WIKIMEDIA-L Wikipedia blog + Wikimedia forum

Sunday, 11 January 2015

Re: [Wikimedia-l] Wikipedia charity chairman resigns after pornography row

This is an interesting point of view. I'd love to hear more of the background hear if you'd be willing to share.

On Jan 11, 2015 6:53 PM, "rexx" <rexx@blueyonder.co.uk> wrote:

Sue Gardner was looking for any opportunity to centralise fundraising and take away Chapters' independence to raise funds from their own country. How do you explain the other Chapters whose fundraising activities she removed?

And how do you explain the fact that Sue Gardner cancelled the agreement with WMUK several months before Fae came under fire from the homophobes?

Another example of a lack of critical thinking on your part. You just believe any mud that has been slung, even when it's patently untrue, rather than listening to folks like me, who were there at the time.

--
Rexx

On 11 January 2015 at 16:50, Toby Dollmann <toby.dollmann@gmail.com> wrote:
So how do you explain these messages past ?

http://www.gossamer-threads.com/lists/wiki/foundation/464177

Which are clearly connected 2unowho

Toby

On 1/11/15, rexx <rexx@blueyonder.co.uk> wrote:
> Another piece of blatant misrepresentation.
>
> Fae was the subject of multiple homophobic attacks during that period and
> there was an orchestrated campaign by the usual group of haters who can't
> stand to see an openly gay man achieve prominence in our community.
>
> Fae resigned voluntarily in order to reduce the impact of the hate campaign
> on the institution that he had been instrumental in building.
>
> The call for an EGM was signed by all of four people. Four people. I could
> get more signatures for a petition to give Jimmy Wales a knighthood. (Ok, I
> might be exaggerating that last one).
>
> --
> Rexx
>

--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Wikimedia-l" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to wikimedia-l+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com.
For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.

--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Wikimedia-l" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to wikimedia-l+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com.
For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.

--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Wikimedia-l" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to wikimedia-l+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com.
For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.

RE: [Wikimedia-l] A Stealth PR Campaign on Behalf of Gibraltar Provokes Existential Crisis for Wikipedia

Can you please explain

On Jan 11, 2015 9:20 PM, "Juhi Mukherji" <juhi.mukherji@hotmail.com> wrote:

Mindboogling that so many intelligensia peoples waste time on Roger Bumpkin, when they could be chasing Roger Davies down a ARBCOM Roger Rabbit Alice in Wonderland wormhole of PAID PR Wikipedia editing and those that regulate them.

So the question is "Who is Roger Davies of ARBCOM" ?

Obviously he cannot be Roger "Lleywn" Davies Astrophysicist who has photographed by Mike Peel here http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Mike_Irwin_and_Roger_Davies.jpg

Because we all know that Roger Llewyn Davies already has one sockpuppet account
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Contributions/RoyalAstronomicalSociety and is blocked on Wikipedia for Conflicted editing and has a Big Degree..

We also know that Roger Davies cannot be this person
http://www.rogerdavies.com/roger-davies/

Because he is the archetypal Wikipedian Arbcom member, like that 14 year Ukranian kiddy who got elected to Arbcom. It definitely can't be him because he is from Manchester and into SEO, http://manchester-seo-blog.co.uk/ and employs cheap blackhat Wiki-PR coolies from India, sourced through Mrs. Deepali "Sakhare " Shah of IIPM.edu/Planman and Global Consulting Mumbai also known as WIFIONE?? and who knows Mike Peel and that would make him a part of the En Wikipedia Manchester "meatfarm" mafia.

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Manchester_Wikimeet_Feb_2012-4.jpg

So, we would place our money on the nag from near Lewisham, London.

Juhi
Wikipedia India Editors Forum

Date: Sun, 11 Jan 2015 16:29:52 -0700
Subject: Re: [Wikimedia-l] A Stealth PR Campaign on Behalf of Gibraltar Provokes Existential Crisis for Wikipedia
From: node.ue@gmail.com
To: lilburne@tygers-of-wrath.net
CC: wikimedia-l@googlegroups.com

Let's find out?

