Conservapedia - User contributions [en]

Wikimedia Foundation

2018-04-05T02:17:44Z

1982Ross: Well, it's trolling by somebody. Removing personal opinions and claims not backed up by the sources. Also fixing bad grammar and adding citation needed to sentence about chapter presidents.

'''Wikimedia Foundation, Inc.''' (WMF) is a not-for-profit Florida corporation with its principle place of business in [[San Francisco, California]]. It was founded by [[Jimmy Wales]], who has a permanent position on the Board of Directors. It operates several online collaborative wiki projects including [[Wikipedia]], [[Wiktionary]], [[Wikiquote]], [[Wikibooks]], [[Wikisource]], [[Wikimedia Commons]], [[Wikispecies]], [[Wikinews]], [[Wikiversity]], Wikimedia Incubator, Meta-Wiki, [[Wikidata]], [[Wikivoyage]], and owns the now-defunct Nupedia online encyclopedia. Its Executive Director is Katherine Maher.

HQ is 1 Montgomery Street, Suite 1600, San Francisco, CA 94104 Phone:(415) 839-6885 Supposed business hours: 9AM–5PM PST.<ref>https://wikimediafoundation.org/wiki/Contact_us</ref>

Pay of Executive Director: $214 K.<ref>https://www.glassdoor.com/Salary/Wikimedia-Foundation-Executive-Director-Salaries-E38331_D_KO21,39.htm</ref>

==History==
The creation of the foundation was officially announced on June 20, 2003, by the [[atheism|atheist]] and Wikipedia co-founder [[Jimmy Wales]],<ref name="Rupert Neate">{{cite news | first = Rupert | last = Neate | title = Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales goes bananas | url = http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/mediatechnologyandtelecoms/3399843/Wikipedia-founder-Jimmy-Wales-goes-bananas.html |work=The Daily Telegraph | date= October 7, 2008 | accessdate =October 25, 2009 | quote = The encyclopedia's huge fan base became such a drain on Bomis's resources that Mr Wales, and co-founder Larry Sanger, thought of a radical new funding model – charity.}}</ref> who had been operating Wikipedia within his adult entertainment company [[Bomis]].<ref>{{cite web | url = http://lists.wikimedia.org/pipermail/wikipedia-l/2003-June/010743.html | title = Wikipedia English mailing list message | date = June 20, 2003 | first = Jimmy | last = Wales | authorlink = Jimmy Wales}}</ref> At the time, Wikipedia was operating out of Bomis' offices in St. Petersburg, Florida.

The name "Wikimedia" was [[neologism|coined]] by American author [[Sheldon Rampton]] in a post to the English mailing list in March 2003.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://mail.wikipedia.org/pipermail/wikien-l/2003-March/001887.html | title = Wikipedia English mailing list message | date = March 16, 2003 | first = Sheldon | last = Rampton | authorlink = Sheldon Rampton }}</ref>
At the start, Wales transferred ownership of all Wikipedia, Wiktionary and [[Nupedia]] [[domain name]]s to Wikimedia along with the copyrights for all materials related to these projects that were created by [[Bomis]] employees or Wales himself. The computer equipment used to run all the Wikimedia projects was also donated by Wales to the foundation, which also acquired the domain names "wikimedia.org" and "wikimediafoundation.org".

In April 2005, the US [[Internal Revenue Service]] determined that the foundation was an educational foundation in the category "[[Adult education|Adult]], [[Continuing education|Continuing Education]]", making all contributions to the foundation [[Tax deduction|tax-deductible]] for U.S. federal income tax purposes.

On September 25, 2007, the foundation's board decided to move to the [[San Francisco Bay Area]]. The Board said its major reasons for choosing San Francisco were proximity to like-minded organizations and potential partners as well as cheaper and more convenient international travel than is available from St. Petersburg, Florida.<ref name="MoncadaWikimoveTribune">{{cite web | url = http://www2.tbo.com/content/2007/sep/25/wikimedia-foundation-moving-another-bay-area/?news-breaking | title= Wikimedia Foundation Moving To Another Bay Area | author = Carlos Moncada | work = [[The Tampa Tribune]] |date = September 25, 2007 | quote = }}</ref><ref name="MullinsWikimoveTribune">{{cite web | url= http://www.tbo.com/news/money/MGBNF5F517F.html | title = Online Encyclopedia To Leave St. Petersburg For San Francisco | author = Richard Mullins | work = The Tampa Tribune |date = September 26, 2007 | quote = }}</ref><ref name="KimWikimoveSFChronicle">{{cite web | url= http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/10/10/BU69SNMQ2.DTL&tsp=1 | title = Wikipedia team plans move to San Francisco | first = Ryan | last = Kim |work=San Francisco Chronicle | date = October 10, 2007 | quote = }}</ref>

The Wikimedia Foundation Board met in 2016 in a small town in Italy to discuss transparency and communication. The Foundation funded all Board members' travel to Italy.

==Wikia==
{{Main|Wikia}} 
In January 2004, [[Jimmy Wales]] appointed his business partners [[Tim Shell]] and Michael E. Davis to the foundation's board. In June 2004, an election was held for two user representative board members. Following one month of campaigning and two weeks of online voting, [[Angela Beesley Starling|Angela Beesley]] and [[Florence Devouard|Florence Nibart-Devouard]] were elected to join the board. In late 2004, Wales and Beesley launched a startup company, [[Wikia]], affiliated with neither Wikimedia nor Bomis, except for their presence as principals/trustees. In July 2005, Beesley and Nibart-Devouard were re-elected to the board. On July 1, 2006, Beesley resigned from the board effective upon election of her successor, expressing concern about "certain events and tendencies that have arisen within the organization since the start of this year," but stating her intent to continue to participate in the Wikimedia projects, and in the formation of an Australian chapter. A special election was held in September to finish Beesley's term, ending with the mid-2007 election. [[Erik Möller]] won the election. Möller was subsequently hired as Deputy Executive Director of the WMF. On December 8, 2006, the board expanded to seven people with the appointments of Kat Walsh and [[Oscar van Dillen]]. Walsh was elected Chair of the board in July 2012. Walsh was not re-elected to the WMF Board in 2013.

Wales and Beesley continued to develop Wikia as a for-profit alternative to the WMF projects, and some critics allege that by deleting very specialized articles and content from Wikipedia, a core team was pushing people to develop specialized wikis on Wikia. When Wikipedia community voted 61-39% percent to treat all links to other sites equally by removing nofollow (Google-ignored) tags for all of them, the Wikipedia co-founder overruled this decision and Wikipedia now favors Wikia in its treatment of nofollow tags.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.techcrunch.com/2007/04/28/wikipedia-special-treatment-for-wikia-and-other-wikis/|title=Wikipedia: Special Treatment for Wikia and some other Wikis|author=Nik Cubrilovic|date=April 28, 2007|accessdate=July 22, 2012}}</ref><ref>http://lists.wikimedia.org/pipermail/wikien-l/2007-January/061137.html</ref> Michael E. Davis, a former business partner of Wales who served for years as a founding member of the WMF board and was MWF's Treasurer, was named Treasurer and Secretary of Wikia in January 2006. In January 2009, Wikia subleased two conference rooms to the WMF.

Wales continues as a voting member of the WMF Board and serves as its spokesperson.

In August 2009, Matt Halprin, Partner of the Omidyar Network, was asked to join the Wikimedia Foundation board of trustees. Halprin was responsible for an Omidyar team that “pursues investments in Social Media”, and Omidyar invested part of $4 million into Wikia, Inc. in 2006. So, his company would succeed if Wikia made a nice return on investment, yet of all of the available competent Silcon Valley experts, the WMF selected Halprin to serve on the Board that is entrusted to ensure that the WMF treats Wikia on an arms-length basis.

In 2006, Wikia received a major round of venture capital funding from Amazon.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.bizjournals.com/seattle/stories/2006/12/04/daily16.html?jst=b_ln_hl|title=Amazon invests in Wikia|work=Puget Sound Business Journal|date=December 6, 2006|accessdate=February 4, 2013}}</ref> Although a large number of payment processors are available, as of 2013, the WMF uses Amazon to process donation payments.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wikipedia:Village_pump_%28policy%29&diff=526220744&oldid=526213000#Wikipedia_is_now_enriching_itself_by_contributing_to_the_destruction_of_small_businesses|title=Wikipedia:Village pump (policy)|date=December 3, 2012|accessdate=February 4, 2013}}</ref>

Wikia created the "Speedy Deletion Wikia" in which a robot harvested the Wikipedia articles that were deleted on an expedited basis and then reposted them on Wikia. These included copyrighted material and pornographic images that were deleted because of their objectionable nature.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=User_talk:Jimbo_Wales&diff=498803845&oldid=498803787|title=User Talk:Jimbo Wales|accessdate=January 13, 2017}}</ref>

==Controversies==

===Patrick administration===
WMF announced on 2006-06-19 that it had hired attorney Bradford Patrick as internal counsel acted as interim Executive Director.<ref>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Wikipedia_Signpost/2006-06-19/Brad_Patrick</ref>

In early 2007, a prominent Wikipedia editor, named only "Essjay" online and described on his user profile "as a tenured professor of religion at a private university with expertise in canon law," was exposed as a 24-year-old college kid in Kentucky. He resigned in disgrace — even though Wikipedia tried to retain him, claiming he'd edited thousands of articles with flair.<ref>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Essjay_controversy</ref>

===Gardner administration===

====Doran scandal====
In January 2007, WMF named Carolyn Doran chief operating officer and Sandy Ordonez joined as [http://wikimediafoundation.org/wiki/Head_of_Communications head of communications].<ref>{{cite web | title = Current staff | publisher = Wikimedia Foundation | url = https://wikimediafoundation.org/wiki/Current_staff | accessdate =February 1, 2007 | author = Danny | authorlink = foundation:User:Danny | archiveurl = https://wikimediafoundation.org/w/index.php?title=Current_staff&oldid=19370 | archivedate = February 1, 2007 }}</ref> Doran began working at WMF as a part-time bookkeeper in 2006 after being sent by a [[Temporary work|temporary agency]]. Doran later left the foundation in July 2007, and [[Sue Gardner]] was hired as consultant and special advisor (later becoming the Chief Executive Officer). It was later disclosed<ref>{{cite news | first = Cade | last = Metz | title = Wikipedia COO was convicted felon | url = http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/12/13/wikimedia_coo_convicted_felon/ | date = December 13, 2007 | accessdate =December 27, 2007 }}</ref> that Doran was a convicted [[felony|felon]], with a [[DUI]] arrest during her tenure at the foundation and a substantial criminal history, including shooting her boyfriend and complicity in credit card forgery.<ref>{{cite news |authorlink=Brian Bergstein | first = Brian | last = Bergstein | title = Felon Became COO of Wikipedia Foundation | url = http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5hcWLu3fg-aDeJNfWTY6hlbz93oCwD8TM0HVG0 | date = December 21, 2007 | accessdate =December 27, 2007 }}</ref> Her departure from the organization was cited as one of the reasons the foundation took about seven months to release its fiscal 2007 financial audit.<ref>{{cite news | author = Ral315 | title = ''Signpost'' interview: Florence Devouard | url = https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Wikipedia_Signpost/2007-11-19/Anthere_interview | work = The Wikipedia Signpost | date = November 19, 2007 }}</ref>

====2014 Staffing controversies====
One of the growing pains that organizations experience is that paid staff can be hired and perhaps perform their job duties well, but their off-duty conduct brings discredit to their employer. This is particularly challenging for the WMF, who hired staff from the pool of Wikipedia volunteers, with many staff continuing to edit Wikipedia outside their regular WMF job duties.

In January 2014, Sarah Stierch was discovered to have written Wikipedia articles for hire while being a full-time WMF employee. The WMF promptly announced her departure as an employee without any official explanation.<ref>http://lists.wikimedia.org/pipermail/wikimedia-l/2014-January/129466.html</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Wikipedia_Signpost/2014-01-08/News_and_notes|work=Wikimedia Signpost|date=January 8, 2014|title=WMF employee forced out over "paid advocacy editing"|accessdate=March 12, 2014}}</ref>

In March 2014, Ryan Kaldari, who has been working for the WMF for almost four years and is a Wikipedia administrator, got into an editing battle with another editor. Kaldari then made complaining comments about that editor under a second assumed name. For that policy violation, Kaldari lost his administrator privileges. However, the dispute caused Wikipedia users to research Kaldari's background and discovered that for years he has been the owner and operator of several other websites including "Snuffster.com", which was intended as a parody of Friendster, but soon became a haven for Internet trolls to mock murdered children. Kaldari has been paying for the site for 10 years and has actively added comments to various threads on the site.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.examiner.com/article/wikimedia-foundation-employee-caught-sockpuppeting-and-loses-admin-rights|first=Gregory|last=Kohs|title=Wikimedia Foundation employee caught sockpuppeting and loses admin rights |date=March 8, 204|accessdate=March 12, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.dailydot.com/news/wikipedia-sockpuppet-ryan-kaldari/|title=Wikipedia staffer at center of latest sockpuppet scandal|first=Rob|last=Price|work=Daily Dot|date= March 12, 2014|accessdate=March 16, 2014}}</ref> Kaldari's poor judgment in owning and operating this site was called to the attention of Jimbo Wales, who dismissed it out of hand.<ref>https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=User_talk:Jimbo_Wales&oldid=599304349</ref>

===Tretikov Administration===
In March 2013, Executive Director Sue Gardner announced that she would leave,<ref name=bizinsider/><ref>http://wikimediafoundation.org/wiki/Press_releases/The_search_for_our_next_Executive_Director Retrieved June 16, 2014.</ref> and an extensive search did not produce a satisfactory candidate. After a second search, Russian-born Lila Tretikov was selected as Gardner's replacement, and she took office on June 2, 2014. The WMF appointed a transition team to assist her in learning her new role, and there was a three-week transition period following the announcement of her selection. At the time, Tretikov was dating PHP programmer Will Sinclair. Both Tretikov and Sinclair attempted to become immersed in Wikipedia culture, and Sinclair quickly found his way to the noted criticism website [[Wikipediocracy]], where he registered an account. On May 30-June 1, 2014, the WMF sponsored a conference called "WikiConference USA" at the [[New York Law School]] which welcomed everyone to attend including "the curious, the skeptical, and others wishing to engage in meaningful conversation about the Wikimedia movement in the United States."<ref>http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e1/WikiCon_USA_2014_Press_Release_v1.pdf Retrieved June 16, 2014</ref> However, the afternoon before the conference began, Greg Kohs who had proposed to give a presentation on "paid editing" had his registration cancelled and was told not to attend.<ref>http://wikipediocracy.com/2014/06/02/wikiconference-usa-bans-critic-from-open-meeting/ Retrieved June 16, 2014</ref> Sinclair defended Kohs' right to attend and started a [http://wllm.com/ blog] and an [http://www.change.org/petitions/wikipedia-make-wikipedia-conferences-truly-open-to-all-by-allowing-greg-kohs-to-attend online petition] to advocate these views. He also expressed his views on a WMF listserv. In response, the WMF insiders turned vicious and openly suggested that Tretikov should break up their family and leave Sinclair because of his support for Kohs.<ref>http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User_talk:Jimbo#Regarding_the_nauseating_and_cowardly_remarks_made_by_Wikiconference_USA_attendees</ref> On June 15, Sinclair announced on Mr. Wales talk page that he would no longer participate on Wikipediocracy.<ref>http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=User_talk:Jimbo_Wales&diff=612984072&oldid=612983354 June 15, 2014.</ref> Efforts to get Mr. Wales to clarify why Kohs was banned from the conference were met with censorship.<ref>http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=User_talk:Jimbo_Wales&diff=613156950&oldid=613156824 June 16, 2014.</ref>

Sinclair later in 2014 started his own "Off-Wiki" Wikipedia criticism site.

As Executive Director, Tretikov gave speeches and participated in meetings and conferences around the world. Her travels may have made her less accessible to the WMF staff. One important initiative that Tretikov started was improving the WMF's efforts in child protection. Previously, the WMF left the decision to take disciplinary action against users to untrained volunteers on individual projects. The project leaders complained that they were not properly trained to handle allegations that a user was a child predator. Under Tretikov, the WMF legal staff began handling such complaints and banned a number of users from all WMF projects.

In 2015, the WMF Board and Tretikov reorganized the "Advancement" fundraising staff and secretly entered into an agreement with the [[Tides Foundation]] to establish a separate endowment fund. The Tides Foundation was established by liberal [[George Soros]]. Under the arrangement, the Tides Foundation will invest and control the endowment until it reaches its goal of $100 million at which time the WMF and Tides will agree on how to handle the money in the future. The WMF has hired staff to solicit and process gifts for the endowment, and the endowment was publicly launched on January 15, 2016.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://15.wikipedia.org/endowment.html|title=Wikimedia Endowment|accessdate=Feb. 26, 2016}}</ref> Many people have questioned how the WMF could embark on a $100 million endowment fund drive just a few weeks after a banner ad campaign on its website begging for money to keep its servers running.

