Pentru ca ne place Wikipedia

An appeal from Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales

I got a lot of funny looks ten years ago when I started talking to people about Wikipedia.

Let’s just say some people were skeptical of the notion that volunteers from all across the world could come together to create a remarkable pool of human knowledge – all for the simple purpose of sharing.

No ads. No agenda. No strings attached.

A decade after its founding, nearly 400 million people use Wikipedia and its sister sites every month - almost a third of the Internet-connected world.

It is the 5th most popular website in the world but Wikipedia isn’t anything like a commercial website. It is a community creation, written by volunteers making one entry at a time. You are part of our community. And I’m writing today to ask you to protect and sustain Wikipedia.

Together, we can keep it free of charge and free of advertising. We can keep it open – you can use the information in Wikipedia any way you want. We can keep it growing – spreading knowledge everywhere, and inviting participation from everyone.

Each year at this time, we reach out to ask you and others all across the Wikimedia community to help sustain our joint enterprise with a modest donation of $20, $35, $50 or more.

If you value Wikipedia as a source of information – and a source of inspiration – I hope you’ll choose to act right now.

All the best,

Jimmy Wales

Founder, Wikipedia

P.S. Wikipedia is about the power of people like us to do extraordinary things. People like us write Wikipedia, one word at a time. People like us fund it, one donation at a time. It's proof of our collective potential to change the world.

De aici.

Concurenta neloiala?

Ce-mi place la nebunie cum se face reclama in State… Sa fim seriosi, e mai fun si la urma urmei mai competitiv. Ma refer la faptul ca poti sa mentionezi alte branduri in reclama, mai ales ale competitorilor directi. Ideea este ca nu se poate face oricum, conditia este sa fie facute afirmatii adevarate... si ce poate fi mai adevarat ca niste cifre. Daca masina x consuma cu 30% mai putin ca aceea care ii este competitor direct pe o piata – spune-o tata, nu ne aburi ca in Europa cu “o alta masina”. Sau daca la unii service-ul sau piesele sunt mai ieftine ca la altii, eu cumparator, n-ar trebui sa stiu? Oricum atunci cand iti cumperi o masina incepi sa cauti si sa compari o gramada de informatii de la diversi producatori.

Apropos de informare si transparenta imi aduc aminte ca mi-a picat in mana un anuar in care erau trecute toate masinile pe care le puteai gasi in America, catalogate pe branduri/modele/ani (pe ultimii 10-15 ani cred) in care erau analizate toate elementele de luat in considerare atunci cand vrei sa-ti cumperi o masina la mana a doua. La modelul x, statistic, cele mai obisnuite defecte interveneau la: 60% carburator, 30% faruri, 10% frane. Costurile anuale de intretinere au fost de… iar masina valoreaza cam atat. Informatii publice. Ajuta sau nu?

Sau cum este cazul detergentilor: Detergentul Bleoh curata mai bine ca un detergent obisnuit” La ce-mi ajuta informatia asta? Toti spun la fel. Daca ar zice “Detergentul Bleoh are 25% mai mult clor decat detergentul Vigs” pot face o alegere, il vreau pe cel cu mai mult sau pe cel cu mai putin clor. Daca un produs e mai ieftin ca altul, lasa-l sa spuna si alegerea e la mine. Daca Orange are mai multi abonati ca Vodafone lasa-l pe client sa se intrebe de ce, eventual ajuta-l si cu alte informatii, cati sunt corporate si cati persoane fizice, cati in orase si cati la tara, etc.

Concurenta neloiala? Toata prostia asta e un fel de “political correctness” insa e ciudat ca in America nu se aplica si se aplica in Europa. Cred ca o libertate mai mare in abordarea reclamelor ar ajuta la o transparenta a produselor/companiilor si o informare mai buna a consumatorilor. Nu ne mai considerati pe toti tampiti si la urma urmei daca cineva e prost asta e, lasa-l sa se pacaleasca. Asa o sa invete!

Si ca exemplu va dau o serie de reclame ale Volkswagen care se refera la Asemanare, Intretinere, Consum, Siguranta ... Nu va plac?