Wikipedia Accepting Donations

[Phinnaeus Gage]

http://wikimediafoundation.org/w/index.php?title=L11_JMvKA_0729_KA_author/en/US&utm_source=B_JMvKA_0729_KA_author&utm_medium=sitenotice&utm_campaign=C_JMvKA_0729_US&country=US&referrer=http%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FMain_Page

It's that time of year again, folks. Wikipedia is on their annual donation drive. What I would like to see is a Bitcoin donation button on Wikipedia. Although the sum total collected this year may be small, it will easily be surpassed next year. Next year it may read: Wikipedia collected X BTC in donations last year. Our modest goal is to double that this year. Click the Bitcoin button on the left or right of this page, depending on you political affiliation, or the big Bitcoin button on the top of the page if you're an "other".

I believe they just started this drive, so it's not to late to get a Bitcoin button in place.

Any comments? Anybody here have an inside to Wikipedia?

Bitcoin: Donate Anonymously

[Yuusha]

The best way would be if a lot of people simply mailed them and requested a Bitcoin donation button. Pledging to donate if one is implemented may also help.

[Newton]

This is a good idea.

As the 7th most popular website in the world, any presence here is enormously valuable.  They also splashthe donation request on every page, and do not allow any other advertising.

Having a bitcoin donation option is a win-win, and would be enormously significant for bitcoin.

[the founder]

It's not a bad idea at all... but it would most likely take some of bitcoin players to contribute to this.   Let's say one of the exchanges waives all fees to convert the donated coins to USD for them then it's something that would get them press and allow for wikipedia to collect USD from bitcoins.

I'd be willing to make it easier for them to get donations... flexcoin id : wikipedia for example

but the converting to USD has to be though an exchange.

[BitcoinBabe]

It's not a bad idea at all... but it would most likely take some of bitcoin players to contribute to this.   Let's say one of the exchanges waives all fees to convert the donated coins to USD for them then it's something that would get them press and allow for wikipedia to collect USD from bitcoins.

I'd be willing to make it easier for them to get donations... flexcoin id : wikipedia for example

but the converting to USD has to be though an exchange.

Or side-step the whole exchange hoopla and make it easier to donate using bit pay.

https://bit-pay.com/home.html

[Phinnaeus Gage]

It's not a bad idea at all... but it would most likely take some of bitcoin players to contribute to this.   Let's say one of the exchanges waives all fees to convert the donated coins to USD for them then it's something that would get them press and allow for wikipedia to collect USD from bitcoins.

I'd be willing to make it easier for them to get donations... flexcoin id : wikipedia for example

but the converting to USD has to be though an exchange.

Or side-step the whole exchange hoopla and make it easier to donate using bit pay.

https://bit-pay.com/home.html

Basically, I was seeing them (Bitcoin/Bit-Pay) working in concert together to make this a most viable option. I kinda forgot about the donation banner being splashed on every page. I like the sound of that word: splash. You can almost hear the sound of a bitcoin hitting the water of a virtual wishing well.

Bitcoin: Have You Made the Splash?

[Littleshop]

Several years ago I donated to wikipedia.  I won't do it again, even if I could use bitcoin.

They are way to delete happy.  I frequently come into deleted articles and even the bitcoin page has been totally cut down in size.  I can understand cutting pictures out, but text (if correct, no matter how esoteric) takes almost no space. 

[Phinnaeus Gage]

Several years ago I donated to wikipedia.  I won't do it again, even if I could use bitcoin.

They are way to delete happy.  I frequently come into deleted articles and even the bitcoin page has been totally cut down in size.  I can understand cutting pictures out, but text (if correct, no matter how esoteric) takes almost no space.  

Read your sig, Littleshop, and it got me a thinkin' 'bout bumper stickers, which led to police officers, then started to thinkin' 'bout bribes. Bribes and campaign donations. Untraceable donations. All a politician has to do is keep their noses out of Bitcoin's business, and we'll all be happy campers.

[kwukduck]

I sent them an email, their reply:

"At this time we are dependent on PayPal for our processing and, therefore, can only provide the services they offer."

[Phinnaeus Gage]

I sent them an email, their reply:

"At this time we are dependent on PayPal for our processing and, therefore, can only provide the services they offer."

First off, I/we (the community) thank you for taking the incentive for contacting Wikipedia. Obviously, that's more than I did.

Now to comment on their email to you.

"At this time we are dependent on PayPal for our processing and, therefore, can only provide the services they offer."