In 2015, Tretikov reorganized the staff and launched a secret project to develop a "Knowledge Engine" (KE) which some planning documents said would compete with [[Google]] as a means of searching sources beyond the WMF projects by automating the process of evaluating what information on the Internet was reliable.<ref>[https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2016/02/head-of-wikimedia-foundation-resigns-as-tensions-with-editors-mount/ Wikimedia Foundation director resigns after uproar over “Knowledge Engine”], ''Ars Technica''.</ref> Tretikov applied for a grant of $2 million per year over three years from the Knight Foundation, but only received a one-time $250,000 grant to explore the concept. In November 2015, the WMF Board reaffirmed its support of Tretikov's leadership and retained a management consultant to mentor her. In addition, a number of senior WMF staff (including Deputy Director Erik Möller) departed, some making critical public remarks as they left.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://wikipediocracy.com/2016/02/26/unicorns-are-a-myth-lila-tretikov-resigns-as-wikimedia-foundation-executive-director/#comment-44801|title=Unicorns are a Myth: Lila Tretikov resigns as Wikimedia Foundation Executive Director|date=Feb. 26, 2016|accessdate=Feb. 26, 2016}}</ref> It is easy to imagine KE to evolve into an attempt to provide the equivalent of a FICO score for every domain name, perhaps every known person on Earth, that third-party software would likely utilities to influence how second-rate search engines would rank information. Wales frequently uses software features at his web sites to discredit or silence the communications anyone he disapproves of. Wales had previously welcomed the idea of having a biography for every person on Earth but the "deletionist" element of his "community" (who simply lust after the destroying of information about low-fame entities) rejected the notion.

[[File:James Heilman.png|thumb|left|200px|James Heilman, M.D. was removed from the Board]] In July 2015, James Heilman, MD was elected to the WMF Board by the editing community after starting working at WP in 2008 and being a very active ("many hours a day") and highly qualified non-anonymous editor and later administrator. He made many mass media presentations promoting the project and worked to improve its reliability especially for those seeking medical information. He attempted to recruit other physicians to help in the effort. Heilman brought staff dissatisfaction with Tretikov's leadership to the Board and pressed for more information on the Knowledge Engine and the Knight Foundation grant. On December 28, 2015, on the eve of two members leaving the Board, the Board held an emergency meeting and removed Heilman from the WMF Board by a vote of 8 to 2. The Board released a statement that Heilman "lacked the confidence" of his fellow trustees. The Community responded to his dismissal by pressing for the release of the Knowledge Engine grant application resulting in a public apology from Tretikov for pushing the project without first gaining consensus. Heilman continues to spend many hours a day contributing to WP as an editor and an admin and continues to make media appearances promoting the WP project.<ref>http://thewikipedian.net/tag/james-heilman/</ref><ref>http://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2016/11/08/501087493/should-i-trust-wikipedia-with-my-health</ref>

The WMF Board appointed two new people to fill outside Board slots effective January 1, one of which was a Google executive, Arnnon Geshuri who was a central figure in an antitrust case. Community outrage over this improperly vetted appointment resulted in his resignation from the WMF Board.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2016/01/editors-demand-ouster-of-wikimedia-board-member-involved-in-no-poach-deal/|title= Law & Disorder / Civilization & Discontents Wikipedia editors revolt, vote "no confidence" in newest board member|date=Jan. 25, 2016|accessdate=Feb. 25, 2016}}</ref> On February 25, 2016, Tretikov announced her resignation as the Wikimedia Foundation's Executive Director.<ref name=ltresign/> She continued until March 31.

===Maher Administration===
[[File:Katherine Maher.jpg|thumb|right|Katherine Maher, Executive Director]]
Katherine Maher was announced as the interim ED was announced and later it was announced that she was appointed permanently to the position.<ref name=ltresign>{{cite web|url=https://lists.wikimedia.org/pipermail/wikimedia-l/2016-February/082472.html|title=Executive transition planning|date=February 25, 2016|accessdate=February 25, 2016}}</ref>

==Site shut downs==
As a section 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization, the foundation must not be "carrying on propaganda, or otherwise attempting, to influence legislation (except as otherwise provided in subsection (h)), and which does not participate in, or intervene in (including the publishing or distributing of statements), any political campaign on behalf of (or in opposition to) any candidate for public office."<ref>{{USC|26|501(c)(3)}}.</ref> However, WMF has repeatedly used shutting down its website or threatening to shut down its website as a tactic to pressure specific legislative outcomes.

On October 4, 2011, the WMF servers were reprogrammed to hide the contents of the [[Italian Wikipedia|Italian language version of Wikipedia]], as a protest against paragraph 29 of the "''[[DDL intercettazioni]]''" (Wiretapping Bill).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.camera.it/_dati/leg16/lavori/stampati/pdf/16PDL0038530.pdf |title=Camera dei Deputati: disegno di legge N. 1415-B |language=Italian |date=11 June 2010 |accessdate=September 18, 2012 |publisher=Camera dei Deputati}} ([http://translate.google.com/translate?sl=it&tl=en&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.camera.it%2F_dati%2Fleg16%2Flavori%2Fstampati%2Fpdf%2F16PDL0038530.pdf English translation])</ref> The proposed bill would empower anyone who believes themselves to have been attacked by the content of a web site to enforce publication of a reply, uneditable and uncommented, on the same web site, within 48 hours and without any prior evaluation of the claim by a judge or to face a €12,000 fine.

On October 4 through 6, 2011, the WMF redirected all pages on the Italian language version of Wikipedia redirected to a statement opposing the proposed legislation.<ref>[http://www.businessinsider.com/italy-wikipedia-wiretapping-2011-10 "Wikipedia Shuts Down Italian Site In Response To Berlusconi's New Wiretap Act"], Adam Taylor, ''Business Insider'', 4 October 2011</ref> This was true for all users, not just those IP addresses based in Italy. On October 7, the Italian Wikipedia pages were again available, but a notice about the proposed legislation was still displayed at the top of pages.

The success of the Italian shut down whetted the appetite of people seeking to influence legislation in the United States. In December 2011, Wikipedia co-founder [[Jimmy Wales]] discussed a possible coordinated blackout by Wikipedia and other United States websites to protest anti-piracy two bills pending before the United States Congress: [[SOPA]] and [[PIPA]]. After committing the WMF to join a larger boycott, Wales initiated discussion with editors about his plan. Editors and others<ref>Charlie Osborne, [http://www.zdnet.com/blog/igeneration/would-a-wikipedia-blackout-be-such-a-bad-thing/13726 "Would a Wikipedia blackout be such a bad thing?"], ''iGeneration'' on [[ZDNet]], December 13, 2011, 11:04 am PST. Retrieved September 18, 2012.</ref> debated the alternatives of completely interrupting service for one or more days, or alternatively presenting site visitors with a blanked page directing them to further information before permitting them to complete searches.<ref>{{cite news |url= http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/jimmy-wales/8953273/Wikipedia-co-founder-threatens-blackout-over-anti-piracy-law.html |title=Wikipedia co-founder threatens blackout over anti-piracy law |work=The Telegraph |date=December 13, 2011 |author=Christopher Williams |accessdate=September 18, 2012 |location=London}}</ref><ref name="itnews wikipedia mulls blackout">{{cite news |url=http://www.itnews.com.au/News/284285,wikipedia-mulls-blackout-to-protest-sopa.aspx |title=Wikipedia mulls blackout to protest SOPA |publisher=itnews |date=December 13, 2011 |accessdate=September 18, 2012 |author=Brett Winterford |quote=Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales has threatened a knowledge "blackout" of the online encyclopedia to protest a US anti-piracy bill that could have serious ramifications for online service providers.}}</ref> On January 16, the Wikimedia Foundation announced that the English-language Wikipedia would be blacked out for 24 hours on January 18.<ref>{{cite news |title=Wikipedia to go dark in piracy protest |date=January 17, 2012 |work=[[Australian Broadcasting Corporation]] |url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-01-17/wiki-to-go-dark-in-piracy-protest/3778452 |accessdate=September 18, 2012}}</ref> The Simple English Wikipedia voted to continue full service and did not join the blackout.<ref>https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Simple_talk/Archive_97#Potential_black-out_of_Simple_English_Wikipedia_in_the_US</ref> Many editors complained that the blackout decision was not made in a democratic fashion and undercut Wikipedia's objectivity and non-political mission.<ref>{{cite news | url = http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/wikipedia-editors-question-sites-planned-blackout-15381673 | title = Wikipedia Editors Question Site's Planned Blackout | first = Peter | last = Svensson | date = January 17, 2012 | accessdate = September 18, 2012| agency = Associated Press }}</ref>

The SOPA/PIPA issue is so important to Sue Gardner, the WMF Executive Director, that in March 2013, she announced that she will be leaving her position to pursue the issue in another capacity.<ref name=bizinsider>{{cite news|url=http://www.businessinsider.com/wikimedia-foundations-sue-gardner-leaving-2013-3|work=Business Insider|date= March 28, 2013|title=The Woman Who Made Wikipedia Huge Is Stepping Down|accessdate=Arpril 27, 2013}}</ref> She left on June 1, 2014.

