Comment by akolbe

3 years ago

Arguably, Wikipedia is the loser, because you are rewarding a management mindset that thinks manipulating the public for financial gain is okay.

Wikipedia is the most widely read reference source on the planet. Wouldn't you rather it was stewarded by an organisation that was honest with the public?

There are other losers. This man, guilt-tripped into donating to Wikipedia when all he has is $18 to his name is a loser:

https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Talk:Fundraising/Archive_6#S...

Actually, that sounds wrong. He is a wonderful man, but one that really should not have been put in this invidious position.

What about her?

https://twitter.com/tizzie/status/1570095249044967424

There are other losers still. People in India and South Africa are scared into donating to Wikipedia by emails that raise the spectre of a subscription fee, or of Wikipedia blinking out of existence for lack of funds.

There are other charitable causes they could have donated to in their own country, rather than sending money to the US, money that might have saved lives in their own country, rather than added another treat to a US employee's benefits package.

Those are some of the "losers".

9 comments

akolbe

Reply
themitigating  3 years ago

What "treat" are you referring to? Employees need to be compensated for a company to be competitive.

Speaking of manipulative your augment takes a complex situation and turns it into "poor people using the last of their money to pay for US employees extra benefits"

  • akolbe  3 years ago

    Treats mentioned here ...

    https://wantremote.com/company_for_remote_job/wikimedia-foun...

    ... include "reimbursement for mind, body and soul activities such as fitness memberships, massages, cooking classes and much more"

    This is a fine thing I'm sure, but I wouldn't want it to be paid for by Indian or African donors worried Wikipedia will disappear, or start charging a subscription, if they don't donate.

    So fundraising appeals in the developing world in particular should be dialed right down:

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Wikipedia_Signpost/2...

    • bawolff  3 years ago

      Paying for a gym membership is pretty standard perk in the industry. If anything, this is usually considered bare minimum

      You can't get employees if you don't pay them. This is what paying employees means in the tech industry.

      3 replies →

    • ryan_lane  3 years ago

      Unless things changed, the wellness budget was quite low, and funny enough, probably costs the foundation nothing, because companies in the US get a discount on insurance for having them.

llbeansandrice  3 years ago

> guilt-tripped into donating to Wikipedia when all he has is $18 to his name is a loser:

If Wikipedia didn't "guilt-trip" him into it I'm sure some Nigerian prince would have.