Should Wikipedia Sell Advertising?
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The Narrative Fallacy
The Narrative Fallacy writes "The LA Times has an interesting story on the state of Wikipedia's finances and how with 300 million page views a day, the organization could be worth hundreds of millions of dollars if it sold advertising space but that without advertising the foundation has a tough time raising its annual budget is $4.6 million. The 45,000 or so individuals who contribute annually give an average of $33 each, so campaigns, which are conducted online, raise only about one-third of what's needed. As Wikimedia adds features to its pages, such as videos, costs will rise. "Without financial stability and strong planning, the foundation runs the risk of needing to take drastic steps at some point in the next couple years," said Nathan Awrich, a Wikipedia editor who supports advertising. Recent money-making proposals include a Wikipedia television game show, a Wikipedia board game and Wikipedia T-shirts. "There are some real problems with a nonprofit structure," says Jimmy Wales. "One of the basic problems is funding: We can get enough money to survive but don't really have the funding to push forward or innovate.""
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Should Wikipedia Sell Advertising?