==Finances==
WMF's fundraising and expenses have grown at a very rapid rate. Some critics claim that WMF is taking in money faster than it can spend wisely.<ref>http://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wikimedia_Forum&oldid=4864408</ref>
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|+ Wikimedia financial data through June 2016 (financial years run from July 1 to June 30)
|-
! style="text-align: left; vertical-align: top" | Fiscal year
! style="text-align: right; vertical-align: top" | Revenue
! style="text-align: right; vertical-align: top" | Year-over-year ratio (revenue)
! style="text-align: right; vertical-align: top" | Expenses
! style="text-align: right; vertical-align: top" | Year-over-year ratio (expenses)
! style="text-align: right; vertical-align: top" | Net assets
! style="text-align: right; vertical-align: top" | Year-over-year ratio (net assets)
|-
| 2003–2004<ref name=2004-2006>{{cite web|url=//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/foundation/2/28/Wikimedia_2006_fs.pdf |title=Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. Financial Statements June 30, 2006, 2005 and 2004 |publisher=Wikimedia Foundation|accessdate=November 26, 2012|format=PDF}}</ref>
| style="text-align: right" data-sort-value="80129" |
{| cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width:100%;"
| style="width: 12%" | {{steady}} || style="text-align: right; width: 88%" | $80,129
|}
| style="text-align: right" data-sort-value="0" |
{| cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width:100%;"
| style="width: 58%" | {{steady}} || style="text-align: center; width: 42%" | N/A
|}
| style="text-align: right" data-sort-value="23463" |
{| cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width:100%;"
| style="width: 5%" | {{steady}} || style="text-align: right; width: 95%" | $23,463
|}
| style="text-align: right" data-sort-value="0" |
{| cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width:100%;"
| style="width: 58%" | {{steady}} || style="text-align: center; width: 42%" | N/A
|}
| style="text-align: right" data-sort-value="56666" |
{| cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width:100%;"
| style="width: 5%" | {{steady}} || style="text-align: right; width: 95%" | $56,666
|}
| style="text-align: right" data-sort-value="0" |
{| cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width:100%;"
| style="width: 58%" | {{steady}} || style="text-align: center; width: 42%" | N/A
|}
|-
| 2004–2005<ref name=2004-2006 />
| style="text-align: right" data-sort-value="379088" |
{| cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width:100%;"
| style="width: 12%" | {{increase}} || style="text-align: right; width: 88%" | $379,088
|}
| style="text-align: right" data-sort-value="373.10" |
{| cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width:100%;"
| style="width: 58%" | {{increase}} || style="text-align: right; width: 42%" | 373.1%
|}
| style="text-align: right" data-sort-value="177670" |
{| cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width:100%;"
| style="width: 5%" | {{increaseNegative}} || style="text-align: right; width: 95%" | $177,670
|}
| style="text-align: right" data-sort-value="657.2" |
{| cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width:100%;"
| style="width: 58%" | {{increaseNegative}} || style="text-align: right; width: 42%" | 657.2%
|}
| style="text-align: right" data-sort-value="268084" |
{| cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width:100%;"
| style="width: 5%" | {{increase}} || style="text-align: right; width: 95%" | $268,084
|}
| style="text-align: right" data-sort-value="373.09" |
{| cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width:100%;"
| style="width: 58%" | {{increase}} || style="text-align: right; width: 42%" | 373.1%
|}
|-
| 2005–2006<ref name=2004-2006 />
| style="text-align: right" data-sort-value="1508039" |
{| cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width:100%;"
| style="width: 12%" | {{increase}} || style="text-align: right; width: 88%" | $1,508,039
|}
| style="text-align: right" data-sort-value="297.81" |
{| cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width:100%;"
| style="width: 58%" | {{increase}} || style="text-align: right; width: 42%" | 297.8%
|}
| style="text-align: right" data-sort-value="791907" |
{| cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width:100%;"
| style="width: 5%" | {{increaseNegative}} || style="text-align: right; width: 95%" | $791,907
|}
| style="text-align: right" data-sort-value="345.72" |
{| cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width:100%;"
| style="width: 58%" | {{increaseNegative}} || style="text-align: right; width: 42%" | 345.7%
|}
| style="text-align: right" data-sort-value="1004216" |
{| cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width:100%;"
| style="width: 5%" | {{increase}} || style="text-align: right; width: 95%" | $1,004,216
|}
| style="text-align: right" data-sort-value="274.59" |
{| cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width:100%;"
| style="width: 58%" | {{increase}} || style="text-align: right; width: 42%" | 274.6%
|}
|-
| 2006–2007<ref>{{cite web|url=http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/foundation/4/49/Wikimedia_2007_fs.pdf |title=Microsoft Word – {F0900CC7-D37E-4CDF-95E3-B1F38D7DCD03}.doc |format=PDF |date= |accessdate=November 26, 2012}}</ref>
| style="text-align: right" data-sort-value="2734909" |
{| cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width:100%;"
| style="width: 12%" | {{increase}} || style="text-align: right; width: 88%" | $2,734,909
|}
| style="text-align: right" data-sort-value="81.4" |
{| cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width:100%;"
| style="width: 58%" | {{increase}} || style="text-align: right; width: 42%" | 81.4%
|}
| style="text-align: right" data-sort-value="2077843" |
{| cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width:100%;"
| style="width: 5%" | {{increaseNegative}} || style="text-align: right; width: 95%" | $2,077,843
|}
| style="text-align: right" data-sort-value="162.38" |
{| cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width:100%;"
| style="width: 58%" | {{increaseNegative}} || style="text-align: right; width: 42%" | 162.4%
|}
| style="text-align: right" data-sort-value="1658282" |
{| cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width:100%;"
| style="width: 5%" | {{increase}} || style="text-align: right; width: 95%" | $1,658,282
|}
| style="text-align: right" data-sort-value="65.13" |
{| cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width:100%;"
| style="width: 58%" | {{increase}} || style="text-align: right; width: 42%" | 65.1%
|}
|-
| 2007–2008<ref>{{cite web|url=http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/foundation/4/4c/Wikimedia_20072008_fs.pdf |title=Microsoft Word – 31935 SFO Wikimedia fs.doc |format=PDF |date= |accessdate=November 26, 2012}}</ref>
| style="text-align: right" data-sort-value="5032981" |
{| cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width:100%;"
| style="width: 12%" | {{increase}} || style="text-align: right; width: 88%" | $5,032,981
|}
| style="text-align: right" data-sort-value="84.0" |
{| cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width:100%;"
| style="width: 58%" | {{increase}} || style="text-align: right; width: 42%" | 84.0%
|}
| style="text-align: right" data-sort-value="3540724" |
{| cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width:100%;"
| style="width: 5%" | {{increaseNegative}} || style="text-align: right; width: 95%" | $3,540,724
|}
| style="text-align: right" data-sort-value="70.40" |
{| cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width:100%;"
| style="width: 58%" | {{increaseNegative}} || style="text-align: right; width: 42%" | 70.4%
|}
| style="text-align: right" data-sort-value="5178168" |
{| cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width:100%;"
| style="width: 5%" | {{increase}} || style="text-align: right; width: 95%" | $5,178,168
|}
| style="text-align: right" data-sort-value="212.26" |
{| cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width:100%;"
| style="width: 58%" | {{increase}} || style="text-align: right; width: 42%" | 212.3%
|}
|-
| 2008–2009<ref>{{cite web|url=http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/foundation/4/4f/FINAL_08_09From_KPMG.pdf |title=Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. Financial Statements June 30, 2009 and 2008 |publisher=Wikimedia Foundation|accessdate=November 26, 2012|format=PDF}}</ref>
| style="text-align: right" data-sort-value="8658006" |
{| cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width:100%;"
| style="width: 12%" | {{increase}} || style="text-align: right; width: 88%" | $8,658,006
|}
| style="text-align: right" data-sort-value="72.0" |
{| cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width:100%;"
| style="width: 58%" | {{increase}} || style="text-align: right; width: 42%" | 72.0%
|}
| style="text-align: right" data-sort-value="5617236" |
{| cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width:100%;"
| style="width: 5%" | {{increaseNegative}} || style="text-align: right; width: 95%" | $5,617,236
|}
| style="text-align: right" data-sort-value="58.65" |
{| cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width:100%;"
| style="width: 58%" | {{increaseNegative}} || style="text-align: right; width: 42%" | 58.6%
|}
| style="text-align: right" data-sort-value="8231767" |
{| cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width:100%;"
| style="width: 5%" | {{increase}} || style="text-align: right; width: 95%" | $8,231,767
|}
| style="text-align: right" data-sort-value="58.97" |
{| cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width:100%;"
| style="width: 58%" | {{increase}} || style="text-align: right; width: 42%" | 59.0%
|}
|-
| 2009–2010<ref>{{cite web|url=http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/foundation/c/cc/FINAL_09_10From_KPMG.pdf |title=Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. Financial Statements June 30, 2010 and 2009 |publisher=Wikimedia Foundation|accessdate=November 26, 2012|format=PDF}}</ref>
| style="text-align: right" data-sort-value="17979312" |
{| cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width:100%;"
| style="width: 12%" | {{increase}} || style="text-align: right; width: 88%" | $17,979,312
|}
| style="text-align: right" data-sort-value="107.7" |
{| cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width:100%;"
| style="width: 58%" | {{increase}} || style="text-align: right; width: 42%" | 107.7%
|}
| style="text-align: right" data-sort-value="10266793" |
{| cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width:100%;"
| style="width: 5%" | {{increaseNegative}} || style="text-align: right; width: 95%" | $10,266,793
|}
| style="text-align: right" data-sort-value="82.77" |
{| cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width:100%;"
| style="width: 58%" | {{increaseNegative}} || style="text-align: right; width: 42%" | 82.8%
|}
| style="text-align: right" data-sort-value="14542731" |
{| cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width:100%;"
| style="width: 5%" | {{increase}} || style="text-align: right; width: 95%" | $14,542,731
|}
| style="text-align: right" data-sort-value="76.67" |
{| cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width:100%;"
| style="width: 58%" | {{increase}} || style="text-align: right; width: 42%" | 76.7%
|}
|-
| 2010–2011<ref>{{cite web|url=http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/foundation/a/ac/FINAL_10_11From_KPMG.pdf |title=Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. Financial Statements June, 2011 and 2010 |publisher=Wikimedia Foundation| format=PDF|accessdate=2015-10-25}}</ref>
| style="text-align: right" data-sort-value="24785092" |
{| cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width:100%;"
| style="width: 12%" | {{increase}} || style="text-align: right; width: 88%" | $24,785,092
|}
| style="text-align: right" data-sort-value="37.8" |
{| cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width:100%;"
| style="width: 58%" | {{increase}} || style="text-align: right; width: 42%" | 37.8%
|}
| style="text-align: right" data-sort-value="17889794" |
{| cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width:100%;"
| style="width: 5%" | {{increaseNegative}} || style="text-align: right; width: 95%" | $17,889,794
|}
| style="text-align: right" data-sort-value="74.25" |
{| cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width:100%;"
| style="width: 58%" | {{increaseNegative}} || style="text-align: right; width: 42%" | 74.2%
|}
| style="text-align: right" data-sort-value="24192144" |
{| cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width:100%;"
| style="width: 5%" | {{increase}} || style="text-align: right; width: 95%" | $24,192,144
|}
| style="text-align: right" data-sort-value="66.35" |
{| cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width:100%;"
| style="width: 58%" | {{increase}} || style="text-align: right; width: 42%" | 66.3%
|}
|-
| 2011–2012<ref name=2011-2012>{{cite web|url=http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/foundation/0/09/FINAL_11_12From_KPMG.pdf|title= Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. Financial Statements June, 2012 and 2011|publisher=Wikimedia Foundation|accessdate=December 26, 2012|format=PDF}}</ref>
| style="text-align: right" data-sort-value="38479665" |
{| cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width:100%;"
| style="width: 12%" | {{increase}} || style="text-align: right; width: 88%" | $38,479,665
|}
| style="text-align: right" data-sort-value="55.2" |
{| cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width:100%;"
| style="width: 58%" | {{increase}} || style="text-align: right; width: 42%" | 55.2%
|}
| style="text-align: right" data-sort-value="29260652" |
{| cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width:100%;"
| style="width: 5%" | {{increaseNegative}} || style="text-align: right; width: 95%" | $29,260,652
|}
| style="text-align: right" data-sort-value="63.56" |
{| cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width:100%;"
| style="width: 58%" | {{increaseNegative}} || style="text-align: right; width: 42%" | 63.6%
|}
| style="text-align: right" data-sort-value="34929058" |
{| cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width:100%;"
| style="width: 5%" | {{increase}} || style="text-align: right; width: 95%" | $34,929,058
|}
| style="text-align: right" data-sort-value="44.38" |
{| cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width:100%;"
| style="width: 58%" | {{increase}} || style="text-align: right; width: 42%" | 44.4%
|}
|-
| 2012–2013<ref name=2012-2013>{{cite web|url=http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/foundation/6/6e/FINAL_12_13From_KPMG.pdf|title= Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. Financial Statements June, 2013 and 2012|publisher=Wikimedia Foundation|accessdate=December 14, 2013|format=PDF}}</ref>
| style="text-align: right" data-sort-value="48635408" |
{| cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width:100%;"
| style="width: 12%" | {{increase}} || style="text-align: right; width: 88%" | $48,635,408
|}
| style="text-align: right" data-sort-value="26.4" |
{| cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width:100%;"
| style="width: 58%" | {{increase}} || style="text-align: right; width: 42%" | 26.4%
|}
| style="text-align: right" data-sort-value="35704796" |
{| cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width:100%;"
| style="width: 5%" | {{increaseNegative}} || style="text-align: right; width: 95%" | $35,704,796
|}
| style="text-align: right" data-sort-value="22.02" |
{| cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width:100%;"
| style="width: 58%" | {{increaseNegative}} || style="text-align: right; width: 42%" | 22.0%
|}
| style="text-align: right" data-sort-value="45189124" |
{| cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width:100%;"
| style="width: 5%" | {{increase}} || style="text-align: right; width: 95%" | $45,189,124
|}
| style="text-align: right" data-sort-value="29.37" |
{| cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width:100%;"
| style="width: 58%" | {{increase}} || style="text-align: right; width: 42%" | 29.4%
|}
|-
| 2013–2014<ref name=2014-2015 />
| style="text-align: right" data-sort-value="52465287" |
{| cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width:100%;"
| style="width: 12%" | {{increase}} || style="text-align: right; width: 88%" | $52,465,287
|}
| style="text-align: right" data-sort-value="8.6" |
{| cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width:100%;"
| style="width: 58%" | {{increase}} || style="text-align: right; width: 42%" | 8.6%
|}
| style="text-align: right" data-sort-value="45900745" |
{| cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width:100%;"
| style="width: 5%" | {{increaseNegative}} || style="text-align: right; width: 95%" | $45,900,745
|}
| style="text-align: right" data-sort-value="28.6" |
{| cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width:100%;"
| style="width: 58%" | {{increaseNegative}} || style="text-align: right; width: 42%" | 28.6%
|}
| style="text-align: right" data-sort-value="53475021" |
{| cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width:100%;"
| style="width: 5%" | {{increase}} || style="text-align: right; width: 95%" | $53,475,021
|}
| style="text-align: right" data-sort-value="18.3" |
{| cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width:100%;"
| style="width: 58%" | {{increase}} || style="text-align: right; width: 42%" | 18.3%
|}
|-
| 2014–2015<ref name=2014-2015>{{cite web|url=https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/foundation/4/43/Wikimedia_Foundation_Audit_Report_-_FY15-16.pdf|title=Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. Financial Statements June, 2016 and 2015|publisher=Wikimedia Foundation|accessdate=November 15, 2016}}</ref>
| style="text-align: right" data-sort-value="74536375" |
{| cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width:100%;"
| style="width: 12%" | {{increase}} || style="text-align: right; width: 88%" | $74,536,375
|}
| style="text-align: right" data-sort-value="44.5" |
{| cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width:100%;"
| style="width: 58%" | {{increase}} || style="text-align: right; width: 42%" | 44.5%
|}
| style="text-align: right" data-sort-value="52596782" |
{| cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width:100%;"
| style="width: 5%" | {{increaseNegative}} || style="text-align: right; width: 95%" | $52,596,782
|}
| style="text-align: right" data-sort-value="14.6" |
{| cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width:100%;"
| style="width: 58%" | {{increaseNegative}} || style="text-align: right; width: 42%" | 14.6%
|}
| style="text-align: right" data-sort-value="77820298" |
{| cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width:100%;"
| style="width: 5%" | {{increase}} || style="text-align: right; width: 95%" | $77,820,298
|}
| style="text-align: right" data-sort-value="45.5" |
{| cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width:100%;"
| style="width: 58%" | {{increase}} || style="text-align: right; width: 42%" | 45.5%
|}
|-
| 2015–2016<ref name=2015-2016>{{cite web|url=https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/foundation/4/43/Wikimedia_Foundation_Audit_Report_-_FY15-16.pdf|title=Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. Financial Statements June, 2016 and 2015|publisher=Wikimedia Foundation|accessdate=November 15, 2016}}</ref>
| style="text-align: right" data-sort-value="81862724" |
{| cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width:100%;"
| style="width: 12%" | {{increase}} || style="text-align: right; width: 88%" | $81,862,724
|}
| style="text-align: right" data-sort-value="9.8" |
{| cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width:100%;"
| style="width: 58%" | {{increase}} || style="text-align: right; width: 42%" | 9.8%
|}
| style="text-align: right" data-sort-value="65947465" |
{| cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width:100%;"
| style="width: 5%" | {{increaseNegative}} || style="text-align: right; width: 95%" | $65,947,465
|}
| style="text-align: right" data-sort-value="25.4" |
{| cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width:100%;"
| style="width: 58%" | {{increaseNegative}} || style="text-align: right; width: 42%" | 25.4%
|}
| style="text-align: right" data-sort-value="91782795" |
{| cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width:100%;"
| style="width: 5%" | {{increase}} || style="text-align: right; width: 95%" | $91,782,795
|}
| style="text-align: right" data-sort-value="17.9" |
{| cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width:100%;"
| style="width: 58%" | {{increase}} || style="text-align: right; width: 42%" | 17.9%
|}
|}
If the WMF has $91 million in the bank, those funds could produce (at 4%) $3,640,000 in annual income, which is more than enough to fund the Wikipedia web servers in perpetuity. So, people are questioning the need for the WMF's annual fund raising campaign.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://wikipediocracy.com/2014/12/11/the-wikipedia-fundraising-banner-sad-but-untrue/|title=The Wikipedia Fundraising Banner: Sad but Untrue|date=December 11, 2014|accessdate=December 12, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.quora.com/What-are-some-good-arguments-against-donating-to-the-Wikimedia-Foundation/answer/Andreas-Kolbe|title=What are some good arguments against donating to the Wikimedia Foundation?|work=Quora|accessdate=December 15, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://newslines.org/blog/stop-giving-wikipedia-money/|title=Stop giving Wikipedia money|date=December 4, 2014|accessdate=December 15, 2014|work=Newslines}}</ref>

Each year the WMF conducts a fundraising drive to keep the webservers working on that popular liberal website. They claim the donations go to "Servers, bandwidth, maintenance, development."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://donate.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:FundraiserLandingPage&country=US&uselang=en&utm_medium=sidebar&utm_source=donate&utm_campaign=C13_en.wikipedia.org|title=Make Your Donation Now - Donate|accessdate=September 3, 2013}}</ref> Yet, in the period July - December 2012, the WMF took in $30.9 million but spent only $1.3 million on internet hosting.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/foundation/6/68/Jul-Dec%2712_Mid-year_financials2.pdf|title=Actual vs. Plan Comparison|work=Wikimedia Foundation|accessdate=September 3, 2013}}</ref> During 2012, the net worth of the WMF grew by $11 million. Yet, liberal Wikipedia users continue to donate in response to the WMF's urgent appeals.

In spring 2014, Jimmy Wales began to pander for [[bitcoin]] donations at websites where bitcoin investors were seeking ways to lend legitimacy to the digital currency. He promised to ask the WMF Board to allow bitcoin donations on the Wikipedia website. In the summer of 2014, the WMF made arrangements with Coinbase, who promised to convert bitcoin into dollars without charge. Thereafter, a bitcoin option was added to the WMF donation page.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://techcrunch.com/2014/07/30/wikipedia-now-accepts-bitc donations-with-coinbase/|publisher=techcrunch.com|title=Wikipedia Now Accepts Bitcoin Donations With Coinbase|date=July 30, 2014|accessdate=August 8, 2014}}</ref> Seth Meyers noted on his ''Late Night'' program, "Wikipedia is now accepting donations using the online currency Bitcoin. So now you can support information you're not sure is true with currency you're not sure is money."<ref>http://www.thespec.com/living-story/4733681-tuesdayfile/ Retrieved August 8, 2014</ref>

In addition to the WMF staff, the WMF awards grants and hires outside contractors. In the 2016 fiscal year, two law firms, Jones Day ($1,557,553) and Cooley LLP ($410,560), were among the largest payments. The WMF paid $436,104 to Minassian Media Inc. for public relations.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/foundation/4/44/Wikimedia_Foundation_2015_Form_990.pdf|title=2015-16 Form 990|accessdate=July 7, 2017}}</ref> Craig Minassian also serves as Chief Communications Officer of the [[Clinton Foundation]].

==Dispersed accountability==
A major factor in preventing accountability is that the fundraising conducted on the Wikipedia website links to a number of different solicitation pages depending on the nationality of the donor. Although the WMF collects the funds from donors located in the United States and other nations, fundraising in many countries is conducted by the country's own national chapter. The chapters then share the revenues with WMF. However, each chapter adopts its own spending practices and accountability standards.

The German chapter spends a portion of its funds on technology, but most of the other chapters focus on conferences, travel and other soft costs. Needless to say, with so much money being spent on non-technology / infrastructure items, the WMF and its chapters have drawn critics from within their own organization. However, internal dissent is quickly deleted.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Talk:Netball&diff=next&oldid=535697243|title=Talk:Netball|date=January 30, 2013}}</ref>

The WMF has two chapters in the United States: Wikimedia New York (which has a 501(c)(3) status from the IRS) and Wikimedia District of Columbia, whose 501(c)(3) exemption application was abandoned. The Treasurer of the UK WMF chapter suddenly resigned in 2013.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://blog.wikimedia.org.uk/2013/02/john-byrne-stands-down-as-the-treasurer-and-a-trustee-of-wikimedia-uk/|title=John Byrne Stands Down as the Treasurer and a Trustee of Wikimedia UK|date=February 3, 2013|accessdate=February 4, 2013}}</ref> The outgoing vice president of Wikimedia Australia (who was an unsuccessful candidate for President in its 2012 election) applied for a travel grant with two of her friends to visit Colorado ski resorts in December 2012 and sought the funding retroactively.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.wikimedia.org.au/wiki/Proposal:Paralympic_Winter_Sports|title=Proposal:Paralympic Winter Sports|accessdate=February 4, 2013|work=Wikimedia Australia}}</ref>

The President of Wikimedia Australia has spend so much time traveling with the President of Wikimedia Indonesia that the two married.{{citation needed}}

A number of departing WMF employees have left comments on the Glassdoor website, citing problems with senior management creating a very confused work environment. The WMF suffers from a high staff turnover rate.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.glassdoor.com/Reviews/Wikimedia-Foundation-Reviews-E38331.htm|title=Wikimedia Foundation|accessdate=April 27, 2013}}</ref>

The WMF's endowment is held separately by the [[Tides Foundation]] and is controlled by their Board of Trustees. However, the agreement establishing the endowment between WMF and Tides provides for a separate "Wikimedia Endowment Advisory Board" to represent the Wikimedia communities interests when Tides makes decisions about the endowment. Instead of just having the WMF Board have a say in what will become the WMF's largest financial resource, a separate Board has been appointed with Jimmy Wales and Annette Campbell-White as its initial members.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://blog.wikimedia.org/2016/05/11/annette-campbell-white-endowment/|title=Annette Campbell-White named to the Wikimedia Endowment Advisory Board|date=May 11, 2016|accessdate=January 17, 2017}}</ref> In September, Peter Baldwin was added to the Advisory Board.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://blog.wikimedia.org/2016/09/09/peter-baldwin-endowment-board/|title=Peter Baldwin, professor and philanthropist, is appointed to the Wikimedia Endowment Advisory Board|quote=Endowment Board members are selected based on active involvement in philanthropic endeavors, prior nonprofit board experience, fundraising expertise, and a strong commitment to the Wikimedia Foundation’s mission.|accessdate=January 17, 2017}}</ref>

==References==
<references/>

[[Category:Liberal Organizations]]
[[Category:Wikimedia Foundation]]

Wikimedia Foundation

2018-03-19T22:00:02Z

1982Ross: removing trolling/harassment by banned user Amorrow [http://www.conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Special:Log&page=User%3AAmorrow&type=block]

'''Wikimedia Foundation, Inc.''' (WMF) is a not-for-profit Florida corporation with its principle place of business in [[San Francisco, California]]. It was founded by [[Jimmy Wales]], who has a permanent position on the Board of Directors. It operates several online collaborative wiki projects including [[Wikipedia]], [[Wiktionary]], [[Wikiquote]], [[Wikibooks]], [[Wikisource]], [[Wikimedia Commons]], [[Wikispecies]], [[Wikinews]], [[Wikiversity]], Wikimedia Incubator, Meta-Wiki, [[Wikidata]], [[Wikivoyage]], and owns the now-defunct Nupedia online encyclopedia. Its Executive Director is Katherine Maher.

