The Aztexan

The Wikimedia Foundation has kicked off their annual fundraising campaign:

Lots of people love Wikipedia, but surprisingly few know it’s run by a non-profit, the Wikimedia Foundation. The Wikimedia Foundation has just one purpose: to support the free and open sharing of knowledge. We don’t sell information and we don’t accept advertising. Your donation is what makes Wikipedia possible.

I have a simple guideline for subscribing, donating to, or otherwise financially supporting websites: if I'd really miss it if it went away, then I support it. Wikipedia is not just in that category, it defines it (no pun intended).

Think about it: Wikipedia is frickin' magic. The very idea of it is just crazy, really. Yet against all odds and every shred of common sense, it works. And not just works, but works fantastically. Wikipedia is a modern-day miracle, high-tech, yet human-powered.

I just donated to help keep Wikipedia running now and forever. I encourage you to do the same. And if you're hesitant to chip in, then I give you this challenge: for the next couple of weeks, the rest of November, keep count of how many times you reference Wikipedia. At the end of the month, look at that number, and consider again whether keeping Wikipedia running isn't worth a few bucks.

Labels: deep thoughts, media