms·

I donated, but yeah, I'd like to know what the operating costs are.

Ianvdl 14y ago
There's some info in their 2012-13 annual plan (PDF): http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/foundation/4/4f/2012-13_Wikimedia_Foundation_Plan_FINAL_FOR_WEBSITE.pdf http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/foundation/4/4f/2012-1... It's mostly just called "Expenses" and don't cover actual server operating costs specifically, if that's what you're looking for.
shrikant 14y ago
I donated as well (and got a bunch of others to do so, without any guilt tripping), but I don't really care what the operating costs are. I (personally) price goods and services by the value they offer me, and not the cost of providing said goods and services.
- smackfu 14y ago
  So if it turns out Jimmy Wales always flies first class... still don't care?
  - tommorris 14y ago
    Jimmy doesn't take any expenses from the Foundation. He pays his own way with things like flights and hotels even when he's on Wikipedia business.
    - smackfu 14y ago
      It was just an example. It's easy to say "I don't care about what they spend their money on if I'm getting value" if they are reasonable about spending the money. But it's very easy for foundations to start spending a lot of money in ways that aren't very key to their mission.
      - teeja 14y ago
        Speaking as a long-time WP editor, if the Foundation decided to fly Wales around First Class, that sure wouldn't bother me at all. The man has devoted himself to a widely-recognized and ever-more-succesful project ... I think he deserves some perks. (A helluva lot more savory than W's frequent flights to 'cut brush' on his 'ranch'.) He's the man who's got to answer the world's questions, after all (and who was, I'll add, right about a LOT of stuff).
    - papsosouid 14y ago
      Do you have any sort of proof to support that claim? I've never heard anything like that, and previously "flying jimmy out to do talks" was listed as one of the things we needed to donate for.
      - tommorris 14y ago
        "I take no salary or expenses from the Wikimedia Foundation because as the main "face" of the fundraiser, it's important that people understand that donor money is not for me." http://www.quora.com/Jimmy-Wales-1/How-does-Jimmy-Wales-make-money/answer/Jimmy-Wales http://www.quora.com/Jimmy-Wales-1/How-does-Jimmy-Wales-make...
        papsosouid 14y ago
        Considering that former wikimedia executives have stated that Jimmy didn't just expense things, but abused the privilege to make wikimedia pay for personal stuff, I am not inclined to simply take Jimmy at his word. Is there anyone else vouching for him? http://www.smh.com.au/news/biztech/wikipedia-head-accused-of-expenses-rort/2008/03/05/1204402516874.html http://www.smh.com.au/news/biztech/wikipedia-head-accused-of...
        tommorris 14y ago
        External auditors, other board members, chapter boards, the IRS... there's plenty of oversight if Jimmy were to do something stupid expenses-wise from now on. And there are so many unhappy-family moments with chapter politics, that if there were any good reason to think Jimmy wasn't keeping his word, that would get leaked.
        papsosouid 14y ago
        >External auditors, other board members, chapter boards, the IRS... there's plenty of oversight if Jimmy were to do something stupid expenses-wise from now on. All of that existed when he was doing this in the first place. I didn't say he was still abusing expenses, I am asking if there is any evidence to support his claim that he no longer has any expenses paid for at all. I can not find any auditors or board members supporting that claim.
absconditus 14y ago
If only they provided links to that information right on the front page of their site. http://wikimediafoundation.org/wiki/Home http://wikimediafoundation.org/wiki/Home
gojomo 14y ago
There are details in their 2012-2013 Annual Plan PDF: https://wikimediafoundation.org/w/index.php?title=File:2012-13_Wikimedia_Foundation_Plan_FINAL_FOR_WEBSITE.pdf&page=56 https://wikimediafoundation.org/w/index.php?title=File:2012-... For example, on pp. 54-58, we see that their 2012-2013 plan expects to spend around $42 million, of which about $17.5 million goes to "Engineering". The largest area within engineering, about $6 million, is "Core Site Ops". The plan is for staffing to rise from 119 to 174 people over the year of the plan.