HQ is 1 Montgomery Street, Suite 1600, San Francisco, CA 94104 Phone:(415) 839-6885 Supposed business hours: 9AM–5PM PST.<ref>https://wikimediafoundation.org/wiki/Contact_us</ref>

Pay of Executive Director: $214 K.<ref>https://www.glassdoor.com/Salary/Wikimedia-Foundation-Executive-Director-Salaries-E38331_D_KO21,39.htm</ref>

==History==
The creation of the foundation was officially announced on June 20, 2003, by the [[atheism|atheist]] and Wikipedia co-founder [[Jimmy Wales]],<ref name="Rupert Neate">{{cite news | first = Rupert | last = Neate | title = Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales goes bananas | url = http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/mediatechnologyandtelecoms/3399843/Wikipedia-founder-Jimmy-Wales-goes-bananas.html |work=The Daily Telegraph | date= October 7, 2008 | accessdate =October 25, 2009 | quote = The encyclopedia's huge fan base became such a drain on Bomis's resources that Mr Wales, and co-founder Larry Sanger, thought of a radical new funding model – charity.}}</ref> who had been operating Wikipedia within his adult entertainment company [[Bomis]].<ref>{{cite web | url = http://lists.wikimedia.org/pipermail/wikipedia-l/2003-June/010743.html | title = Wikipedia English mailing list message | date = June 20, 2003 | first = Jimmy | last = Wales | authorlink = Jimmy Wales}}</ref> At the time, Wikipedia was operating out of Bomis' offices in St. Petersburg, Florida.

The name "Wikimedia" was [[neologism|coined]] by American author [[Sheldon Rampton]] in a post to the English mailing list in March 2003.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://mail.wikipedia.org/pipermail/wikien-l/2003-March/001887.html | title = Wikipedia English mailing list message | date = March 16, 2003 | first = Sheldon | last = Rampton | authorlink = Sheldon Rampton }}</ref>
At the start, Wales transferred ownership of all Wikipedia, Wiktionary and [[Nupedia]] [[domain name]]s to Wikimedia along with the copyrights for all materials related to these projects that were created by [[Bomis]] employees or Wales himself. The computer equipment used to run all the Wikimedia projects was also donated by Wales to the foundation, which also acquired the domain names "wikimedia.org" and "wikimediafoundation.org".

In April 2005, the US [[Internal Revenue Service]] determined that the foundation was an educational foundation in the category "[[Adult education|Adult]], [[Continuing education|Continuing Education]]", making all contributions to the foundation [[Tax deduction|tax-deductible]] for U.S. federal income tax purposes.

On September 25, 2007, the foundation's board decided to move to the [[San Francisco Bay Area]]. The Board said its major reasons for choosing San Francisco were proximity to like-minded organizations and potential partners as well as cheaper and more convenient international travel than is available from St. Petersburg, Florida.<ref name="MoncadaWikimoveTribune">{{cite web | url = http://www2.tbo.com/content/2007/sep/25/wikimedia-foundation-moving-another-bay-area/?news-breaking | title= Wikimedia Foundation Moving To Another Bay Area | author = Carlos Moncada | work = [[The Tampa Tribune]] |date = September 25, 2007 | quote = }}</ref><ref name="MullinsWikimoveTribune">{{cite web | url= http://www.tbo.com/news/money/MGBNF5F517F.html | title = Online Encyclopedia To Leave St. Petersburg For San Francisco | author = Richard Mullins | work = The Tampa Tribune |date = September 26, 2007 | quote = }}</ref><ref name="KimWikimoveSFChronicle">{{cite web | url= http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/10/10/BU69SNMQ2.DTL&tsp=1 | title = Wikipedia team plans move to San Francisco | first = Ryan | last = Kim |work=San Francisco Chronicle | date = October 10, 2007 | quote = }}</ref>

The Wikimedia Foundation Board met in 2016 in a small town in Italy to discuss transparency and communication. The Foundation funded all Board members' travel to Italy.

==Wikia==
{{Main|Wikia}} 
In January 2004, [[Jimmy Wales]] appointed his business partners [[Tim Shell]] and Michael E. Davis to the foundation's board. In June 2004, an election was held for two user representative board members. Following one month of campaigning and two weeks of online voting, [[Angela Beesley Starling|Angela Beesley]] and [[Florence Devouard|Florence Nibart-Devouard]] were elected to join the board. In late 2004, Wales and Beesley launched a startup company, [[Wikia]], affiliated with neither Wikimedia nor Bomis, except for their presence as principals/trustees. In July 2005, Beesley and Nibart-Devouard were re-elected to the board. On July 1, 2006, Beesley resigned from the board effective upon election of her successor, expressing concern about "certain events and tendencies that have arisen within the organization since the start of this year," but stating her intent to continue to participate in the Wikimedia projects, and in the formation of an Australian chapter. A special election was held in September to finish Beesley's term, ending with the mid-2007 election. [[Erik Möller]] won the election. Möller was subsequently hired as Deputy Executive Director of the WMF. On December 8, 2006, the board expanded to seven people with the appointments of Kat Walsh and [[Oscar van Dillen]]. Walsh was elected Chair of the board in July 2012. Walsh was not re-elected to the WMF Board in 2013.

Wales and Beesley continued to develop Wikia as a for-profit alternative to the WMF projects, and some critics allege that by deleting very specialized articles and content from Wikipedia, a core team was pushing people to develop specialized wikis on Wikia. When Wikipedia community voted 61-39% percent to treat all links to other sites equally by removing nofollow (Google-ignored) tags for all of them, the Wikipedia co-founder overruled this decision and Wikipedia now favors Wikia in its treatment of nofollow tags.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.techcrunch.com/2007/04/28/wikipedia-special-treatment-for-wikia-and-other-wikis/|title=Wikipedia: Special Treatment for Wikia and some other Wikis|author=Nik Cubrilovic|date=April 28, 2007|accessdate=July 22, 2012}}</ref><ref>http://lists.wikimedia.org/pipermail/wikien-l/2007-January/061137.html</ref> Michael E. Davis, a former business partner of Wales who served for years as a founding member of the WMF board and was MWF's Treasurer, was named Treasurer and Secretary of Wikia in January 2006. In January 2009, Wikia subleased two conference rooms to the WMF.

Wales continues as a voting member of the WMF Board and serves as its spokesperson.

In August 2009, Matt Halprin, Partner of the Omidyar Network, was asked to join the Wikimedia Foundation board of trustees. Halprin was responsible for an Omidyar team that “pursues investments in Social Media”, and Omidyar invested part of $4 million into Wikia, Inc. in 2006. So, his company would succeed if Wikia made a nice return on investment, yet of all of the available competent Silcon Valley experts, the WMF selected Halprin to serve on the Board that is entrusted to ensure that the WMF treats Wikia on an arms-length basis.

In 2006, Wikia received a major round of venture capital funding from Amazon.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.bizjournals.com/seattle/stories/2006/12/04/daily16.html?jst=b_ln_hl|title=Amazon invests in Wikia|work=Puget Sound Business Journal|date=December 6, 2006|accessdate=February 4, 2013}}</ref> Although a large number of payment processors are available, as of 2013, the WMF uses Amazon to process donation payments.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wikipedia:Village_pump_%28policy%29&diff=526220744&oldid=526213000#Wikipedia_is_now_enriching_itself_by_contributing_to_the_destruction_of_small_businesses|title=Wikipedia:Village pump (policy)|date=December 3, 2012|accessdate=February 4, 2013}}</ref>

Wikia created the "Speedy Deletion Wikia" in which a robot harvested the Wikipedia articles that were deleted on an expedited basis and then reposted them on Wikia. These included copyrighted material and pornographic images that were deleted because of their objectionable nature.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=User_talk:Jimbo_Wales&diff=498803845&oldid=498803787|title=User Talk:Jimbo Wales|accessdate=January 13, 2017}}</ref>

==Controversies==

===Patrick administration===
WMF announced on 2006-06-19 that it had hired attorney Bradford Patrick as internal counsel acted as interim Executive Director.<ref>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Wikipedia_Signpost/2006-06-19/Brad_Patrick</ref>

In early 2007, a prominent Wikipedia editor, named only "Essjay" online and described on his user profile "as a tenured professor of religion at a private university with expertise in canon law," was exposed as a 24-year-old college kid in Kentucky. He resigned in disgrace — even though Wikipedia tried to retain him, claiming he'd edited thousands of articles with flair.<ref>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Essjay_controversy</ref>

===Gardner administration===

====Doran scandal====
In January 2007, WMF named Carolyn Doran chief operating officer and Sandy Ordonez joined as [http://wikimediafoundation.org/wiki/Head_of_Communications head of communications].<ref>{{cite web | title = Current staff | publisher = Wikimedia Foundation | url = https://wikimediafoundation.org/wiki/Current_staff | accessdate =February 1, 2007 | author = Danny | authorlink = foundation:User:Danny | archiveurl = https://wikimediafoundation.org/w/index.php?title=Current_staff&oldid=19370 | archivedate = February 1, 2007 }}</ref> Doran began working at WMF as a part-time bookkeeper in 2006 after being sent by a [[Temporary work|temporary agency]]. Doran later left the foundation in July 2007, and [[Sue Gardner]] was hired as consultant and special advisor (later becoming the Chief Executive Officer). It was later disclosed<ref>{{cite news | first = Cade | last = Metz | title = Wikipedia COO was convicted felon | url = http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/12/13/wikimedia_coo_convicted_felon/ | date = December 13, 2007 | accessdate =December 27, 2007 }}</ref> that Doran was a convicted [[felony|felon]], with a [[DUI]] arrest during her tenure at the foundation and a substantial criminal history, including shooting her boyfriend and complicity in credit card forgery.<ref>{{cite news |authorlink=Brian Bergstein | first = Brian | last = Bergstein | title = Felon Became COO of Wikipedia Foundation | url = http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5hcWLu3fg-aDeJNfWTY6hlbz93oCwD8TM0HVG0 | date = December 21, 2007 | accessdate =December 27, 2007 }}</ref> Her departure from the organization was cited as one of the reasons the foundation took about seven months to release its fiscal 2007 financial audit.<ref>{{cite news | author = Ral315 | title = ''Signpost'' interview: Florence Devouard | url = https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Wikipedia_Signpost/2007-11-19/Anthere_interview | work = The Wikipedia Signpost | date = November 19, 2007 }}</ref>

===Tretikov Administration===
In March 2013, Executive Director Sue Gardner announced that she would leave,<ref name=bizinsider/><ref>http://wikimediafoundation.org/wiki/Press_releases/The_search_for_our_next_Executive_Director Retrieved June 16, 2014.</ref> and an extensive search did not produce a satisfactory candidate. After a second search, Russian-born Lila Tretikov was selected as Gardner's replacement, and she took office on June 2, 2014. The WMF appointed a transition team to assist her in learning her new role, and there was a three-week transition period following the announcement of her selection. At the time, Tretikov was dating PHP programmer Will Sinclair. Both Tretikov and Sinclair attempted to become immersed in Wikipedia culture, and Sinclair quickly found his way to the noted criticism website [[Wikipediocracy]], where he registered an account. On May 30-June 1, 2014, the WMF sponsored a conference called "WikiConference USA" at the [[New York Law School]] which welcomed everyone to attend including "the curious, the skeptical, and others wishing to engage in meaningful conversation about the Wikimedia movement in the United States."<ref>http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e1/WikiCon_USA_2014_Press_Release_v1.pdf Retrieved June 16, 2014</ref> However, the afternoon before the conference began, Greg Kohs who had proposed to give a presentation on "paid editing" had his registration cancelled and was told not to attend.<ref>http://wikipediocracy.com/2014/06/02/wikiconference-usa-bans-critic-from-open-meeting/ Retrieved June 16, 2014</ref> Sinclair defended Kohs' right to attend and started a [http://wllm.com/ blog] and an [http://www.change.org/petitions/wikipedia-make-wikipedia-conferences-truly-open-to-all-by-allowing-greg-kohs-to-attend online petition] to advocate these views. He also expressed his views on a WMF listserv. In response, the WMF insiders turned vicious and openly suggested that Tretikov should break up their family and leave Sinclair because of his support for Kohs.<ref>http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User_talk:Jimbo#Regarding_the_nauseating_and_cowardly_remarks_made_by_Wikiconference_USA_attendees</ref> On June 15, Sinclair announced on Mr. Wales talk page that he would no longer participate on Wikipediocracy.<ref>http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=User_talk:Jimbo_Wales&diff=612984072&oldid=612983354 June 15, 2014.</ref> Efforts to get Mr. Wales to clarify why Kohs was banned from the conference were met with censorship.<ref>http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=User_talk:Jimbo_Wales&diff=613156950&oldid=613156824 June 16, 2014.</ref>

Sinclair later in 2014 started his own "Off-Wiki" Wikipedia criticism site.

As Executive Director, Tretikov gave speeches and participated in meetings and conferences around the world. Her travels may have made her less accessible to the WMF staff. One important initiative that Tretikov started was improving the WMF's efforts in child protection. Previously, the WMF left the decision to take disciplinary action against users to untrained volunteers on individual projects. The project leaders complained that they were not properly trained to handle allegations that a user was a child predator. Under Tretikov, the WMF legal staff began handling such complaints and banned a number of users from all WMF projects.

In 2015, the WMF Board and Tretikov reorganized the "Advancement" fundraising staff and secretly entered into an agreement with the [[Tides Foundation]] to establish a separate endowment fund. The Tides Foundation was established by liberal [[George Soros]]. Under the arrangement, the Tides Foundation will invest and control the endowment until it reaches its goal of $100 million at which time the WMF and Tides will agree on how to handle the money in the future. The WMF has hired staff to solicit and process gifts for the endowment, and the endowment was publicly launched on January 15, 2016.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://15.wikipedia.org/endowment.html|title=Wikimedia Endowment|accessdate=Feb. 26, 2016}}</ref> Many people have questioned how the WMF could embark on a $100 million endowment fund drive just a few weeks after a banner ad campaign on its website begging for money to keep its servers running.

In 2015, Tretikov reorganized the staff and launched a secret project to develop a "Knowledge Engine" (KE) which some planning documents said would compete with [[Google]] as a means of searching sources beyond the WMF projects by automating the process of evaluating what information on the Internet was reliable.<ref>[https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2016/02/head-of-wikimedia-foundation-resigns-as-tensions-with-editors-mount/ Wikimedia Foundation director resigns after uproar over “Knowledge Engine”], ''Ars Technica''.</ref> Tretikov applied for a grant of $2 million per year over three years from the Knight Foundation, but only received a one-time $250,000 grant to explore the concept. In November 2015, the WMF Board reaffirmed its support of Tretikov's leadership and retained a management consultant to mentor her. In addition, a number of senior WMF staff (including Deputy Director Erik Möller) departed, some making critical public remarks as they left.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://wikipediocracy.com/2016/02/26/unicorns-are-a-myth-lila-tretikov-resigns-as-wikimedia-foundation-executive-director/#comment-44801|title=Unicorns are a Myth: Lila Tretikov resigns as Wikimedia Foundation Executive Director|date=Feb. 26, 2016|accessdate=Feb. 26, 2016}}</ref> It is easy to imagine KE to evolve into an attempt to provide the equivalent of a FICO score for every domain name, perhaps every known person on Earth, that third-party software would likely utilities to influence how second-rate search engines would rank information. Wales frequently uses software features at his web sites to discredit or silence the communications anyone he disapproves of. Wales had previously welcomed the idea of having a biography for every person on Earth but the "deletionist" element of his "community" (who simply lust after the destroying of information about low-fame entities) rejected the notion.

[[File:James Heilman.png|thumb|left|200px|James Heilman, M.D. was removed from the Board]] In July 2015, James Heilman, MD was elected to the WMF Board by the editing community after starting working at WP in 2008 and being a very active ("many hours a day") and highly qualified non-anonymous editor and later administrator. He made many mass media presentations promoting the project and worked to improve its reliability especially for those seeking medical information. He attempted to recruit other physicians to help in the effort. Heilman brought staff dissatisfaction with Tretikov's leadership to the Board and pressed for more information on the Knowledge Engine and the Knight Foundation grant. On December 28, 2015, on the eve of two members leaving the Board, the Board held an emergency meeting and removed Heilman from the WMF Board by a vote of 8 to 2. The Board released a statement that Heilman "lacked the confidence" of his fellow trustees. The Community responded to his dismissal by pressing for the release of the Knowledge Engine grant application resulting in a public apology from Tretikov for pushing the project without first gaining consensus. Heilman continues to spend many hours a day contributing to WP as an editor and an admin and continues to make media appearances promoting the WP project.<ref>http://thewikipedian.net/tag/james-heilman/</ref><ref>http://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2016/11/08/501087493/should-i-trust-wikipedia-with-my-health</ref>

The WMF Board appointed two new people to fill outside Board slots effective January 1, one of which was a Google executive, Arnnon Geshuri who was a central figure in an antitrust case. Community outrage over this improperly vetted appointment resulted in his resignation from the WMF Board.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2016/01/editors-demand-ouster-of-wikimedia-board-member-involved-in-no-poach-deal/|title= Law & Disorder / Civilization & Discontents Wikipedia editors revolt, vote "no confidence" in newest board member|date=Jan. 25, 2016|accessdate=Feb. 25, 2016}}</ref> On February 25, 2016, Tretikov announced her resignation as the Wikimedia Foundation's Executive Director.<ref name=ltresign/> She continued until March 31.

