[BLOG] - The Full Faith and Credit of Wikipedia

[evoorhees]

Wikipedia needs to answer for this...

"Wikipedia, in how many ways must we reiterate this hypocrisy which runs perfectly counter to your stated mission? Why is your prerequisite for donation that the medium be backed by coercion and tyranny? By what silly logic do you permit donations to advance your cause of openness via currency that is controlled, but not via that which is open? Why do you approve of the freedom of expression when it comes to speech, but not when it comes to money? Why do you value open-source knowledge, yet reject open-source exchange? This discrepancy cannot sit comfortably in your conscience, can it? Were you simply waiting for some other big player to make the first move when it comes to free and open exchange? Well, WordPress just did."

BitInstant Blog - The Full Faith and Credit of Wikipedia
http://blog.bitinstant.com/blog/2012/11/20/the-full-faith-and-credit-of-wikipedia.html

Please retweet if you can:  https://twitter.com/ErikVoorhees/status/271305619837943809

[1715281475]

1715281475

[Phinnaeus Gage]

Wikipedia needs to answer for this...

"Wikipedia, in how many ways must we reiterate this hypocrisy which runs perfectly counter to your stated mission? Why is your prerequisite for donation that the medium be backed by coercion and tyranny? By what silly logic do you permit donations to advance your cause of openness via currency that is controlled, but not via that which is open? Why do you approve of the freedom of expression when it comes to speech, but not when it comes to money? Why do you value open-source knowledge, yet reject open-source exchange? This discrepancy cannot sit comfortably in your conscience, can it? Were you simply waiting for some other big player to make the first move when it comes to free and open exchange? Well, WordPress just did."

BitInstant Blog - The Full Faith and Credit of Wikipedia
http://blog.bitinstant.com/blog/2012/11/20/the-full-faith-and-credit-of-wikipedia.html

Please retweet if you can:  https://twitter.com/ErikVoorhees/status/271305619837943809

I've retweeted! I'm about to read the article, but what's amazing is that prior to coming to this forum, I was thinking about you, envisioning YOU penning an article addressing Wikipedia.

~Bruno K~

[Jan]

Erik, great article. You convinced me.
I think the culprit is that they are afraid of endorsing Bitcoin. They are depending too much on donations from people that believe that Bitcoin is drug money. The Wordpress news will hopefully steer the needle in the right direction for us.
Keep up the good work.

[Phinnaeus Gage]

And that is why you're my favorite writer (sorry Loup--you're still second). I did find one error, and you presented it twice. The yellow donation banner you spoke of was not only yellow, but a few other colors, carefully chosen to elicit readers at the subconscious level. In fact, during the onset of said campaign, I once purposely refreshed a Wikipedia page to reassure myself I wasn't seeing things. The other colors I remember are red, blue and green. Hopefully, another reader or two of this post will confirm.

This post, Erik, is no way being hyper-critical of your very fine article. It touches upon most everything I hoped it would--and more.

~Bruno K~

[SgtSpike]

Keep the pressure on...

[Stephen Gornick]

Surely, WordPress also has ‘a fiduciary duty to be responsible and prudent with its money.’ What anomaly of WordPress enables it to prudently accept Bitcoin payments while Wikipedia stands idly by?

- http://blog.bitinstant.com/blog/2012/11/20/the-full-faith-and-credit-of-wikipedia.html
 
It was inevitable that some forward thinking industry leader (like WordPress) would look at Bitcoin, determine that it can be used to better the world, and embraces it.

Now that this message is out there, the excuses used in the past for rejecting bitcoin (like the EFF's and Wikipedia's) sound foolish, in hindsight.

[Stephen Gornick]

A similar argument was posted in another thread relating to the EFF's rejection of Bitcoin:

In light of the wordpress news is it time for EFF to drop their nonsensical no Bitcoin policy? 

[...]

I have donated heavily in the If the EFF can't be the advocate well they likely need to go away so someone else can.

Time for a renewed push to get EFF to accept Bitcoins?
 - http://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=125405.0

[jjiimm_64]

After the wordpress news, I sent an email to wikipedia as follows:

Hello,
I wanted to donate, but i don't see an option to donate with bitcoins.
When will this be available?

Jim

And this was the reply about a day later.

