[Web4lib] Wikipedia problems?

[B.G. Sloan]

  Interesting talk floating around in the blogosphere about possible Wikipedia cash problems.
   
  One blogger (Paul McNamara) says: "Florence Devouard, chairwoman of the Wikimedia Foundation, has touched off a tempest with her suggestion in a talk at the Lift07 conference that Wikipedia has funding for only another quarter and 'might disappear' if donations don't pick up."
   
  A Wikipedia spokesperson has since said that the statement was taken out of context and that Devouard "was attempting to showcase how, because of our global reach, Wikipedia needs to be much more creative in its fundraising efforts."
   
  The interesting point we should take from all of this is that while we tend to take Wikipedia for granted as a volunteer-based operation, it does require about $5 million a year to keep the infrastructure going (e.g., they have 350 servers). As a non-profit organization Wikipedia has to be in a fund-raising mode constantly.
   
  Here's what Paul McNamara has to say on the NetworkWorld blog:
   
  http://www.networkworld.com/community/?q=node/11376 
   
  Bernie Sloan

 
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