===Maher Administration===
[[File:Katherine Maher.jpg|thumb|right|Katherine Maher, Executive Director]]
Katherine Maher was announced as the interim ED was announced and later it was announced that she was appointed permanently to the position.<ref name=ltresign>{{cite web|url=https://lists.wikimedia.org/pipermail/wikimedia-l/2016-February/082472.html|title=Executive transition planning|date=February 25, 2016|accessdate=February 25, 2016}}</ref>

==Site shut downs==
As a section 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization, the foundation must not be "carrying on propaganda, or otherwise attempting, to influence legislation (except as otherwise provided in subsection (h)), and which does not participate in, or intervene in (including the publishing or distributing of statements), any political campaign on behalf of (or in opposition to) any candidate for public office."<ref>{{USC|26|501(c)(3)}}.</ref> However, WMF has repeatedly used shutting down its website or threatening to shut down its website as a tactic to pressure specific legislative outcomes.

On October 4, 2011, the WMF servers were reprogrammed to hide the contents of the [[Italian Wikipedia|Italian language version of Wikipedia]], as a protest against paragraph 29 of the "''[[DDL intercettazioni]]''" (Wiretapping Bill).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.camera.it/_dati/leg16/lavori/stampati/pdf/16PDL0038530.pdf |title=Camera dei Deputati: disegno di legge N. 1415-B |language=Italian |date=11 June 2010 |accessdate=September 18, 2012 |publisher=Camera dei Deputati}} ([http://translate.google.com/translate?sl=it&tl=en&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.camera.it%2F_dati%2Fleg16%2Flavori%2Fstampati%2Fpdf%2F16PDL0038530.pdf English translation])</ref> The proposed bill would empower anyone who believes themselves to have been attacked by the content of a web site to enforce publication of a reply, uneditable and uncommented, on the same web site, within 48 hours and without any prior evaluation of the claim by a judge or to face a €12,000 fine.

On October 4 through 6, 2011, the WMF redirected all pages on the Italian language version of Wikipedia redirected to a statement opposing the proposed legislation.<ref>[http://www.businessinsider.com/italy-wikipedia-wiretapping-2011-10 "Wikipedia Shuts Down Italian Site In Response To Berlusconi's New Wiretap Act"], Adam Taylor, ''Business Insider'', 4 October 2011</ref> This was true for all users, not just those IP addresses based in Italy. On October 7, the Italian Wikipedia pages were again available, but a notice about the proposed legislation was still displayed at the top of pages.

The success of the Italian shut down whetted the appetite of people seeking to influence legislation in the United States. In December 2011, Wikipedia co-founder [[Jimmy Wales]] discussed a possible coordinated blackout by Wikipedia and other United States websites to protest anti-piracy two bills pending before the United States Congress: [[SOPA]] and [[PIPA]]. After committing the WMF to join a larger boycott, Wales initiated discussion with editors about his plan. Editors and others<ref>Charlie Osborne, [http://www.zdnet.com/blog/igeneration/would-a-wikipedia-blackout-be-such-a-bad-thing/13726 "Would a Wikipedia blackout be such a bad thing?"], ''iGeneration'' on [[ZDNet]], December 13, 2011, 11:04 am PST. Retrieved September 18, 2012.</ref> debated the alternatives of completely interrupting service for one or more days, or alternatively presenting site visitors with a blanked page directing them to further information before permitting them to complete searches.<ref>{{cite news |url= http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/jimmy-wales/8953273/Wikipedia-co-founder-threatens-blackout-over-anti-piracy-law.html |title=Wikipedia co-founder threatens blackout over anti-piracy law |work=The Telegraph |date=December 13, 2011 |author=Christopher Williams |accessdate=September 18, 2012 |location=London}}</ref><ref name="itnews wikipedia mulls blackout">{{cite news |url=http://www.itnews.com.au/News/284285,wikipedia-mulls-blackout-to-protest-sopa.aspx |title=Wikipedia mulls blackout to protest SOPA |publisher=itnews |date=December 13, 2011 |accessdate=September 18, 2012 |author=Brett Winterford |quote=Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales has threatened a knowledge "blackout" of the online encyclopedia to protest a US anti-piracy bill that could have serious ramifications for online service providers.}}</ref> On January 16, the Wikimedia Foundation announced that the English-language Wikipedia would be blacked out for 24 hours on January 18.<ref>{{cite news |title=Wikipedia to go dark in piracy protest |date=January 17, 2012 |work=[[Australian Broadcasting Corporation]] |url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-01-17/wiki-to-go-dark-in-piracy-protest/3778452 |accessdate=September 18, 2012}}</ref> The Simple English Wikipedia voted to continue full service and did not join the blackout.<ref>https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Simple_talk/Archive_97#Potential_black-out_of_Simple_English_Wikipedia_in_the_US</ref> Many editors complained that the blackout decision was not made in a democratic fashion and undercut Wikipedia's objectivity and non-political mission.<ref>{{cite news | url = http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/wikipedia-editors-question-sites-planned-blackout-15381673 | title = Wikipedia Editors Question Site's Planned Blackout | first = Peter | last = Svensson | date = January 17, 2012 | accessdate = September 18, 2012| agency = Associated Press }}</ref>

The SOPA/PIPA issue is so important to Sue Gardner, the WMF Executive Director, that in March 2013, she announced that she will be leaving her position to pursue the issue in another capacity.<ref name=bizinsider>{{cite news|url=http://www.businessinsider.com/wikimedia-foundations-sue-gardner-leaving-2013-3|work=Business Insider|date= March 28, 2013|title=The Woman Who Made Wikipedia Huge Is Stepping Down|accessdate=Arpril 27, 2013}}</ref> She left on June 1, 2014.

==Finances==
WMF's fundraising and expenses have grown at a very rapid rate. Some critics claim that WMF is taking in money faster than it can spend wisely.<ref>http://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wikimedia_Forum&oldid=4864408</ref>
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|+ Wikimedia financial data through June 2016 (financial years run from July 1 to June 30)
|-
! style="text-align: left; vertical-align: top" | Fiscal year
! style="text-align: right; vertical-align: top" | Revenue
! style="text-align: right; vertical-align: top" | Year-over-year ratio (revenue)
! style="text-align: right; vertical-align: top" | Expenses
! style="text-align: right; vertical-align: top" | Year-over-year ratio (expenses)
! style="text-align: right; vertical-align: top" | Net assets
! style="text-align: right; vertical-align: top" | Year-over-year ratio (net assets)
|-
| 2003–2004<ref name=2004-2006>{{cite web|url=//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/foundation/2/28/Wikimedia_2006_fs.pdf |title=Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. Financial Statements June 30, 2006, 2005 and 2004 |publisher=Wikimedia Foundation|accessdate=November 26, 2012|format=PDF}}</ref>
| style="text-align: right" data-sort-value="80129" |
{| cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width:100%;"
| style="width: 12%" | {{steady}} || style="text-align: right; width: 88%" | $80,129
|}
| style="text-align: right" data-sort-value="0" |
{| cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width:100%;"
| style="width: 58%" | {{steady}} || style="text-align: center; width: 42%" | N/A
|}
| style="text-align: right" data-sort-value="23463" |
{| cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width:100%;"
| style="width: 5%" | {{steady}} || style="text-align: right; width: 95%" | $23,463
|}
| style="text-align: right" data-sort-value="0" |
{| cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width:100%;"
| style="width: 58%" | {{steady}} || style="text-align: center; width: 42%" | N/A
|}
| style="text-align: right" data-sort-value="56666" |
{| cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width:100%;"
| style="width: 5%" | {{steady}} || style="text-align: right; width: 95%" | $56,666
|}
| style="text-align: right" data-sort-value="0" |
{| cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width:100%;"
| style="width: 58%" | {{steady}} || style="text-align: center; width: 42%" | N/A
|}
|-
| 2004–2005<ref name=2004-2006 />
| style="text-align: right" data-sort-value="379088" |
{| cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width:100%;"
| style="width: 12%" | {{increase}} || style="text-align: right; width: 88%" | $379,088
|}
| style="text-align: right" data-sort-value="373.10" |
{| cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width:100%;"
| style="width: 58%" | {{increase}} || style="text-align: right; width: 42%" | 373.1%
|}
| style="text-align: right" data-sort-value="177670" |
{| cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width:100%;"
| style="width: 5%" | {{increaseNegative}} || style="text-align: right; width: 95%" | $177,670
|}
| style="text-align: right" data-sort-value="657.2" |
{| cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width:100%;"
| style="width: 58%" | {{increaseNegative}} || style="text-align: right; width: 42%" | 657.2%
|}
| style="text-align: right" data-sort-value="268084" |
{| cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width:100%;"
| style="width: 5%" | {{increase}} || style="text-align: right; width: 95%" | $268,084
|}
| style="text-align: right" data-sort-value="373.09" |
{| cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width:100%;"
| style="width: 58%" | {{increase}} || style="text-align: right; width: 42%" | 373.1%
|}
|-
| 2005–2006<ref name=2004-2006 />
| style="text-align: right" data-sort-value="1508039" |
{| cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width:100%;"
| style="width: 12%" | {{increase}} || style="text-align: right; width: 88%" | $1,508,039
|}
| style="text-align: right" data-sort-value="297.81" |
{| cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width:100%;"
| style="width: 58%" | {{increase}} || style="text-align: right; width: 42%" | 297.8%
|}
| style="text-align: right" data-sort-value="791907" |
{| cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width:100%;"
| style="width: 5%" | {{increaseNegative}} || style="text-align: right; width: 95%" | $791,907
|}
| style="text-align: right" data-sort-value="345.72" |
{| cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width:100%;"
| style="width: 58%" | {{increaseNegative}} || style="text-align: right; width: 42%" | 345.7%
|}
| style="text-align: right" data-sort-value="1004216" |
{| cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width:100%;"
| style="width: 5%" | {{increase}} || style="text-align: right; width: 95%" | $1,004,216
|}
| style="text-align: right" data-sort-value="274.59" |
{| cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width:100%;"
| style="width: 58%" | {{increase}} || style="text-align: right; width: 42%" | 274.6%
|}
|-
| 2006–2007<ref>{{cite web|url=http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/foundation/4/49/Wikimedia_2007_fs.pdf |title=Microsoft Word – {F0900CC7-D37E-4CDF-95E3-B1F38D7DCD03}.doc |format=PDF |date= |accessdate=November 26, 2012}}</ref>
| style="text-align: right" data-sort-value="2734909" |
{| cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width:100%;"
| style="width: 12%" | {{increase}} || style="text-align: right; width: 88%" | $2,734,909
|}
| style="text-align: right" data-sort-value="81.4" |
{| cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width:100%;"
| style="width: 58%" | {{increase}} || style="text-align: right; width: 42%" | 81.4%
|}
| style="text-align: right" data-sort-value="2077843" |
{| cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width:100%;"
| style="width: 5%" | {{increaseNegative}} || style="text-align: right; width: 95%" | $2,077,843
|}
| style="text-align: right" data-sort-value="162.38" |
{| cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width:100%;"
| style="width: 58%" | {{increaseNegative}} || style="text-align: right; width: 42%" | 162.4%
|}
| style="text-align: right" data-sort-value="1658282" |
{| cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width:100%;"
| style="width: 5%" | {{increase}} || style="text-align: right; width: 95%" | $1,658,282
|}
| style="text-align: right" data-sort-value="65.13" |
{| cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width:100%;"
| style="width: 58%" | {{increase}} || style="text-align: right; width: 42%" | 65.1%
|}
|-
| 2007–2008<ref>{{cite web|url=http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/foundation/4/4c/Wikimedia_20072008_fs.pdf |title=Microsoft Word – 31935 SFO Wikimedia fs.doc |format=PDF |date= |accessdate=November 26, 2012}}</ref>
| style="text-align: right" data-sort-value="5032981" |
{| cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width:100%;"
| style="width: 12%" | {{increase}} || style="text-align: right; width: 88%" | $5,032,981
|}
| style="text-align: right" data-sort-value="84.0" |
{| cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width:100%;"
| style="width: 58%" | {{increase}} || style="text-align: right; width: 42%" | 84.0%
|}
| style="text-align: right" data-sort-value="3540724" |
{| cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width:100%;"
| style="width: 5%" | {{increaseNegative}} || style="text-align: right; width: 95%" | $3,540,724
|}
| style="text-align: right" data-sort-value="70.40" |
{| cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width:100%;"
| style="width: 58%" | {{increaseNegative}} || style="text-align: right; width: 42%" | 70.4%
|}
| style="text-align: right" data-sort-value="5178168" |
{| cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width:100%;"
| style="width: 5%" | {{increase}} || style="text-align: right; width: 95%" | $5,178,168
|}
| style="text-align: right" data-sort-value="212.26" |
{| cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width:100%;"
| style="width: 58%" | {{increase}} || style="text-align: right; width: 42%" | 212.3%
|}
|-
| 2008–2009<ref>{{cite web|url=http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/foundation/4/4f/FINAL_08_09From_KPMG.pdf |title=Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. Financial Statements June 30, 2009 and 2008 |publisher=Wikimedia Foundation|accessdate=November 26, 2012|format=PDF}}</ref>
| style="text-align: right" data-sort-value="8658006" |
{| cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width:100%;"
| style="width: 12%" | {{increase}} || style="text-align: right; width: 88%" | $8,658,006
|}
| style="text-align: right" data-sort-value="72.0" |
{| cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width:100%;"
| style="width: 58%" | {{increase}} || style="text-align: right; width: 42%" | 72.0%
|}
| style="text-align: right" data-sort-value="5617236" |
{| cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width:100%;"
| style="width: 5%" | {{increaseNegative}} || style="text-align: right; width: 95%" | $5,617,236
|}
| style="text-align: right" data-sort-value="58.65" |
{| cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width:100%;"
| style="width: 58%" | {{increaseNegative}} || style="text-align: right; width: 42%" | 58.6%
|}
| style="text-align: right" data-sort-value="8231767" |
{| cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width:100%;"
| style="width: 5%" | {{increase}} || style="text-align: right; width: 95%" | $8,231,767
|}
| style="text-align: right" data-sort-value="58.97" |
{| cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width:100%;"
| style="width: 58%" | {{increase}} || style="text-align: right; width: 42%" | 59.0%
|}
|-
| 2009–2010<ref>{{cite web|url=http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/foundation/c/cc/FINAL_09_10From_KPMG.pdf |title=Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. Financial Statements June 30, 2010 and 2009 |publisher=Wikimedia Foundation|accessdate=November 26, 2012|format=PDF}}</ref>
| style="text-align: right" data-sort-value="17979312" |
{| cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width:100%;"
| style="width: 12%" | {{increase}} || style="text-align: right; width: 88%" | $17,979,312
|}
| style="text-align: right" data-sort-value="107.7" |
{| cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width:100%;"
| style="width: 58%" | {{increase}} || style="text-align: right; width: 42%" | 107.7%
|}
| style="text-align: right" data-sort-value="10266793" |
{| cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width:100%;"
| style="width: 5%" | {{increaseNegative}} || style="text-align: right; width: 95%" | $10,266,793
|}
| style="text-align: right" data-sort-value="82.77" |
{| cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width:100%;"
| style="width: 58%" | {{increaseNegative}} || style="text-align: right; width: 42%" | 82.8%
|}
| style="text-align: right" data-sort-value="14542731" |
{| cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width:100%;"
| style="width: 5%" | {{increase}} || style="text-align: right; width: 95%" | $14,542,731
|}
| style="text-align: right" data-sort-value="76.67" |
{| cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width:100%;"
| style="width: 58%" | {{increase}} || style="text-align: right; width: 42%" | 76.7%
|}
|-
| 2010–2011<ref>{{cite web|url=http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/foundation/a/ac/FINAL_10_11From_KPMG.pdf |title=Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. Financial Statements June, 2011 and 2010 |publisher=Wikimedia Foundation| format=PDF|accessdate=2015-10-25}}</ref>
| style="text-align: right" data-sort-value="24785092" |
{| cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width:100%;"
| style="width: 12%" | {{increase}} || style="text-align: right; width: 88%" | $24,785,092
|}
| style="text-align: right" data-sort-value="37.8" |
{| cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width:100%;"
| style="width: 58%" | {{increase}} || style="text-align: right; width: 42%" | 37.8%
|}
| style="text-align: right" data-sort-value="17889794" |
{| cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width:100%;"
| style="width: 5%" | {{increaseNegative}} || style="text-align: right; width: 95%" | $17,889,794
|}
| style="text-align: right" data-sort-value="74.25" |
{| cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width:100%;"
| style="width: 58%" | {{increaseNegative}} || style="text-align: right; width: 42%" | 74.2%
|}
| style="text-align: right" data-sort-value="24192144" |
{| cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width:100%;"
| style="width: 5%" | {{increase}} || style="text-align: right; width: 95%" | $24,192,144
|}
| style="text-align: right" data-sort-value="66.35" |
{| cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width:100%;"
| style="width: 58%" | {{increase}} || style="text-align: right; width: 42%" | 66.3%
|}
|-
| 2011–2012<ref name=2011-2012>{{cite web|url=http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/foundation/0/09/FINAL_11_12From_KPMG.pdf|title= Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. Financial Statements June, 2012 and 2011|publisher=Wikimedia Foundation|accessdate=December 26, 2012|format=PDF}}</ref>
| style="text-align: right" data-sort-value="38479665" |
{| cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width:100%;"
| style="width: 12%" | {{increase}} || style="text-align: right; width: 88%" | $38,479,665
|}
| style="text-align: right" data-sort-value="55.2" |
{| cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width:100%;"
| style="width: 58%" | {{increase}} || style="text-align: right; width: 42%" | 55.2%
|}
| style="text-align: right" data-sort-value="29260652" |
{| cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width:100%;"
| style="width: 5%" | {{increaseNegative}} || style="text-align: right; width: 95%" | $29,260,652
|}
| style="text-align: right" data-sort-value="63.56" |
{| cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width:100%;"
| style="width: 58%" | {{increaseNegative}} || style="text-align: right; width: 42%" | 63.6%
|}
| style="text-align: right" data-sort-value="34929058" |
{| cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width:100%;"
| style="width: 5%" | {{increase}} || style="text-align: right; width: 95%" | $34,929,058
|}
| style="text-align: right" data-sort-value="44.38" |
{| cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width:100%;"
| style="width: 58%" | {{increase}} || style="text-align: right; width: 42%" | 44.4%
|}
|-
| 2012–2013<ref name=2012-2013>{{cite web|url=http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/foundation/6/6e/FINAL_12_13From_KPMG.pdf|title= Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. Financial Statements June, 2013 and 2012|publisher=Wikimedia Foundation|accessdate=December 14, 2013|format=PDF}}</ref>
| style="text-align: right" data-sort-value="48635408" |
{| cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width:100%;"
| style="width: 12%" | {{increase}} || style="text-align: right; width: 88%" | $48,635,408
|}
| style="text-align: right" data-sort-value="26.4" |
{| cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width:100%;"
| style="width: 58%" | {{increase}} || style="text-align: right; width: 42%" | 26.4%
|}
| style="text-align: right" data-sort-value="35704796" |
{| cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width:100%;"
| style="width: 5%" | {{increaseNegative}} || style="text-align: right; width: 95%" | $35,704,796
|}
| style="text-align: right" data-sort-value="22.02" |
{| cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width:100%;"
| style="width: 58%" | {{increaseNegative}} || style="text-align: right; width: 42%" | 22.0%
|}
| style="text-align: right" data-sort-value="45189124" |
{| cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width:100%;"
| style="width: 5%" | {{increase}} || style="text-align: right; width: 95%" | $45,189,124
|}
| style="text-align: right" data-sort-value="29.37" |
{| cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width:100%;"
| style="width: 58%" | {{increase}} || style="text-align: right; width: 42%" | 29.4%
|}
|-
| 2013–2014<ref name=2014-2015 />
| style="text-align: right" data-sort-value="52465287" |
{| cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width:100%;"
| style="width: 12%" | {{increase}} || style="text-align: right; width: 88%" | $52,465,287
|}
| style="text-align: right" data-sort-value="8.6" |
{| cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width:100%;"
| style="width: 58%" | {{increase}} || style="text-align: right; width: 42%" | 8.6%
|}
| style="text-align: right" data-sort-value="45900745" |
{| cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width:100%;"
| style="width: 5%" | {{increaseNegative}} || style="text-align: right; width: 95%" | $45,900,745
|}
| style="text-align: right" data-sort-value="28.6" |
{| cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width:100%;"
| style="width: 58%" | {{increaseNegative}} || style="text-align: right; width: 42%" | 28.6%
|}
| style="text-align: right" data-sort-value="53475021" |
{| cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width:100%;"
| style="width: 5%" | {{increase}} || style="text-align: right; width: 95%" | $53,475,021
|}
| style="text-align: right" data-sort-value="18.3" |
{| cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width:100%;"
| style="width: 58%" | {{increase}} || style="text-align: right; width: 42%" | 18.3%
|}
|-
| 2014–2015<ref name=2014-2015>{{cite web|url=https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/foundation/4/43/Wikimedia_Foundation_Audit_Report_-_FY15-16.pdf|title=Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. Financial Statements June, 2016 and 2015|publisher=Wikimedia Foundation|accessdate=November 15, 2016}}</ref>
| style="text-align: right" data-sort-value="74536375" |
{| cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width:100%;"
| style="width: 12%" | {{increase}} || style="text-align: right; width: 88%" | $74,536,375
|}
| style="text-align: right" data-sort-value="44.5" |
{| cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width:100%;"
| style="width: 58%" | {{increase}} || style="text-align: right; width: 42%" | 44.5%
|}
| style="text-align: right" data-sort-value="52596782" |
{| cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width:100%;"
| style="width: 5%" | {{increaseNegative}} || style="text-align: right; width: 95%" | $52,596,782
|}
| style="text-align: right" data-sort-value="14.6" |
{| cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width:100%;"
| style="width: 58%" | {{increaseNegative}} || style="text-align: right; width: 42%" | 14.6%
|}
| style="text-align: right" data-sort-value="77820298" |
{| cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width:100%;"
| style="width: 5%" | {{increase}} || style="text-align: right; width: 95%" | $77,820,298
|}
| style="text-align: right" data-sort-value="45.5" |
{| cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width:100%;"
| style="width: 58%" | {{increase}} || style="text-align: right; width: 42%" | 45.5%
|}
|-
| 2015–2016<ref name=2015-2016>{{cite web|url=https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/foundation/4/43/Wikimedia_Foundation_Audit_Report_-_FY15-16.pdf|title=Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. Financial Statements June, 2016 and 2015|publisher=Wikimedia Foundation|accessdate=November 15, 2016}}</ref>
| style="text-align: right" data-sort-value="81862724" |
{| cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width:100%;"
| style="width: 12%" | {{increase}} || style="text-align: right; width: 88%" | $81,862,724
|}
| style="text-align: right" data-sort-value="9.8" |
{| cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width:100%;"
| style="width: 58%" | {{increase}} || style="text-align: right; width: 42%" | 9.8%
|}
| style="text-align: right" data-sort-value="65947465" |
{| cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width:100%;"
| style="width: 5%" | {{increaseNegative}} || style="text-align: right; width: 95%" | $65,947,465
|}
| style="text-align: right" data-sort-value="25.4" |
{| cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width:100%;"
| style="width: 58%" | {{increaseNegative}} || style="text-align: right; width: 42%" | 25.4%
|}
| style="text-align: right" data-sort-value="91782795" |
{| cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width:100%;"
| style="width: 5%" | {{increase}} || style="text-align: right; width: 95%" | $91,782,795
|}
| style="text-align: right" data-sort-value="17.9" |
{| cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width:100%;"
| style="width: 58%" | {{increase}} || style="text-align: right; width: 42%" | 17.9%
|}
|}
If the WMF has $91 million in the bank, those funds could produce (at 4%) $3,640,000 in annual income, which is more than enough to fund the Wikipedia web servers in perpetuity. So, people are questioning the need for the WMF's annual fund raising campaign.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://wikipediocracy.com/2014/12/11/the-wikipedia-fundraising-banner-sad-but-untrue/|title=The Wikipedia Fundraising Banner: Sad but Untrue|date=December 11, 2014|accessdate=December 12, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.quora.com/What-are-some-good-arguments-against-donating-to-the-Wikimedia-Foundation/answer/Andreas-Kolbe|title=What are some good arguments against donating to the Wikimedia Foundation?|work=Quora|accessdate=December 15, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://newslines.org/blog/stop-giving-wikipedia-money/|title=Stop giving Wikipedia money|date=December 4, 2014|accessdate=December 15, 2014|work=Newslines}}</ref>