There's some info in their 2012-13 annual plan (PDF): http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/foundation/4/4f/2012-13_Wikimedia_Foundation_Plan_FINAL_FOR_WEBSITE.pdf http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/foundation/4/4f/2012-1... It's mostly just called "Expenses" and don't cover actual server operating costs specifically, if that's what you're looking for.

shrikant 14y ago

I donated as well (and got a bunch of others to do so, without any guilt tripping), but I don't really care what the operating costs are. I (personally) price goods and services by the value they offer me, and not the cost of providing said goods and services.

smackfu 14y ago
So if it turns out Jimmy Wales always flies first class... still don't care?
- tommorris 14y ago
  Jimmy doesn't take any expenses from the Foundation. He pays his own way with things like flights and hotels even when he's on Wikipedia business.
  - smackfu 14y ago
    It was just an example. It's easy to say "I don't care about what they spend their money on if I'm getting value" if they are reasonable about spending the money. But it's very easy for foundations to start spending a lot of money in ways that aren't very key to their mission.
    - teeja 14y ago
      Speaking as a long-time WP editor, if the Foundation decided to fly Wales around First Class, that sure wouldn't bother me at all. The man has devoted himself to a widely-recognized and ever-more-succesful project ... I think he deserves some perks. (A helluva lot more savory than W's frequent flights to 'cut brush' on his 'ranch'.) He's the man who's got to answer the world's questions, after all (and who was, I'll add, right about a LOT of stuff).
  - papsosouid 14y ago
    Do you have any sort of proof to support that claim? I've never heard anything like that, and previously "flying jimmy out to do talks" was listed as one of the things we needed to donate for.
    - tommorris 14y ago
      "I take no salary or expenses from the Wikimedia Foundation because as the main "face" of the fundraiser, it's important that people understand that donor money is not for me." http://www.quora.com/Jimmy-Wales-1/How-does-Jimmy-Wales-make-money/answer/Jimmy-Wales http://www.quora.com/Jimmy-Wales-1/How-does-Jimmy-Wales-make...
      - papsosouid 14y ago
        Considering that former wikimedia executives have stated that Jimmy didn't just expense things, but abused the privilege to make wikimedia pay for personal stuff, I am not inclined to simply take Jimmy at his word. Is there anyone else vouching for him? http://www.smh.com.au/news/biztech/wikipedia-head-accused-of-expenses-rort/2008/03/05/1204402516874.html http://www.smh.com.au/news/biztech/wikipedia-head-accused-of...
        tommorris 14y ago
        External auditors, other board members, chapter boards, the IRS... there's plenty of oversight if Jimmy were to do something stupid expenses-wise from now on. And there are so many unhappy-family moments with chapter politics, that if there were any good reason to think Jimmy wasn't keeping his word, that would get leaked.
        papsosouid 14y ago
        >External auditors, other board members, chapter boards, the IRS... there's plenty of oversight if Jimmy were to do something stupid expenses-wise from now on. All of that existed when he was doing this in the first place. I didn't say he was still abusing expenses, I am asking if there is any evidence to support his claim that he no longer has any expenses paid for at all. I can not find any auditors or board members supporting that claim.

absconditus 14y ago

If only they provided links to that information right on the front page of their site. http://wikimediafoundation.org/wiki/Home http://wikimediafoundation.org/wiki/Home

gojomo 14y ago

There are details in their 2012-2013 Annual Plan PDF: https://wikimediafoundation.org/w/index.php?title=File:2012-13_Wikimedia_Foundation_Plan_FINAL_FOR_WEBSITE.pdf&page=56 https://wikimediafoundation.org/w/index.php?title=File:2012-... For example, on pp. 54-58, we see that their 2012-2013 plan expects to spend around $42 million, of which about $17.5 million goes to "Engineering". The largest area within engineering, about $6 million, is "Core Site Ops". The plan is for staffing to rise from 119 to 174 people over the year of the plan.