On Jan 11, 2015 11:28 AM, "Lilburne" <lilburne@tygers-of-wrath.net> wrote:
What are you still doing in my email?

On 11/01/2015 16:37, Toby Dollmann wrote:

Dear Rexx

The "Future Tense" Slate.com blog piece is a published researched
article, with directly relevant inline cites, a named author and a
collaboration between 3 credible organizations. The facts in that
article, ie. the sheer number of DYKs in a short span from a tiny
handkerchief bit of land are undenied. The article still stands with 2
minor corrections as a RELIABLE SOURCE in the face of your ORIGINAL
RESEARCH.

This kind of event based editing is what had also been highlighted in
the case of WMF's disastrous "Wikipedia India Education Program" in
2011 and 2013.

https://avamindia.wordpress.com/2014/10/25/wikipedia-india-education-program/
To which a follow up was sent
https://avamindia.wordpress.com/2014/10/25/wikipedia-child-pornography-scandal-india-education-program-2013/

Is it not shocking that WMF retains and hosts high resolution photos
of clearly identifiable minors taken inside their school under a
Creative Commons licence which permits derivations and commercial use
?

It is also very well known that these edit-a-thons are used by PAID
editors like "Fae" to write
articles on non-notables like "Veena Kumari" now
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Veena_Kumari
trimmed from this
http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Veena_Kumari&oldid=604720490
But guess who gets blocked just so Fae, or some other paid editor can
reinsert it when nobody is looking ?

Toby

On 1/11/15, rexx <rexx@blueyonder.co.uk> wrote:

Here's another correction for you:

Anybody who bothered to ask - rather than spilling bile-filled speculation
about - would have soon found out that Roger Bamkin was working in
Gibraltar to encourage new editors to edit Wikipedia. Roger's expertise is
in education, not PR, and he is a qualified teacher.

And what would a group of new editors living in Gibraltar write about as
they learn how to edit? The place where they live, perhaps?

Roger knows very well how much encouragement new editors get from having
their efforts featured at DYK - it's the main purpose of DYK, of course. So
why would it be surprising that so many new DYKs appeared from a new batch
of editors who all lived in Gibraltar - which with its history was an
obvious rich source of articles that nobody had bothered to tap before?

I

--
Rexx

--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Wikimedia-l" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to wikimedia-l+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com.
For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.

Re: [Wikimedia-l] A Stealth PR Campaign on Behalf of Gibraltar Provokes Existential Crisis for Wikipedia

And you'd lose your bet. It's none of the above. Roger told me himself that he lives half-way between England and France. As I remarked at the time, thank Heavens he's a bloody good swimmer.

Rexx

On 12 January 2015 at 04:14, Juhi Mukherji <juhi.mukherji@hotmail.com> wrote:

Mindboogling that so many intelligensia peoples waste time on Roger Bumpkin, when they could be chasing Roger Davies down a ARBCOM Roger Rabbit Alice in Wonderland wormhole of PAID PR Wikipedia editing and those that regulate them.

So the question is "Who is Roger Davies of ARBCOM" ?

Obviously he cannot be Roger "Lleywn" Davies Astrophysicist who has photographed by Mike Peel here http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Mike_Irwin_and_Roger_Davies.jpg

Because we all know that Roger Llewyn Davies already has one sockpuppet account
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Contributions/RoyalAstronomicalSociety and is blocked on Wikipedia for Conflicted editing and has a Big Degree..

We also know that Roger Davies cannot be this person
http://www.rogerdavies.com/roger-davies/

Because he is the archetypal Wikipedian Arbcom member, like that 14 year Ukranian kiddy who got elected to Arbcom. It definitely can't be him because he is from Manchester and into SEO, http://manchester-seo-blog.co.uk/ and employs cheap blackhat Wiki-PR coolies from India, sourced through Mrs. Deepali "Sakhare " Shah of IIPM.edu/Planman and Global Consulting Mumbai also known as WIFIONE?? and who knows Mike Peel and that would make him a part of the En Wikipedia Manchester "meatfarm" mafia.