Each year the WMF conducts a fundraising drive to keep the webservers working on that popular liberal website. They claim the donations go to "Servers, bandwidth, maintenance, development."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://donate.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:FundraiserLandingPage&country=US&uselang=en&utm_medium=sidebar&utm_source=donate&utm_campaign=C13_en.wikipedia.org|title=Make Your Donation Now - Donate|accessdate=September 3, 2013}}</ref> Yet, in the period July - December 2012, the WMF took in $30.9 million but spent only $1.3 million on internet hosting.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/foundation/6/68/Jul-Dec%2712_Mid-year_financials2.pdf|title=Actual vs. Plan Comparison|work=Wikimedia Foundation|accessdate=September 3, 2013}}</ref> During 2012, the net worth of the WMF grew by $11 million. Yet, liberal Wikipedia users continue to donate in response to the WMF's urgent appeals.

In spring 2014, Jimmy Wales began to pander for [[bitcoin]] donations at websites where bitcoin investors were seeking ways to lend legitimacy to the digital currency. He promised to ask the WMF Board to allow bitcoin donations on the Wikipedia website. In the summer of 2014, the WMF made arrangements with Coinbase, who promised to convert bitcoin into dollars without charge. Thereafter, a bitcoin option was added to the WMF donation page.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://techcrunch.com/2014/07/30/wikipedia-now-accepts-bitc donations-with-coinbase/|publisher=techcrunch.com|title=Wikipedia Now Accepts Bitcoin Donations With Coinbase|date=July 30, 2014|accessdate=August 8, 2014}}</ref> Seth Meyers noted on his ''Late Night'' program, "Wikipedia is now accepting donations using the online currency Bitcoin. So now you can support information you're not sure is true with currency you're not sure is money."<ref>http://www.thespec.com/living-story/4733681-tuesdayfile/ Retrieved August 8, 2014</ref>

In addition to the WMF staff, the WMF awards grants and hires outside contractors. In the 2016 fiscal year, two law firms, Jones Day ($1,557,553) and Cooley LLP ($410,560), were among the largest payments. The WMF paid $436,104 to Minassian Media Inc. for public relations.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/foundation/4/44/Wikimedia_Foundation_2015_Form_990.pdf|title=2015-16 Form 990|accessdate=July 7, 2017}}</ref> Craig Minassian also serves as Chief Communications Officer of the [[Clinton Foundation]].

==Dispersed accountability==
A major factor in preventing accountability is that the fundraising conducted on the Wikipedia website links to a number of different solicitation pages depending on the nationality of the donor. Although the WMF collects the funds from donors located in the United States and other nations, fundraising in many countries is conducted by the country's own national chapter. The chapters then share the revenues with WMF. However, each chapter adopts its own spending practices and accountability standards.

The German chapter spends a portion of its funds on technology, but most of the other chapters focus on conferences, travel and other soft costs. Needless to say, with so much money being spent on non-technology / infrastructure items, the WMF and its chapters have drawn critics from within their own organization. However, internal dissent is quickly deleted.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Talk:Netball&diff=next&oldid=535697243|title=Talk:Netball|date=January 30, 2013}}</ref>

The WMF has two chapters in the United States: Wikimedia New York (which has a 501(c)(3) status from the IRS) and Wikimedia District of Columbia, whose 501(c)(3) exemption application was abandoned. The Treasurer of the UK WMF chapter suddenly resigned in 2013.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://blog.wikimedia.org.uk/2013/02/john-byrne-stands-down-as-the-treasurer-and-a-trustee-of-wikimedia-uk/|title=John Byrne Stands Down as the Treasurer and a Trustee of Wikimedia UK|date=February 3, 2013|accessdate=February 4, 2013}}</ref> The outgoing vice president of Wikimedia Australia (who was an unsuccessful candidate for President in its 2012 election) applied for a travel grant with two of her friends to visit Colorado ski resorts in December 2012 and sought the funding retroactively.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.wikimedia.org.au/wiki/Proposal:Paralympic_Winter_Sports|title=Proposal:Paralympic Winter Sports|accessdate=February 4, 2013|work=Wikimedia Australia}}</ref>

The President of Wikimedia Australia has spend so much time traveling with the President of Wikimedia Indonesia that the two married.

A number of departing WMF employees have left comments on the Glassdoor website, citing problems with senior management creating a very confused work environment. The WMF suffers from a high staff turnover rate.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.glassdoor.com/Reviews/Wikimedia-Foundation-Reviews-E38331.htm|title=Wikimedia Foundation|accessdate=April 27, 2013}}</ref>

The WMF's endowment is held separately by the [[Tides Foundation]] and is controlled by their Board of Trustees. However, the agreement establishing the endowment between WMF and Tides provides for a separate "Wikimedia Endowment Advisory Board" to represent the Wikimedia communities interests when Tides makes decisions about the endowment. Instead of just having the WMF Board have a say in what will become the WMF's largest financial resource, a separate Board has been appointed with Jimmy Wales and Annette Campbell-White as its initial members.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://blog.wikimedia.org/2016/05/11/annette-campbell-white-endowment/|title=Annette Campbell-White named to the Wikimedia Endowment Advisory Board|date=May 11, 2016|accessdate=January 17, 2017}}</ref> In September, Peter Baldwin was added to the Advisory Board.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://blog.wikimedia.org/2016/09/09/peter-baldwin-endowment-board/|title=Peter Baldwin, professor and philanthropist, is appointed to the Wikimedia Endowment Advisory Board|quote=Endowment Board members are selected based on active involvement in philanthropic endeavors, prior nonprofit board experience, fundraising expertise, and a strong commitment to the Wikimedia Foundation’s mission.|accessdate=January 17, 2017}}</ref>

==References==
<references/>

[[Category:Liberal Organizations]]
[[Category:Wikimedia Foundation]]

Voat.co

2018-03-19T21:40:46Z

1982Ross: fixing run-on sentence

[[File:Voat-logo.png|200px|left]]

'''Voat.co''' is a "community platform where you can have your say. No [[censorship]]." It is a website that mimics content and format of [[Reddit]] whereby you vote up or down submitted entries. The co-founder is Atif Colo. Originally called WhoaVerse in 2014, they changed their name to Voat in 2015 and incorporated in the USA. The site's mascot is a goat and technically they are currently in Beta deployment.

As Reddit grew large and accepted public financing, their original mission of free speech was shuttered. Users and groups were blocked that were not [[politically correct]]. This led to a surge of members quitting and joining Voat. Each new Reddit outrage leads to massive new memberships at Voat. So much so that Voat falls victim to overloaded servers. Reddit is so far left on the political spectrum that conservatives are effectively banned from submissions to the politics category. As a result, Voat's politics subverse is overwhelmingly populated with right-leaning users.

Alexa global rank in July 2017 is 6,000.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.alexa.com/siteinfo/voat.co|title=voat.co Alexa Site Overview|accessdate=July 25, 2017}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
* [http://www.voat.com Offical website]
* [https://twitter.com/voatco Twitter page]

[[Category:Websites]]

The Wizard of Oz

2018-01-29T04:51:44Z

1982Ross: formatting: removing extra lines

[[Image:OZ-TITLE.JPG|thumb|300px|right|Cover to an early edition of ''The Wonderful Wizard of Oz'']]
[[Image:BAUM.JPG|thumb|right|200px|L. Frank Baum]]
'''''The Wizard of Oz''''' is a very popular children's book written by L. Frank Baum in 1900, which started a [[Oz series|series]]. Baum himself adapted the book into a successful Broadway musical (1902), and others adapted it into a movie (1939). There have been many later film and dramatic spinoffs, as well as books, trinkets and toys based on the Wizard and the other memorable characters. The [[politically incorrect]] Wicked Witch of the West was so terrifying that she caused widespread nightmares, and the actress's reenactment nearly 40 later on [[Sesame Street]] sparked so many complaints that the episode was banned.<ref>http://birthmoviesdeath.com/2013/02/25/the-time-the-wicked-witch-of-the-west-was-too-scary-for-sesame-street</ref>

Dorothy, the Wizard, the Scarecrow, Tin Woodman, Cowardly Lion, flying monkeys, Munchkins, the yellow brick road, the dream city of Oz, Toto—and especially the Wicked Witch—have become icons of American popular culture. They appear regularly in editorial cartoons and the funny papers and even in everyday conversation. Political cartoonists used the Wizard image as early as 1906; in recent years Wizard themes appear in editorial cartoons on a weekly basis in the U.S.

Academics, especially economists and historians, use the story to study the images of [[politics]] and [[economics]] in the [[U.S.]] in the 1890s. Several hundred college level economics courses feature a unit on ''the Wizard of Oz'' to analyze money policy.

