Conversation

Notices

1. LinuxWalt (@lnxw48a1) {3EB165E0-5BB1-45D2-9E7D-93B31821F864} (lnxw48a1@nu.federati.net)'s status on Sunday, 20-Sep-2020 20:21:18 UTC LinuxWalt (@lnxw48a1) {3EB165E0-5BB1-45D2-9E7D-93B31821F864}
   According to @simsa03, #Wikimedia Foundation has USD$111M in the bank. https://pleroma.site/objects/f97dbb44-c697-45ad-842f-e31ba2c3c4ce
   
   Yet, #Wikipedia is constantly begging for more. There's only so much donation money available from the general public. By trying to hog it all for themselves, they're reducing the amount that is available to other causes, some of which may be equally or more worthy of support.
   • LinuxWalt (@lnxw48a1) {3EB165E0-5BB1-45D2-9E7D-93B31821F864} (lnxw48a1@nu.federati.net)'s status on Monday, 21-Sep-2020 16:33:47 UTC LinuxWalt (@lnxw48a1) {3EB165E0-5BB1-45D2-9E7D-93B31821F864}

     • Sami Lehtinen
     • mangeurdenuage
     @mangeurdenuage As a non-profit organization, there are forms filed with the IRS (federal tax collection agency) and with at least one state government, so the information is available. But remember that almost all of their work is done by volunteer contributors.
     
     Also, as @sl points out, a little scarcity of funds breeds care in spending. If for no other reason than forcing choices earlier. Google is an example. At any time, they have 2-3 messaging platforms ... and a couple of others being developed. Every few years, they kill off the released platforms and launch a couple of replacements. If they were money-constrained, they would be forced to choose one and give it their full attention.
   • Douglas A. Whitfield (musicman@nu.federati.net)'s status on Monday, 21-Sep-2020 21:09:10 UTC Douglas A. Whitfield

     in reply to
     They do get 4 stars from CN though: https://www.charitynavigator.org/index.cfm?bay=search.summary&orgid=11212
     
     unlike, say, the American Red Cross (or Susan Komen): https://www.charitynavigator.org/index.cfm?bay=search.summary&orgid=3277
     
     Fun fact: #FSF also gets 4 stars, which appears to be the highest possible.
   • Douglas A. Whitfield (musicman@nu.federati.net)'s status on Monday, 21-Sep-2020 21:09:12 UTC Douglas A. Whitfield

     in reply to
     They do get 4 stars from CN though: https://www.charitynavigator.org/index.cfm?bay=search.summary&orgid=11212
     
     unlike, say, the American Red Cross (or Susan Komen): https://www.charitynavigator.org/index.cfm?bay=search.summary&orgid=3277
     
     Fun fact: #FSF also gets 4 stars, which appears to be the highest possible.
   • LinuxWalt (@lnxw48a1) {3EB165E0-5BB1-45D2-9E7D-93B31821F864} (lnxw48a1@nu.federati.net)'s status on Thursday, 24-Sep-2020 01:27:38 UTC LinuxWalt (@lnxw48a1) {3EB165E0-5BB1-45D2-9E7D-93B31821F864}

     in reply to

     • Douglas A. Whitfield
     Just reading an article about #Mozilla's out-of-control administration costs and see some grumbles about #Wikimedia / #Wikipedia there also. http://calpaterson.com/mozilla.html
   • LinuxWalt (@lnxw48a1) {3EB165E0-5BB1-45D2-9E7D-93B31821F864} (lnxw48a1@nu.federati.net)'s status on Thursday, 24-Sep-2020 01:28:37 UTC LinuxWalt (@lnxw48a1) {3EB165E0-5BB1-45D2-9E7D-93B31821F864}

     in reply to
     "Wikimedia has the advantage over Mozilla that all contributors to its main project are unpaid - which only makes the expenses all the more mindblowing. Wikimedia, like Mozilla, has had a lot of side projects."
   • Douglas A. Whitfield (musicman@nu.federati.net)'s status on Thursday, 24-Sep-2020 13:22:03 UTC Douglas A. Whitfield

     in reply to
     not convinced side projects are a problem at all, but top exec pay going up 400% is tone deaf as best
   • LinuxWalt (@lnxw48a1) {3EB165E0-5BB1-45D2-9E7D-93B31821F864} (lnxw48a1@nu.federati.net)'s status on Thursday, 24-Sep-2020 17:20:34 UTC LinuxWalt (@lnxw48a1) {3EB165E0-5BB1-45D2-9E7D-93B31821F864}

     in reply to

     • Douglas A. Whitfield
     @musicman I agree about exec pay.
     
     As for side projects, in their new, limited-resource world, every new project takes resources away from #Firefox, #Thunderbird, and #Rust. Sometimes that's worth the cost, sometimes it isn't, but take a look at how many projects they've abandoned (such as their mobile OS).
   • Douglas A. Whitfield (musicman@nu.federati.net)'s status on Friday, 25-Sep-2020 13:34:45 UTC Douglas A. Whitfield

     in reply to
     fair point. The side-project vs project distinction is not really important. What is important is whether resources are being used properly and the article makes a convincing point that they have not.
     
     I pretty much use #Firefox 100% these days. Safari and Firefox are all I have installed on the primary machine. As long as I am working from home, work machine is going to be primary machine. I'm not going to mess about with changing monitor cables and I don't have USB-C on my personal laptop.
     
     Although, I got (for free!) a couple of new-to-me laptops I haven't even had a chance to boot up. ugh.
   • Douglas A. Whitfield (musicman@nu.federati.net)'s status on Friday, 25-Sep-2020 21:19:23 UTC Douglas A. Whitfield

     in reply to
     vaguely on topic: https://peertube.uno/videos/watch/a8493008-a9b9-4de6-8e8a-5aac70f6e45a