Wikipedia is dependent on PayPal for their processing? So if somebody came up to them and said, "Hey. I have this idea of donating cash and there's a whole group of us who have cash. All we want you to do is set a system in place so that you can accept our cash." In essence, they're reply is, "We have no way of processing cash. We're depended on PayPal and the 'Happy, Happy, Joy, Joy' services they provide."

Now, if I were Wikipedia, I would use any system as a donation stream. Even if I had to masterbate a gecko on the street, accepting loose change in a tin can. Maybe I went too far with that last sentence. I don't want to offend anybody in this forum. If I have, please reread the sentence again, but this time in your mind change the word "gecko" to a name of some other creature (and no, I don't thick geckos are gay--I mean creatures).



Bitcoin: Save a Bunch of money on Each Transaction by Using BTC

[nmat]

If the bitcoin economy continues to grow, I believe that next year they will have a bit-pay logo next to the paypal one 

[Phinnaeus Gage]

If the bitcoin economy continues to grow, I believe that next year they will have a bit-pay logo next to the paypal one 

I don't want to wait till next year to see the Bitcoin option available on Wikipedia. I WANT IT THIS YEAR.

Bitcoin: Always There--When

[halfawake]

*bump*

They're asking for donations again.  Anyone want to petition Wikipedia again to accept bitcoin payments?  I'd do it if I weren't unemployed, but I'd rather actually be able to donate while asking for the donation option.

[Phinnaeus Gage]

*bump*

They're asking for donations again.  Anyone want to petition Wikipedia again to accept bitcoin payments?  I'd do it if I weren't unemployed, but I'd rather actually be able to donate while asking for the donation option.

They've been pretty clear as to where they currently stand regarding Bitcoin. Approaching them next year would be more prudent. Hell, maybe Jimmy will come around on his own accord before the year's out giving us bitcoiners a Christmas present.

OTOH, Rassah could act as escrow (no qualms with John K) to maintain a wallet on Wikipedia's behalf. When it reaches X amount (in $) we ask them if they want the sum, though probably not in bitcoins, but fiat. If they say yes, we can use BitPay to transfer the bitcoins to their bank account, afterward we have the media declare that Wikipedia accepted bitcoin donations, albeit indirectly. Just a thought.

[Melbustus]

They've been pretty clear as to where they currently stand regarding Bitcoin.
...

Have they?

I emailed them during their donation drive in December asking why they don't take bitcoin donations. Here was the response I received:


"I apologize, but the Wikimedia Foundation does not accept donations in bitcoin.
There are third-party groups out there that have been accepting bitcoin donations
on our behalf, and send those donations to us after converting to USD. However, I
cannot vouch for their honesty, so I am not going to name any here.

Regarding *why* we don't accept bitcoin donations, the Foundation has been
reticent on this matter for years. I truly have no idea what it would take to make
them change their minds.

Sincerely,
<name with-held>"

[faiza1990]

we have to wait for this and may be in near future they use this service for donations 

[infobiactrader]

OTOH, Rassah could act as escrow (no qualms with John K) to maintain a wallet on Wikipedia's behalf. When it reaches X amount (in $) we ask them if they want the sum, though probably not in bitcoins, but fiat. If they say yes, we can use BitPay to transfer the bitcoins to their bank account, afterward we have the media declare that Wikipedia accepted bitcoin donations, albeit indirectly. Just a thought.

I believe this is the best idea. Wikipedia would just be proving their idiocy should they deny the donation; I would certainly be willing to donate at least a bitcoin or two to this.  And once they realize how much money they could be making if they were to accept bitcoin, then that'll certainly help them in the right direction with regards to putting a donation button on their pledge page.

[BitAddict]

OTOH, Rassah could act as escrow (no qualms with John K) to maintain a wallet on Wikipedia's behalf. When it reaches X amount (in $) we ask them if they want the sum, though probably not in bitcoins, but fiat. If they say yes, we can use BitPay to transfer the bitcoins to their bank account, afterward we have the media declare that Wikipedia accepted bitcoin donations, albeit indirectly. Just a thought.

I believe this is the best idea. Wikipedia would just be proving their idiocy should they deny the donation; I would certainly be willing to donate at least a bitcoin or two to this.  And once they realize how much money they could be making if they were to accept bitcoin, then that'll certainly help them in the right direction with regards to putting a donation button on their pledge page.

+1

Is that hard for them to accept bitcoin? They have nothing to lose :/

[oleganza]

Meni Rosenfeld already started escrow for wikipedia:

https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=270255.0

[Phinnaeus Gage]

Meni Rosenfeld already started escrow for wikipedia:

https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=270255.0

No qualms with Meni, and maybe he'll consider my blackmail (for lack of a better word) approach.