The author was L. Frank Baum (1856-1919); the illustrator of the 1900 book and 1902 play was editorial W. W. Denslow (1856-1915).<ref>see Michael Patrick Hearn, "The Man Behind the Man Behind Oz: W. W. Denslow at 150," ''AIGA'' (July 05, 2006) at [http://www.aiga.org/content.cfm/the-man-behind-the-man-behind-oz-w-w-denslow-at-150]</ref> The book was a runaway best seller, though the two coauthors became alienated, and both went bankrupt. Baum recouped by moving to Hollywood and writing a new series of Oz books; the series was continued after his death in 1919, with 40 Oz books in all. The first book became a smash Chicago hit musical in 1902 and moved to Broadway in 1903. Best known is the spectacularly successful Hollywood movie adaptation of 1939, starring Frank Morgan as the Wizard, [[Judy Garland]] as Dorothy, and Margaret Hamilton as the Wicked Witch of the West, this movie (along with ''[[Gone with the Wind]]'') was one of the first widely popular successes of Technicolor filmography.<ref>https://www.quora.com/What-was-the-first-movie-made-in-color</ref>

==The books==
'''''The Wonderful Wizard of Oz''''' appeared in 1900 as a children's book written by L. Frank Baum (1856-1919) and illustrated by W. W. Denslow (1856-1915). This was part of their effort to create a body of American literature in the fairy tale genre; they had already collaborated on Father Goose books. The Wizard was a great success and Baum followed it with thirteen more books set in the land of Oz. He lost Denslow as an illustrator and was never able to recapture the success of his original work. After Baum died Ruth Plumly Thompson continued the series with nineteen more stories, and other authors wrote additional books. The Land of Oz was one of the earliest of what fantasy fans now call "fictional universes." Like the Sherlock Holmes stories it has attracted a large number of devoted fans, who like to discuss and write about the land of Oz as if it actually existed.

The classic 17th century Christian allegory ''[[Pilgrim's Progress]]'' inspired some of the characters and dangers described in the Wizard of Oz.<ref>http://www.amerisearch.net/index.php?date=2004-08-31&view=View</ref>

==Plot line==
[[Image:DOROTHY1.JPG|thumb|right|200px|Denslow's drawing of Dorothy's introduction to the Scarecrow, from the 1st edition of book, 1900]]
The book opens not in an imaginary far-off place but in real life [[Kansas]], which in the 1890s was well known for the hardships of rural life, and for destructive tornadoes (also called cyclones). The [[Panic of 1893]] caused widespread distress in rural America. In 1896 and again in 1900 the agrarian wing of the [[U.S. Democratic Party, history|Democratic Party]] had seized control and nominated the firebrand orator [[William Jennings Bryan]], from Omaha, who crusaded across the land promising his panacea of "free silver" (whereby the government would turn cheap silver into real dollars farmers could use to pay their debts). His supporters truly believed it would transform America in a veritable utopia. Baum and Denslow, Republicans, rejected this notion and use the book to poke fun at Bryan (who is depicted as the Cowardly Lion).

The silverite revolution—a cyclone—sweeps away Dorothy and Toto to a colorful land of unlimited resources that nevertheless has serious political problems. This utopia is ruled in part by wicked witches. Dorothy's cyclone/revolution destroys the Wicked Witch of the East, slave-driver over the little people (Munchkins), who now celebrate their liberation. The Witch had controlled the powerful silver slippers (which were changed to ruby in the 1939 film).

The Good Witch of the North (the northern electorate) tries to help Dorothy, but she is not very smart, does not realize the power of the slippers, and sends Dorothy down the very dangerous gold road to the Wizard, who she mistakenly believes is so powerful that he can grant her wishes. (The northern vote elected McKinley in 1896 and he passed the gold standard into law.)

Along the Yellow Brick Road Dorothy picks up her coalition, the Scarecrow, Tin Woodman and Cowardly Lion, who all want the Wizard to grant their urgent wishes.

The national capital, the Emerald City, is a dream-like place based on the "White City," the common name for the Chicago World's fair of 1893, which Baum and Denslow attended often. The emerald green is an illusion (everyone must wear green glasses), symbolizing the fraudulent world of greenback paper money that only pretends to have value.
The Wizard/president is annoyed by his guests—by the demands of the people. He is a corrupt politician, a shrewd manipulator who seeks power for himself, ignores the needs of the people, and rules by fooling with people's minds. He selfishly sends them to destroy his enemy, the Wicked Witch of the West. If she gets them, he is rid of a nuisance. If they kill her, great—he will be pleased and then worry what to do next.

The Wicked Witch of the West represents the trusts, who took control of small businessmen and made them cogs in their empire, just as the Witch does with the heroes, using the Flying Monkeys as her tools. The trust issue was in the headlines, with a popular solution—one actually used in 1911 against [[Standard Oil]] to dissolve them. Dorothy heaves a bucket of water and dissolves the Wicked Witch.

The heroes return to Oz to claim their reward, and expose the Wizard for a media-manipulating fraud. He has no real power and must leave Oz the way he came, on a hot air balloon. (Politicians were synonymous with metaphors like "hot air" and "full of gas.") But he is a shrewd psychologist, and realizes the heroes already possess what they think they lack, they just lack self-confidence. He fills the Scarecrow's head with bran for a brain; implants a heart-shaped silk cushion inside the Tin Woodman (who now realizes his compassionate nature); he makes the Lion drink a dish of "courage" and he becomes king of the beasts again. He promises to take Dorothy back to Omaha, his hometown, but that plan misfires. The Good Witch of the South (the southern) vote appears. (In 1896 the South voted solidly for Bryan and free silver.) She is smarter than her sister the Good Witch of the North, and tells Dorothy to click her silver slippers three times—that believing will make it come true, and Dorothy arrives home again. It is a classic adventure story of travel to distant lands, and a story of running away from home and returning, a favorite theme for children.

==Sources==
Baum and Denslow did not simply invent the Cowardly Lion, Tin Woodman, Scarecrow, gold-colored Yellow Brick Road, Silver Slippers, cyclone, flying monkeys, Emerald City, little people, Uncle Henry, witches and the wizard. The images and characters used by Baum and Denslow were based on the political images that were well known in the editorial cartoons of the 1890s. Baum and Denslow built a story around them, added Dorothy whose innocence and purity are more effective than the witches' magic. They added a series of lessons to the effect that everyone possesses the resources they need if only they had self-confidence. Positive thinking was a prevalent trend in this period, and Baum was involved with the Theosophy Movement (similar to Christian Science) that emphasized the power of pure thoughts over material evils. Baum's point is that evil is in the mind, and it takes positive thinking, not a political revolution, to destroy it.

Baum in the 1890s edited the major national magazine for advertising in store windows, and was familiar with the elaborate mechanical displays of the Christmas story that attracted tens of thousands of spectators to the display windows of Marshall Field's, Carson Pirie Scott, and other Chicago department stores.<ref>Culver (1988)</ref> The spellbinding mechanical ingenuity (based on intricate clockwork) led many viewers to believe there must be a man behind the screen who worked all the levers.

Many of the events and characters of the book resemble the actual political personalities, events and ideas of the 1890s. The 1902 stage adaptation mentioned, by name, President [[Theodore Roosevelt]], oil magnate [[John D. Rockefeller]], Senator [[Mark Hanna]] and other political celebrities. (No real people are mentioned by name in the 1900 book.) Even the title has been interpreted as alluding to a political reality: oz. is an abbreviation for ounce, a unit familiar to those who fought for a 16 to 1 ounce ratio of silver to gold in the name of [[Bimetallism]]<ref>Baum's son said he thought his father got the name from a file cabinet labeled A-N and O-Z.</ref>

==Impact on readers==
The 40 Oz books had a significant impact on their young middle class readers who read them in English, Spanish, Russian, French, German, Romanian, Latin, Hebrew, or Arabic editions. Novelist Gore Vidal recalls:
{{quotebox|Like most Americans my age (with access to books) I spent a good deal of my youth in Baum's Land of Oz. I have a precise, tactile memory of the first Oz book that came into my hands. It was the original 1910 edition of ''The Emerald City of Oz.'' I still remember the look and the feel of those dark blue covers, the evocative smell of dust and old ink. I also remember that I could not stop reading and rereading the book. But 'reading' is not the right word. In some mysterious way, I was translating myself to Oz, a place which I was to inhabit for many years .... With The Emerald City, I became addicted to reading."<ref>Quoted in , Nicholas Von Hoffman, "Flimflam Land. ''Civilization,'' Feb/Mar2000, Vol. 7, Issue 1</ref>}}

==Allegorical devices==
{| {{table}}
| align="center" style="background:#f0f0f0;"|'''Intellect'''
| align="center" style="background:#f0f0f0;"|'''Emotion'''
| align="center" style="background:#f0f0f0;"|'''Will'''
|-
| Hunk||Hickory||Zeke
|-
| Scarecrow||Tin Man||Lion
|-
|
|}
*Dorothy represents a complete person or the human mind as a whole, while her three companions represent [[intellect]], [[emotion]] and [[will]].
*Dorothy, naive, young and simple, represents the American people. She is Everyman, lost in a crazy utopia who wants to get back to normalcy and the love of her family. She resembles the young hero of ''Coin's financial school'', a very popular silverite pamphlet of 1893. In her innocence and purity she is all powerful and personally kills two witches—she is Columbia, the symbol of the nation's conscience. Columbia was the usual representation of democracy in editorial cartoons (since replaced by the Statue of Liberty.)

*The cyclone was used in the 1890s as a metaphor for a political revolution that would transform the drab country into a land of color and unlimited prosperity. The cyclone was used by editorial cartoonists of the 1890s to represent political upheaval.

*The Tin Woodman was a stock symbol in cartoons and advertising. He was originally a human but was cursed by the Wicked Witch of the East so that every time he swung his axe he sliced off party of his body. As a good workman he replaced each part with tin, but now is all tin and has no heart. He is the worker dehumanized by industrialization, a common theme in Socialist literature of the day, such as expressed by Socialist candidate [[Eugene V. Debs]] in the 1900 election. The Woodman is rusted and helpless—ineffective until he starts to work together with the Scarecrow (the farmer), in a Farmer-Labor coalition that was much discussed in the 1890s, which culminated in the [[Farmer-Labor Party]] in Minnesota.<ref>The party is now part of Minnesota's Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party</ref>

*The Munchkins are the little people—ordinary citizens. This 1897 ''Judge'' cartoon shows famous politicians as little people after they were on the losing side in the election.

'''Toto''': Prohibitionist party (also called "Teetotalers") 
'''Scarecrow''': western farmers 
'''Cowardly Lion''': a cowardly politician, perhaps [[William Jennings Bryan]] 
'''Wicked Witch of the East''': Eastern factory owners and industrialists 
'''Wicked Witch of the West''': the trusts; one popular solution to the trust problem was to dissolve them, as Dorothy does.<ref>Littlefield (1964), followed by others. saw her as the western drought which thus could be ended by water; Clanton (1991) suggests she represents the evils of left-wing Populism, or perhaps South Carolina' Pitchfork Ben Tillman,</ref>
'''Flying Monkeys''' Pinkerton agents hired to break strikes 
'''Wizard''': President [[William McKinley]] 
'''Oz''': abbreviation for ounce of gold 
'''Yellow Brick Road''': gold standard 
'''Cyclone''': political revolution, the free silver movement 
'''Emerald City''': national capital 
'''Silver Slippers''': the free coinage of silver 

Editorial cartoonists in recent decades have made heavy use of Oz imagery in political cartoons; the first to do so was W.A. Rogers whose 1906 cartoon ridiculed mud-slinging publisher [[William Randolph Hearst]] as the ''Wizard of Ooze"

==Political interpretations==
Historians and economists have interpreted the 1900 book (as well as the 1902 play and 1939 movie) as an allegory of the political, economic and social upheavals of America of the 1890s.

Both Baum and Denslow had been actively involved in politics in the 1890s. Baum edited a Republican newspaper in South Dakota; Denslow was an editorial cartoonist for a major Chicago daily.

Readers who grew up with the entire Oz series are often baffled by the political interpretation (for there is no politics in the continuation volumes), and deny that Baum intended any sort of modernized fairy tale. However, Baum explained in his introduction:
{{quotebox|The old time fairy tale, having served for generations, may now be classed as "historical" in the children's library; for the time has come for a series of newer "wonder tales" in which the stereotyped genie, dwarf and fairy are eliminated, together with all the horrible and blood-curdling incidents devised by their authors to point a fearsome moral to each tale. Modern education includes morality; therefore the modern child seeks only entertainment in its wonder tales and gladly dispenses with all disagreeable incident. Having this thought in mind, the story of 'The Wonderful Wizard of Oz' was written solely to please children of today. It aspires to being a modernized fairy tale, in which the wonderment and joy are retained and the heartaches and nightmares are left out.<ref>L. Frank Baum, introduction to [http://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/etext93/wizoz10h.htm The Wonderful Wizard of Oz]</ref>}}

<center>
<gallery perrow="5">
Image:COIN1894.JPG|''Coin's Financial School'' (1894), a famous silverite book; Coin is a boy who outsmarts all the economics professors by showing the wisdom of "bimetallism" (i.e. free silver) and refuting the fallacies about gold
Image:96SILVER.JPG|July 19, 1896 ''Puck'' cartoon shows farmer hung up on pole and helpless, his free silver wagon destroyed by the gold express of William McKinley
Image:HANNA96.JPG|1896 cartoon shows McKinley campaign manager [[Mark Hanna]] as a wicked witch, with flying bats and small dog
Image:MCKINLEY-MYSTERY1896.JPG|Candidate McKinley as mystery man behind a curtain in 1896 editorial cartoon, surrounded by party wizards
Image:HEARST06.JPG|Cartoonist W.A. Rogers in 1906 sees the political uses of Oz: he depicts Hearst as a mud-throwing Scarecrow stuck in his own Ooze in ''Harper's Weekly''
Image:Trusts-Verdict-10July1899.jpg|Cartoon from ''Verdict'' magazine July 10, 1899 shows an ape on behalf of the trusts raping Columbia (America) and under an attack (the arrow) by democracy. Denslow made it a flying monkey and dropped the scary rape theme.
Image:Cleveland-Lion 1885.JPG|1885 ''Puck'' cartoon shows President Cleveland as a powerful lion, and shows other politicians as (flying?) monkeys.
Image:1897MCK-WIZ.JPG|1897 ''Judge'' cartoon shows McKinley as a Witch/Mother Hubbard, and little Toto-like dog as Uncle Sam. Editorial cartoonists sometimes depicted politicians as witches—and included little dogs as characters.
Image:OZ5-2-94.JPG|Cyclone as metaphor for political revolution; the Aunt-Em-type farm woman is labeled 'Democratic Party'; ''Puck'' May 2, 1894
Image:MUNCHKINS-LITTLE-PEOPLE.JPG|Munchkins resemble the Little People in this 1896 ''Judge'' cartoon that makes fun of silverite politicians; the Yellow Kid (center) was the very first comic strip character.
Image:TIN1890.JPG|1890 ''Puck'' cartoon ridicules President Harrison (who called for a tariff on tin), as a Tin Man, proving the use of the Tin Man as political metaphor in 1890s.
Image:Gm070316.jpg|Conservative editorial cartoonist Glenn McCoy parodies fearful Democratic candidates in March 16, 2008, cartoon
</gallery></center>

==Metaphors==
[[Image:TIN3.JPG|left|thumb|200px|Influence of ''The Wizard of Oz in early advertising: the Tin Man in a Sapolio soap ad.]]
* The Tin Man was a common feature in political cartoons and in advertisements in the 1890s. Indeed, he had been part of European folk art for 300 years.<ref>Archie Green, ''Tin Men'' (2002) [http://www.amazon.com/Tin-Folklore-Society-Archie-Green/dp/0252073754/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1195302792&sr=8-1 excerpt and text search] covers the history of images of tin men in European and American illustrations for 300 years.</ref>

* The oil needed by the Tin Woodman had a political dimension at the time because Rockefeller's [[Standard Oil]] Company stood accused of being a monopoly (which was later ruled correct in a lawsuit brought by the federal government, and ultimately affirmed by the US Supreme Court.) In the 1902 stage adaptation the Tin Woodman wonders what he would do if he ran out of oil. "You wouldn't be as badly off as John D. Rockefeller," the Scarecrow responds, "He'd lose six thousand dollars a minute if that happened."<ref>Swartz, ''Oz'' p 34</ref>

* The lion that Dorothy, Scarecrow and Tin-Man encounter in the enchanted forest may be a reference to [[William Jennings Bryan]], the Democratic candidate for president in 1896. Cartoons often portrayed leading politicians as lions, and Bryan was described as having a great roar with no bite. People asked in early 1900, when the book was written, if he had the courage to oppose the McKinley Administration.

