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'''Gregory J. Kohs''' is a market researcher in [[Philadelphia]], [[Pennsylvania]]. Kohs has owned or operated a number of different websites, including (the defunct) AmericanCynic.com, FactsOnCall.com, Akahele.org, and (the current) MyWikiBiz.com, Wikipediocracy.com, and a now-dormant Blogspot blog called ''Inside Market Research''.  He also wrote [http://mywikibiz.com/Directory:Examiner_articles_by_Gregory_Kohs over 90 articles] for (the defunct) Examiner.com.  

'''Gregory J. Kohs''' is a market researcher and Internet personality in [[Philadelphia]], [[Pennsylvania]]. Kohs has owned or operated a number of different websites, including (the defunct) AmericanCynic.com, FactsOnCall.com, Akahele.org, and (the current) MyWikiBiz.com, Wikipediocracy.com, and a now-dormant Blogspot blog called ''Inside Market Research''.  He also wrote [http://mywikibiz.com/Directory:Examiner_articles_by_Gregory_Kohs over 90 articles] for (the defunct) Examiner.com.  

In June 2006, Kohs launched MyWikiBiz.com, a service which was successful in writing [[Wikipedia®]] entries for businesses, initially for $49 to $99.<ref>Bergstein, Brian. "Idea of Paid Entries Roils Wikipedia", The Washington Post / Associated Press, 2007-01-24.</ref> A few days after he put out a press release, though in August 2006, MyWikiBiz's account on Wikipedia was blocked by Wikipedia co-founder, [[Jimmy Wales]].

In June 2006, Kohs launched MyWikiBiz.com, a service which was successful in writing [[Wikipedia®]] entries for businesses, initially for $49 to $99.<ref>Bergstein, Brian. "[http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/24/AR2007012401235_pf.html Idea of Paid Entries Roils Wikipedia]", The Washington Post / Associated Press, 2007-01-24.</ref> A few days after he put out an August 2006 press release, though, MyWikiBiz's account on Wikipedia was blocked by Wikipedia co-founder, [[Jimmy Wales]].

==Background==

==Background==

==Engagement with the Wikimedia Foundation==

==Engagement with the Wikimedia Foundation==

Kohs was a pioneer in thinking about Wikipedia as a factual platform that could also address reputation management.  In conversations with Jimmy Wales, the two agreed that if Kohs posted proposed Wikipedia text on his own MyWikiBiz website (under a free license compatible with Wikipedia), other editors could be encouraged -- upon review -- to copy said content into Wikipedia articles.  Both men [https://lists.wikimedia.org/pipermail/wikien-l/2006-August/051897.html publicly agreed] that this activity would be within Wikipedia's standards of conduct.  Within months, Wales changed his mind, and "banished" Kohs permanently across the English Wikipedia project, outside the normal disciplinary process without notice or due process.  This action set Kohs into motion executing an ongoing campaign to investigate malfeasance and poor governance on Wikipedia and within the Wikimedia Foundation.

Kohs was a pioneer in thinking about Wikipedia as a factual platform that could also address reputation management.  In conversations with Jimmy Wales about the MyWikiBiz enterprise, the two agreed that if Kohs posted proposed Wikipedia text on his own MyWikiBiz website (under a free license compatible with Wikipedia), other editors could be encouraged -- upon review -- to copy said content into Wikipedia articles.  Both men [https://lists.wikimedia.org/pipermail/wikien-l/2006-August/051897.html publicly agreed] that this activity would be within Wikipedia's standards of conduct.  Within months, Wales changed his mind and "banned" Kohs permanently across the English Wikipedia project, which was an action outside the normal disciplinary regimen, without notice or due process.  This action set Kohs into motion executing an ongoing campaign to investigate malfeasance and poor governance on Wikipedia and within the Wikimedia Foundation.  He co-founded a Wikipedia criticism forum called Wikipediocracy.com.

For example, Kohs proposed a panel discussion about paid Wikipedia editing for the 2014 WikiConference USA, purchasing his conference registration and a train ticket to travel to New York City.  On the eve of the conference, though, he was [http://wikipediocracy.com/2014/06/02/wikiconference-usa-bans-critic-from-open-meeting/ suddenly uninvited] by conference organizers, without giving any detailed explanation.  Similarly, in 2015, the WikiConference USA was held at the National Archives as an event that was open to the public and the publicity specifically said that skeptics were invited to participate.  Again, Kohs attempted to attend, but his registration was refused without explanation.  Kohs submitted a membership dues check to Wikimedia DC, the local chapter that co-sponsored the WikiConference, but it was returned.  [[Freedom of Information Act]] (FOIA) materials obtained by Kohs demonstrated that conference organizers has [http://wikipediocracy.com/2016/06/16/diversity-conference-at-national-archives-not-so-open/ specifically violated guidelines] laid down for them by National Archives staff.

As one example, Kohs proposed a panel discussion about paid Wikipedia editing for the 2014 WikiConference USA, purchasing his conference registration and a train ticket to travel to New York City.  On the eve of the conference, though, he was [http://wikipediocracy.com/2014/06/02/wikiconference-usa-bans-critic-from-open-meeting/ suddenly uninvited] by conference organizers, without giving any detailed explanation.  Similarly in 2015, the WikiConference USA was held at the National Archives in [[Washington, DC]] as an event that was open to the public, and the marketing materials specifically said that skeptics were invited to participate.  Again, Kohs attempted to attend, but his registration was refused without explanation.  Kohs had submitted a membership dues check to Wikimedia DC, the local chapter that co-sponsored the WikiConference, but it was then returned.  [[Freedom of Information Act]] (FOIA) materials obtained by Kohs demonstrated that conference organizers had [http://wikipediocracy.com/2016/06/16/diversity-conference-at-national-archives-not-so-open/ specifically violated guidelines] laid down for them by National Archives staff, by not sharing a list of event-banned individuals for review by Archives staff.

Through publishing platforms at Examiner.com and Wikipediocracy.com, Kohs has been a consistent critic of Mr. Wales' poor behavior and clumsy leadership of Wikipedia and other organizations.  Kohs spoke about Wikipedia and the phenomenon of paid editing on a [http://www.g4tv.com/videos/14996/the-loop-can-wikipedia-be-trusted/ cable TV broadcast] on G4TV in 2007.  [[Sharyl Attkisson]] featured Kohs on her April 17, 2016 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wsu-QGi-ZWY national broadcast] of the show ''Full Measure''.

Through publishing platforms at Examiner.com and Wikipediocracy.com, Kohs has been a consistent critic of Jimmy Wales' poor behavior and clumsy leadership of Wikipedia and other organizations.  Kohs spoke about Wikipedia and the phenomenon of paid editing on a [http://www.g4tv.com/videos/14996/the-loop-can-wikipedia-be-trusted/ cable TV broadcast] on G4TV in 2007, along with guest [[Molly Wood]].  [[Sharyl Attkisson]] featured Kohs on her April 17, 2016 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wsu-QGi-ZWY national broadcast] of the show ''Full Measure''.

==Personal life==

==Personal life==