The monetization of Wikipedia has been the subject of much debate, and even a little venom spitting, for the past several months. With reports surfacing that funding for the user-edited encyclopedia may be running out, will Wikians finally embrace an ad-supported business model?
According to Alexa, Via Digitalis has the coverage:
“At this point, Wikipedia has the financial ressources to run its servers for about 3 to 4 months. If we do not find additional funding, it is not impossible that Wikipedia might disappear”. The warning by Florence Devouard, chairwoman of the Wikimedia Foundation was certainly dire, and Lift07 was as good a venue to make an appeal. But it is another illustration of how difficult it is to find the proper business model in the digital age, and more precisely in this case in what Florence called the “gift economy”.
Several analysts have suggested ad-supported monetization as a potential solution to Wikipedia’s financial dilemma. The community, or a least those perceived to be speaking for it, has by in large shunned this idea, claiming that such a practice would be invasive to its users.
Nero while their virtual city of knowledge burns to the ground?
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