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Manchester_Wikimeet_Feb_2012-4.jpg

So, we would place our money on the nag from near Lewisham, London.

Juhi
Wikipedia India Editors Forum

Date: Sun, 11 Jan 2015 16:29:52 -0700
Subject: Re: [Wikimedia-l] A Stealth PR Campaign on Behalf of Gibraltar Provokes Existential Crisis for Wikipedia
From: node.ue@gmail.com
To: lilburne@tygers-of-wrath.net
CC: wikimedia-l@googlegroups.com

Let's find out?

On Jan 11, 2015 11:28 AM, "Lilburne" <lilburne@tygers-of-wrath.net> wrote:
What are you still doing in my email?

On 11/01/2015 16:37, Toby Dollmann wrote:

Dear Rexx

The "Future Tense" Slate.com blog piece is a published researched
article, with directly relevant inline cites, a named author and a
collaboration between 3 credible organizations. The facts in that
article, ie. the sheer number of DYKs in a short span from a tiny
handkerchief bit of land are undenied. The article still stands with 2
minor corrections as a RELIABLE SOURCE in the face of your ORIGINAL
RESEARCH.

This kind of event based editing is what had also been highlighted in
the case of WMF's disastrous "Wikipedia India Education Program" in
2011 and 2013.

https://avamindia.wordpress.com/2014/10/25/wikipedia-india-education-program/
To which a follow up was sent
https://avamindia.wordpress.com/2014/10/25/wikipedia-child-pornography-scandal-india-education-program-2013/

Is it not shocking that WMF retains and hosts high resolution photos
of clearly identifiable minors taken inside their school under a
Creative Commons licence which permits derivations and commercial use
?

It is also very well known that these edit-a-thons are used by PAID
editors like "Fae" to write
articles on non-notables like "Veena Kumari" now
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Veena_Kumari
trimmed from this
http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Veena_Kumari&oldid=604720490
But guess who gets blocked just so Fae, or some other paid editor can
reinsert it when nobody is looking ?

Toby

On 1/11/15, rexx <rexx@blueyonder.co.uk> wrote:

Here's another correction for you:

Anybody who bothered to ask - rather than spilling bile-filled speculation
about - would have soon found out that Roger Bamkin was working in
Gibraltar to encourage new editors to edit Wikipedia. Roger's expertise is
in education, not PR, and he is a qualified teacher.

And what would a group of new editors living in Gibraltar write about as
they learn how to edit? The place where they live, perhaps?

Roger knows very well how much encouragement new editors get from having
their efforts featured at DYK - it's the main purpose of DYK, of course. So
why would it be surprising that so many new DYKs appeared from a new batch
of editors who all lived in Gibraltar - which with its history was an
obvious rich source of articles that nobody had bothered to tap before?

I

--
Rexx

--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Wikimedia-l" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to wikimedia-l+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com.
For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.

RE: [Wikimedia-l] A Stealth PR Campaign on Behalf of Gibraltar Provokes Existential Crisis for Wikipedia

Mindboogling that so many intelligensia peoples waste time on Roger Bumpkin, when they could be chasing Roger Davies down a ARBCOM Roger Rabbit Alice in Wonderland wormhole of PAID PR Wikipedia editing and those that regulate them.

So the question is "Who is Roger Davies of ARBCOM" ?

Obviously he cannot be Roger "Lleywn" Davies Astrophysicist who has photographed by Mike Peel here http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Mike_Irwin_and_Roger_Davies.jpg

Because we all know that Roger Llewyn Davies already has one sockpuppet account
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Contributions/RoyalAstronomicalSociety and is blocked on Wikipedia for Conflicted editing and has a Big Degree..