* In 1900 by far the most famous farmer in America was [[Henry Cantwell Wallace]], editor of the leading farm magazine, ''Wallace's Farmer''. Everyone called him "Uncle Henry."<ref>Henry Wallace and Richard S. Kirkendall. ''Uncle Henry: A Documentary Profile of the First Henry Wallace'' (1993) [http://www.amazon.com/Uncle-Henry-Documentary-Profile-Agricultural/dp/0813804248/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1195302873&sr=8-3 excerpt and text search]</ref>

* "Aunt Em" is a puzzle. Baum's mother-in-law was named [[Matilda Joslyn Gage]], and might be "Aunt M." Mary Lease the Populist spellbinder has been suggested. ("Raise less corn and more hell!" was her shocking message, but Aunt Em is not like her.) Gage was a leader of the woman suffrage movement, but nothing about the book's character suggests suffrage interests.

* The poppies which surround the Emerald City are likely a reference to the opium poppies and the Boxer Rebellion in China of 1899.<ref>See the fascinating analysis by Martin Blythe, "Oz is China" (2006) [http://www.sexualfables.com/OzisChina.php online edition]</ref>

*Politicians of the era often talked about wizards. For example, one senator debating the gold and silver issue in early 1900 said, “We all know of the performances of the world’s magicians, but it has remained for the Wizard of Missouri [Senator Cockrell] to wave his magic wand or his magic head and double the price of the silver of the world.”<ref>''New York Times'' February 16, 1900 p 1</ref> Baum may have turned the Wizard of Missouri into the Wizard of Oz, who frightened people with his giant magic head.

* President McKinley was often called a "wizard" for his political skills. The Wizard of Oz seems to be the president of the Land of Oz. The "man behind the curtain" echoes the response to automated store window displays.
* Dogs were often used in political cartoons to represent politicians or parties. Perhaps "Toto" is a play on the word "teetotaler", and represents the Prohibitionists of the era, who were aligned with [[William Jennings Bryan|Bryan]] in the 1896 election.
* "Oz" is the abbreviation for "ounce," and it has been suggested that Baum was making a political allusion to [[bimetallism]], a hot political topic of the day. The 1901 theatre version used many current political allusions, mentioning by name President Roosevelt and oilman John D. Rockefeller. In a press release for the 1903 reissue of Wizard, Baum wrote:<ref>http://home.earthlink.net/~jcorbally/eng218/rcross.html</ref>
{{quotebox|I have a little cabinet letter file on my desk that is just in front of me. I was thinking and wondering about a title for the story, and had settled on the "Wizard" as part of it. My gaze was caught by the gilt letters on the three drawers of the cabinet. The first was ''A-G''; the next drawer was labeled ''H-N'' and on the last were the letters ''O-Z''. And "Oz" it at once became.<ref>http://www.snopes.com/language/literary/oz.asp</ref>}}

==Adaptations==
[[Image:OZ-1903.JPG|thumb|left|200px|poster for 1903 Broadway version features an adult Dorothy for an adults-only audience; it was one of the first great Broadway musicals]]
The Wizard inspired 40 official Oz books, 40 films, more than 100 unofficial novels, and innumerable websites, editorial cartoons, TV commercials, television shows, games, radio programs, video games, music videos, comic strips, musicals, toys, dolls, Japanese animes, ceramic firgurines, and even pornography, most of them based on the 1939 movie.<ref>Sherman, (2005)</ref> The copyright for the original books published before 1923 has expired, but the 1939 film will be under copyright for decades to come.

The earliest musical version of the book was produced in Chicago in 1902, and moved to Broadway in 1903, where it was a smash hit and set a record with 293 performances. It used the same characters, but was aimed at adult audiences. Baum inserted current political references to the script. For example, his actors specifically mention President Theodore Roosevelt, Senator Mark Hanna, and John D. Rockefeller by name.<ref>Swartz, ''Before the Rainbow'', pp 34, 47, 56</ref>

The musical comedy version of 1902-3 was a rewritten version for an adult audience, with many sexual innuendos and a very sexy Dorothy.

===''The Wizard of Oz'' (1939)===
[[Image:Woz movie.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Cast of ''The Wizard of Oz'' (''l-r'') Bert Lahr, Ray Bolger, Judy Garland, Jack Haley (MGM/Turner, 1939)]]
The book was loosely adapted into a 1939 motion picture, ''The Wizard of Oz,'' which has over the course of years become one of the most beloved movies of all time. It was released when Technicolor was still a relatively new process—the three-strip process having been introduced in 1932. It plays on the novelty of color by presenting the first reel, when Dorothy is awake and in the real world of [[Kansas]], in sepia tone, then switching to color for the scenes set in Oz.

The film was successful and well reviewed and won two Academy Awards (for its score, and for the song "Over the Rainbow".) When it was released, the ''New York Times'' called it "a delightful piece of wonderworking," and said, "not since Disney's Snow White has anything quite so fantastic succeeded half so well," but complained about the special effects: "With the best of will and ingenuity [they cannot], without a few jolts and split-screen overlappings, bring down from the sky the great soap bubble in which the Good Witch rides and roll it smoothly into place."<ref>Nugent, Frank S. (1939), "The Screen in Review: 'The Wizard of Oz, Produced by the Wizards of Hollywood, Works Its Magic on the Capitol's Screen—March of Time Features New York," ''The New York Times,'' August 18, 1939, p. 16</ref> During its production and following its release, it was thought to be a very good film, but nothing extraordinary: just part of the stream of fine, professional product that "the industry" in Hollywood knew how to manufacture. Not until it began to be shown on television did it rise to the status it now enjoys. It was first shown on CBS in 1956, then in 1959, then annually as a holiday event. (Viewers then had to be cautioned about the sepia tone opening reel lest they fear their color television sets were malfunctioning).

The plot of both the book and movie revolve around a little girl named Dorothy who, along with her dog Toto, finds herself transported into a world called Oz. Along the way, she befriends the Scarecrow, the Tinman, and the Cowardly Lion. Often considered a classic of children's literature, ''The Wizard of Oz'' deals with friendship, courage, and resourcefulness.

===''The Wiz'' (1978)===
''The Wiz'' was a Broadway hit musical with an all-black cast emphasizing the liberation from slavery. It was later made into a 1978 movie directed by Sidney Lumet, and starring Diana Ross as Dorothy and Michael Jackson as the Scarecrow. Gregory Maguire wrote ''Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West'' (1995). The 2003 Broadway musical "Wicked" (based on Maguire's novel) was a popular hit, with the Wizard's corruption emphasized.

==See also==
* [[Oz]], for the other 40 Oz books

==Bibliography==
* Barrett, Laura. "From Wonderland to Wasteland: The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, The Great Gatsby, and the New American Fairy Tale," ''Papers on Language and Literature,'' (Spring 2006) [http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa3708/is_200604/ai_n17178497 online edition]
* Baum, L. Frank. ''The Wonderful Wizard of Oz'' (1900), [http://books.google.com/books?id=E84u2-3Viu4C&dq=inauthor:Frank+inauthor:Baum&num=30&as_brr=1 online edition with black and white illustrations]; [http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/55 online version from Gutenberg, without illustrations]
* Blythe, Martin. "Oz is China: A Political Fable of Chinese Dragons and White Tigers," in ''Sexual Fables'' (2006) [http://www.sexualfables.com/OzisChina.php online edition]
* Clanton, Gene. ''Populism: The Humane Preference in America, 1890-1900'' (1991)
* Culver, Stuart. "Growing Up in Oz." ''American Literary History'' 4 (1992) 607-28. [http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0896-7148%28199224%294%3A4%3C607%3AGUIO%3E2.0.CO%3B2-H in JSTOR]
* Culver, Stuart. "What Manikins Want: The Wonderful Wizard of Oz and The Art of Decorating Dry Goods Windows and Interiors", ''Representations'', 21 (1988) 97-116.
*Dighe, Ranjit S. ed. ''The Historian's Wizard of Oz: Reading L. Frank Baum's Classic as a Political and Monetary Allegory'' (2002) [http://www.amazon.com/Historians-Wizard-Oz-Political-Monetary/dp/0275974197/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1195301722&sr=8-2 excerpt and text search]
* Erisman, Fred. "L. Frank Baum and the Progressive Dilemma" in ''American Quarterly'' Vol. 20, No. 3 (Autumn, 1968), pp. 616–623. [http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0003-0678%28196823%2920%3A3%3C616%3ALFBATP%3E2.0.CO%3B2-E online at JSTOR]
* Flynn, Richard. "Imitation Oz: The Sequel as Commodity." The ''Lion and the Unicorn'' 20.1 (1996): 121-131.
*Gardner, Todd. "Responses to Littlefield" (2004), [http://www.turnmeondeadman.net/OZ/Responses.html online version]
* Geer, John G. and Thomas R. Rochon, "William Jennings Bryan on the Yellow Brick Road," ''Journal of American Culture'' Vol. 16 No. 4, Winter, 1993, pp. 59–64.
* Gessel, Michael; Koupal, Nancy Tystad; and Erisman, Fred. "The Politics of Oz: a Symposium." ''South Dakota History'' 2001 31(2): 146-168. Issn: 0361-8676
* Gilead, Sarah. "Magic Abjured: Closure in Children's Fantasy Fiction" in ''PMLA'' Vol. 106, No. 2 (Mar., 1991), pp. 277–293. [http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0030-8129%28199103%29106%3A2%3C277%3AMACICF%3E2.0.CO%3B2-L in JSTOR]
* Griswold, Jerry. "There's No Place But Home: The Wizard of Oz. " ''The Antioch Review'' 45A (1987): 462-75.
*Hansen, Bradley A. "The Fable of the Allegory: The Wizard of Oz in Economics," ''Journal of Economic Education'' (2002) [http://www.indiana.edu/~econed/pdffiles/summer02/bhansen.pdf online edition]
* Hearn, Michael Patrick. ''The Annotated Wizard of Oz''. (2000, 1973), highly detailed guide to the 1900 book; ignores all political issues and metaphors, and ignores the source of the illustrations
* Hudlin, Edward R. "The Mythology of Oz: An Interpretation." ''Papers on Language and Literature'' 25.4 (1989): 443-462.
* Jensen, Richard. ''The Winning of the Midwest: Social and Political Conflict, 1888-1896'' (1971), ch. 10, uses the ''Wizard'' to explain the politics of the 1890s
* Karp, Andrew. ''Utopian Tension in L. Frank Baum's Oz'' in ''Utopian Studies'', 1998. [http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=5001388159 online edition]
* Kim, Helen M. "Strategic Credulity: Oz as Mass Cultural Parable" in ''Cultural Critique'' No. 33 (Spring, 1996), pp. 213–233. [http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0882-4371%28199621%290%3A33%3C213%3ASCOAMC%3E2.0.CO%3B2-T online at JSTOR]
* Leach, William. ''Land of Desire: Merchants, Power, and the Rise of a New American Culture'' (1993), pp. 248–260. [http://www.amazon.com/Land-Desire-Merchants-American-Culture/dp/0679754113/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1195301631&sr=8-1 excerpt and text search]
* Leach, William. "The Clown from Syracuse: The Life and Times of L. Frank Baum." introduction to Leach, ed. ''The Wonderful Wizard of Oz'' 1991. pp 1–34.
* Littlefield, Henry M. "The Wizard of Oz: Parable on Populism" ''American Quarterly'' Vol. 16, No. 1 (Spring, 1964), pp. 47–58; Littlefield was the first scholar to explore the allegories, though he mistakenly thought Baum supported Populism [http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0003-0678%28196421%2916%3A1%3C47%3ATWOOPO%3E2.0.CO%3B2-J in JSTOR]; [http://www.amphigory.com/oz.htm another online version]; [http://www.ozclub.org/reference/littlefield.html another version]
* Nesbet, Anne. "In Borrowed Balloons: The Wizard of Oz and the History of Soviet Aviation" in ''The Slavic and East European Journal'' Vol. 45, No. 1 (Spring, 2001), pp. 80–95. [http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0037-6752%28200121%291%3A45%3A1%3C80%3AIBBTWO%3E2.0.CO%3B2-W online at JSTOR]
* Parker, David. "The Rise and Fall of ''The Wonderful Wizard of Oz'' as a 'Parable on Populism'" ''The Journal of the Georgia Association of Historians,'' vol. 15 (1994), pp. 49–63 [http://www.halcyon.com/piglet/Populism.htm online edition]
*Riley, Michael O. ''Oz and Beyond: The Fantasy World of L. Frank Baum''. (1997) University of Kansas Press ISBN 0-7006-0832-X [http://www.amazon.com/Oz-Beyond-Fantasy-World-Frank/dp/070060832X/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1195302255&sr=8-2 excerpt and text search]
* Ritter, Gretchen. ''Goldbugs and Greenbacks: The Anti-Monopoly Tradition and the Politics of Finance in America'' (1997) [http://www.amazon.com/Goldbugs-Greenbacks-Antimonopoly-Tradition-1865-1896/dp/0521653924/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1195301565&sr=8-1 excerpt and text search]
*Ritter, Gretchen. "Silver slippers and a golden cap: L. Frank Baum's The Wonderful Wizard of Oz and historical memory in American politics." ''Journal of American Studies'' (August 1997) vol. 31, no. 2, 171-203.
* Rockoff, Hugh. "The 'Wizard of Oz' as a Monetary Allegory," ''Journal of Political Economy'' 98 (1990): 739-60, the source most often used by economists [http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0022-3808%28199008%2998%3A4%3C739%3AT%22OOAA%3E2.0.CO%3B2-5 online at JSTOR]; [http://ideas.repec.org/a/ucp/jpolec/v98y1990i4p739-60.html another online edition]
* Rogers, Katharine M. ''L. Frank Baum: Creator of Oz: A Biography'' (2002) [http://www.amazon.com/L-Frank-Baum-Creator-Biography/dp/031230174X/ref=sid_dp_dp excerpt and text search]
* Sherman, Fraser A. ''The Wizard of Oz Catalog: L. Frank Baum's Novel, Its Sequels and Their Adaptations for Stage, Television, Movies, Radio, Music Videos, Comic Books, Commercials and More'' (2005)
* Swartz, Mark Evan. ''Oz Before the Rainbow: L. Frank Baum's "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz" on Stage and Screen to 1939'' (2000).
* Quentin P. Taylor, "Money and Politics in the Land of Oz," (Dec 2004) [http://www.independent.org/publications/tir/article.asp?issueID=40&articleID=504 Independent]
* Velde, Francois R. "Following the Yellow Brick Road: How the United States Adopted the Gold Standard" Economic Perspectives. Volume: 26. Issue: 2. 2002. [http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=5000776148 online edition] [http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=377760 also online here]
* Von Hoffman, Nicholas. "Flimflam Land." ''Civilization,'' (Feb/Mar2000), Vol. 7, Issue 1, in [[EBSCO]]
*Ziaukas, Tim. "100 Years of Oz: Baum's 'Wizard of Oz' as Gilded Age Public Relations" in ''Public Relations Quarterly,'' (Fall 1998) [http://www.halcyon.com/piglet/books8-Ziaukas.htm online version]

==External links==
* [http://books.google.com/books?as_q=&num=30&btnG=Google+Search&as_epq=&as_oq=&as_eq=&as_libcat=0&as_brr=1&as_vt=oz&as_auth=Frank+Baum&as_pub=&as_sub=&as_drrb=c&as_miny=&as_maxy=&as_isbn= full text of 6 Oz books by Baum]
*[http://www.turnmeondeadman.net/OZ/Responses.html A history of the debate]
*[http://www.mega.nu:8080/ampp/oz.html Collection of material relating to Oz as a political allegory]
*[http://www.niquette.com/books/sophmag/humbug.htm Humbug: The Most Destructive Film in History] by Paul Niquette
*[http://www.llewellyn.com/archive/fate/25/ Oz as a spiritual allegory]
*[http://www.halcyon.com/piglet/oznends.htm Pros and cons of ''Oz'' as an allegory]

==Trivia==

*In 2009, the movie will celebrate its 70th anniversary.
*The movie can supposedly be synched with [[Pink Floyd]]'s classic album ''[[The Dark Side of the Moon]]''.<ref>http://www.ingsoc.com/waters/info/oz.html</ref>
*A "yellow brick road" can be found in Liberal, Kansas.
*Many parodies of it have been made. Recently, one such was The Wizard of Ha's on ''[[Veggie Tales]]'', with changes to match the Story of the Prodigal Son.

==Notes and references==
<references/>

==External links==
* [https://librivox.org/the-wonderful-wizard-of-oz/ The Wonderful Wizard of Oz], by [[L. Frank Baum]] - Audiobook at [[LibriVox]]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Wizard of Oz, The}}
[[Category:Literature]]
[[Category:Movies]]
[[Category:Fantasy]]
[[Category:Progressive Era]]
[[Category:New Deal]]
[[Category:Witchcraft]]

Topeka Capital-Journal

2018-01-29T04:48:53Z

1982Ross: italics

The '''''Topeka Capital-Journal''''' is a daily morning [[newspaper]] based in [[Topeka]], [[Kansas]]. It was formed in 1981 by the merger of the ''Topeka Daily Capital'' (founded 1879) and the Topeka State Journal (founded 1873 as the ''Topeka Blade''). The two papers had been under the same ownership since 1956. Since 1994 it has been owned by Morris Communications.

==External links==
*http://www.cjonline.com

[[Category:United States Newspapers]]
[[Category:Media]]
[[Category:Newspapers]]