El-ah-vay-shun, Wikipedians!
Today's "Featured Article' on Page 1 of Wikipedia is "No Line on the Horizon" by Friend of Jimbo, Bono & Co.
But I don't see there any fine print, such as:
Note - Wikipedia is funded by Elevation Partners in a very real and monetarily binding way. Should you buy this (very mediocre) recording, be assured that none of your dollars will be going in a hard to follow, but closed, loop to Jimbo's speaker fee income.
Note2 - Jimbo is a rock star too.
Full Version: Elevation!
QUOTE(cookiehead @ Thu 29th July 2010, 7:14pm) 
El-ah-vay-shun, Wikipedians!
Today's "Featured Article' on Page 1 of Wikipedia is "No Line on the Horizon" by Friend of Jimbo, Bono & Co.
But I don't see there any fine print, such as:
Note - Wikipedia is funded by Elevation Partners in a very real and monetarily binding way. Should you buy this (very mediocre) recording, be assured that none of your dollars will be going in a hard to follow, but closed, loop to Jimbo's speaker fee income.
Note2 - Jimbo is a rock star too.
What on earth are you talking about? Are you seriously trying to say that U2 are the Secret Owners of Wikipedia?
How is that surprising? The Today's Featured Article is determined by one person.
I doubt anyone buys a FA for a friend for $1m .... but the background to this is
QUOTE
The New York Times noted a $500,000 donation to the Wikimedia Foundation was made on behalf of Elevation Partners' Roger McNamee, with another $500,000 in the works. Elevation Partners is the venture firm that counts U2 front man Bono as one of its founding partners.
People speculate that the massive donations could constitute an investment rather than a donation. McNamee told the Times, "I am a Wikipedia volunteer. I help with strategy, fundraising and business development. It has nothing to do with Elevation Partners. And no one should be confused about that."
A representative from the Wikimedia Foundation told CNET that it has not released an official statement addressing the speculation about McNamee's involvement. But Wikimedia Foundation chair Florence Nibart-Devouard said to the Times that she was "not comfortable with the concept" of the nonprofit accepting massive funds from donors best-known as capital investors, and the article went on to say that the foundation's board has passed a measure requiring approval for all donations that total over 2 percent of Wikimedia's revenues.
Reports included the usual references to the sex-scandal as per Valleywag who implied that Wales had a tryst in Amsterdam with Wikimedia Foundation executive director Sue Gardner, who has remained one of his staunchest supporters throughout many controversy.
People speculate that the massive donations could constitute an investment rather than a donation. McNamee told the Times, "I am a Wikipedia volunteer. I help with strategy, fundraising and business development. It has nothing to do with Elevation Partners. And no one should be confused about that."
A representative from the Wikimedia Foundation told CNET that it has not released an official statement addressing the speculation about McNamee's involvement. But Wikimedia Foundation chair Florence Nibart-Devouard said to the Times that she was "not comfortable with the concept" of the nonprofit accepting massive funds from donors best-known as capital investors, and the article went on to say that the foundation's board has passed a measure requiring approval for all donations that total over 2 percent of Wikimedia's revenues.
Reports included the usual references to the sex-scandal as per Valleywag who implied that Wales had a tryst in Amsterdam with Wikimedia Foundation executive director Sue Gardner, who has remained one of his staunchest supporters throughout many controversy.
Damn. I liked the conspiracy theory better. Jimbo could advertise FA's on eBay. The front page would suddenly get a lot more entertaining.
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