We also know that Roger Davies cannot be this person
http://www.rogerdavies.com/roger-davies/

Because he is the archetypal Wikipedian Arbcom member, like that 14 year Ukranian kiddy who got elected to Arbcom. It definitely can't be him because he is from Manchester and into SEO, http://manchester-seo-blog.co.uk/ and employs cheap blackhat Wiki-PR coolies from India, sourced through Mrs. Deepali "Sakhare " Shah of IIPM.edu/Planman and Global Consulting Mumbai also known as WIFIONE?? and who knows Mike Peel and that would make him a part of the En Wikipedia Manchester "meatfarm" mafia.

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Manchester_Wikimeet_Feb_2012-4.jpg

So, we would place our money on the nag from near Lewisham, London.

Juhi
Wikipedia India Editors Forum

Date: Sun, 11 Jan 2015 16:29:52 -0700
Subject: Re: [Wikimedia-l] A Stealth PR Campaign on Behalf of Gibraltar Provokes Existential Crisis for Wikipedia
From: node.ue@gmail.com
To: lilburne@tygers-of-wrath.net
CC: wikimedia-l@googlegroups.com

Let's find out?

On Jan 11, 2015 11:28 AM, "Lilburne" <lilburne@tygers-of-wrath.net> wrote:

What are you still doing in my email?

On 11/01/2015 16:37, Toby Dollmann wrote:

Dear Rexx

The "Future Tense" Slate.com blog piece is a published researched
article, with directly relevant inline cites, a named author and a
collaboration between 3 credible organizations. The facts in that
article, ie. the sheer number of DYKs in a short span from a tiny
handkerchief bit of land are undenied. The article still stands with 2
minor corrections as a RELIABLE SOURCE in the face of your ORIGINAL
RESEARCH.

This kind of event based editing is what had also been highlighted in
the case of WMF's disastrous "Wikipedia India Education Program" in
2011 and 2013.

https://avamindia.wordpress.com/2014/10/25/wikipedia-india-education-program/
To which a follow up was sent
https://avamindia.wordpress.com/2014/10/25/wikipedia-child-pornography-scandal-india-education-program-2013/

Is it not shocking that WMF retains and hosts high resolution photos
of clearly identifiable minors taken inside their school under a
Creative Commons licence which permits derivations and commercial use
?

It is also very well known that these edit-a-thons are used by PAID
editors like "Fae" to write
articles on non-notables like "Veena Kumari" now
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Veena_Kumari
trimmed from this
http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Veena_Kumari&oldid=604720490
But guess who gets blocked just so Fae, or some other paid editor can
reinsert it when nobody is looking ?

Toby

On 1/11/15, rexx <rexx@blueyonder.co.uk> wrote:

Here's another correction for you:

Anybody who bothered to ask - rather than spilling bile-filled speculation
about - would have soon found out that Roger Bamkin was working in
Gibraltar to encourage new editors to edit Wikipedia. Roger's expertise is
in education, not PR, and he is a qualified teacher.

And what would a group of new editors living in Gibraltar write about as
they learn how to edit? The place where they live, perhaps?

Roger knows very well how much encouragement new editors get from having
their efforts featured at DYK - it's the main purpose of DYK, of course. So
why would it be surprising that so many new DYKs appeared from a new batch
of editors who all lived in Gibraltar - which with its history was an
obvious rich source of articles that nobody had bothered to tap before?

I

--
Rexx

Re: [Wikimedia-l] Google Groups Terms of Srvice

Dear Marcos

If there is a problem requiring attention of list admins, you must specify it in terms of mailing list policies rather than ad hominem attacks.

