Everyone is writing about Christmas, Santa Claus, and tidings today.
Not me.
I want to focus this blog post on Wikipedia, the recipient of too many links from my blog over the past 19 months.
I ask you to join me–and donate.
My request does not come lightly. People are asking for money left and right. The economy is tight. People are losing their jobs. Heck, I’m still on unemployment assistance from my layoff over the spring, having previously dried up the Massachusetts well of insurance paychecks and currently surviving on a federal extension.
But I frequently link to Wikipedia and research so much information there, that I felt compelled to do my part, a little part, and help the free encyclopedia survive. Not so much for me, but for you and everyone in the world.
Several weeks ago, I heard Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales speak at Suffolk University’s Ford Hall Forum; and I was blown away by his stories of developing nations that do not have a written language but are learning to read and write from Wikipedia. I had no idea.
In this vein, I pause from my networking and self-marketing for consulting and speaking opportunities and press a “donate” button to do what I want to do, to do what I need to do.
Here’s a snapshot from a moment in time after I donated. You can see my name. But you can see other’s names, too, and how much they donated. Many prefer to be anonymous. I chose the other road.
Maybe you can’t. You really can’t. That’s OK. Share this message with other people. Do your own part to support Wikipedia through the power of thought and the kindness of strangers.
On the other hand, if you identify with Jimmy Wales’ appeal, can finagle a dollar, and have a Paypal account…
Thank you, Wikipedia…and happy holidays!
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Ari Herzog is an online media strategist and Newburyport City Councilor-Elect.
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Given the fact that the vast majority of the United States population (so I’ve heard) relies on Wikipedia for information, perhaps our new president elect should propose a grant for education.
Thomas´s last blog post..Falling In Love (For All The Wrong Reasons)
Was it this talk?
http://fora.tv/2008/09/11/Jimmy_Wales_-_Free_Speech_Free_Minds_and_Free_Markets
He’s talked about people learning to write in Wikipedia (the Wikipedia Academy projects), though I don’t know of anyone actually learning to read from Wikipedia
David Gerard´s last blog post..WHAT A PIP.
Nobody seems to ask (or care) why their money goes to all-too-expensive office space in San Francisco (was that move from St. Petersburg necessary?), round-trip airfare for two to India (when a web-teleconference would have easily sufficed), and God knows what else!
Ari, if you think this boondoggle that only cost about $400,000 to run just a couple of years ago is worthy of your contribution to the inflated, $6 million budget, it’s your money. But, you haven’t convinced me to open my wallet.
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