Josh VanDavier, Nov 19 21:36 (PST):

Hi Jim,

Thank you for your email and interest in supporting free knowledge. The Wikimedia Foundation, as a donor-driven organization, has a fiduciary duty to be responsible and prudent with its money. The Foundation does not currently accept Bitcoin or other currencies not backed by the full faith and credit of an issuing government. We do, however, strive to provide as many methods of donating as possible and continue to monitor Bitcoin with interest and may revisit this position should circumstances change.

Thank you again for your interest, and please feel free to contact us with any further questions.

Sincerely,

Joshua VanDavier
Donor Services Manager
Wikimedia Foundation, Inc.
https://wikimediafoundation.org
Support us: https://donate.wikimedia.org

[MoonShadow]

Surely, WordPress also has ‘a fiduciary duty to be responsible and prudent with its money.’ What anomaly of WordPress enables it to prudently accept Bitcoin payments while Wikipedia stands idly by?

- http://blog.bitinstant.com/blog/2012/11/20/the-full-faith-and-credit-of-wikipedia.html
 
It was inevitable that some forward thinking industry leader (like WordPress) would look at Bitcoin, determine that it can be used to better the world, and embraces it.

Now that this message is out there, the excuses used in the past for rejecting bitcoin (like the EFF's and Wikipedia's) sound foolish, in hindsight.

I'd bet dollars to doughnuts that WordPress has been getting more secret heat over this move than is known.  I wouldn't be surprised if they reverse themselves in a couple months, and then the detractors will use that as evidence that bitcoin doesn't really work for companies like WordPress.

[Trader Steve]

Great article.

[dserrano5]

I wouldn't be surprised if they reverse themselves in a couple months, and then the detractors will use that as evidence that bitcoin doesn't really work for companies like WordPress.

That idea crossed my mind too but I rejected it right away, like, I don't want to think about that.

Erik, great post, in line with what can be expected from you.

[giszmo]

I wouldn't be surprised if they reverse themselves in a couple months, and then the detractors will use that as evidence that bitcoin doesn't really work for companies like WordPress.

That idea crossed my mind too but I rejected it right away, like, I don't want to think about that.

That idea crossed his mind, too. He's got nothing to loose when waiting some months. He would have much to win/loose moving now though.

[knight22]

I just sent them an email to add some pressure.

[finkleshnorts]

You would think that Jimmy Wales -- the porn guru -- wouldn't be afraid of bitcoin.

[giszmo]

I just tried my very first submission to HN:
http://news.ycombinator.com/newest

Feel free to upvote it.

[imanikin]

I agree with others who say that it's time to give up on trying to get Wikipedia to accept B donations.

We all know the real reasons why they don't do it.

Simply don't send them any support! I am sure they will be fine with fiat donations from others, and our conscience should be clear when we continue to use it for free! 

Trying to convince them to accept it, makes us look desperate and needy.

As i've said before, if Bitcoin is big-enough idea to succeed, it's big enough to speak for itself now. We should just use it and improve it, and stop begging others to accept it.

When the fiat house of cards implodes in the right places, my bet is many entities will change their mind about B.

At that time, the ones that did not support B these days, will not get a satoshi or any other currency from me either...   

[jjiimm_64]

I agree with others who say that it's time to give up on trying to get Wikipedia to accept B donations.

We all know the real reasons why they don't do it.

Simply don't send them any support! I am sure they will be fine with fiat donations from others, and our conscience should be clear when we continue to use it for free! 

Trying to convince them to accept it, makes us look desperate and needy.

As i've said before, if Bitcoin is big-enough idea to succeed, it's big enough to speak for itself now. We should just use it and improve it, and stop begging others to accept it.

When the fiat house of cards implodes in the right places, my bet is many entities will change their mind about B.

At that time, the ones that did not support B these days, will not get a satoshi or any other currency from me either...   

Well put.  +1

[Bitcoin Oz]

We should approach one of wikipedis's competitors.

http://www.scholarpedia.org/article/Main_Page is a good start.

Or http://en.citizendium.org/

[imanikin]

We should approach one of wikipedis's competitors.

http://www.scholarpedia.org/article/Main_Page is a good start.

Speaking of donations, when is the Douchebag Foundation going to accept Bitcoin? 

[jojo69]

fucking coward

never used WordPress, but I think I will send them a little just because