Toby

On 1/12/15, Marcos Andrés Williamson <node.ue@gmail.com> wrote:
> I'm somewhat confused as to the purpose of this message, would you please
> explain in greater detail?
> On Jan 11, 2015 7:08 AM, "Toby Dollmann" <toby.dollmann@gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> Hello
>>
>> A List Admin will surely reply to you / take action if you specify any
>> contravention of Google Groups Terms of Service
>> https://www.privacy.org.au/Papers/G-Groups-terms-120127.html
>>
>> "By way of example, and not as a limitation, you agree that when using
>> the Service, you will not:
>>
>> * defame, abuse, harass, stalk, threaten or otherwise violate the
>> legal rights (such as rights of privacy and publicity) of others;
>> * post any inappropriate, defamatory, infringing, obscene, or
>> unlawful Content;
>> * post any Content that infringes any patent, trademark, copyright,
>> trade secret or other proprietary right of any party (the "Rights"),
>> unless you are the owner of the Rights or have the permission of the
>> owner to Post such Content;
>> * post messages that promote pyramid schemes, chain letters or
>> disruptive commercial messages or advertisements, or anything else
>> prohibited by the Group owner.
>> * download any file Posted by another user of a Group that you
>> know, or reasonably should know, that cannot be legally distributed in
>> such manner;
>> * impersonate another person or entity, or falsify or delete any
>> author attributions, legal or other proper notices or proprietary
>> designations or labels of the origin or source of software or other
>> material contained in a file that is Posted;
>> * restrict or inhibit any other user from using and enjoying the
>> Service;
>> * use the Service for any illegal or unauthorized purpose;
>> * remove any copyright, trademark or other proprietary rights
>> notices contained in or on the Service;
>> * interfere with or disrupt the Service or servers or networks
>> connected to the Service, or disobey any requirements, procedures,
>> policies or regulations of networks connected to the Service;
>> * use any robot, spider, site search/retrieval application, or
>> other device to retrieve or index any portion of the Service or
>> collect information about users for any unauthorized purpose;
>> * submit Content that falsely expresses or implies that such
>> Content is sponsored or endorsed by Google;
>> * create user accounts by automated means or under false or
>> fraudulent pretenses;
>> * promote or provide instructional information about illegal
>> activities or promote physical harm or injury against any group or
>> individual; or
>> * transmit any viruses, worms, defects, Trojan horses, or any items
>> of a destructive nature.
>>
>> International users agree to comply with their own local rules
>> regarding online conduct and acceptable content, including laws
>> regulating the export of data to the United States or your country of
>> residence.
>>
>> While Google prohibits such conduct and Content in connection with the
>> Service, you understand and agree that you nonetheless may be exposed
>> to such conduct and/or Content and that you use the Service at your
>> own risk."
>>
>> Warmly,
>> Toby
>>
>> On 1/11/15, Gerard Meijssen <gerard.meijssen@gmail.com> wrote:
>> > Hoi,
>> > By your own admission you add people without their permission for your
>> own
>> > reasons. There is no permission given and this action has been
>> universally
>> > condemned.
>> >
>> > Please list admins remove this person from the list.
>> > Thanks,
>> > GerardM
>> >

--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Wikimedia-l" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to wikimedia-l+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com.
For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.

Re: [Wikimedia-l] A Stealth PR Campaign on Behalf of Gibraltar Provokes Existential Crisis for Wikipedia

Let's find out?

On Jan 11, 2015 11:28 AM, "Lilburne" <lilburne@tygers-of-wrath.net> wrote:

What are you still doing in my email?

On 11/01/2015 16:37, Toby Dollmann wrote:

Dear Rexx

The "Future Tense" Slate.com blog piece is a published researched
article, with directly relevant inline cites, a named author and a
collaboration between 3 credible organizations. The facts in that
article, ie. the sheer number of DYKs in a short span from a tiny
handkerchief bit of land are undenied. The article still stands with 2
minor corrections as a RELIABLE SOURCE in the face of your ORIGINAL
RESEARCH.

Re: [Wikimedia-l] Wikipedia charity chairman resigns after pornography row

This is really quite disturbing

On Jan 11, 2015 9:08 AM, "rexx" <rexx@blueyonder.co.uk> wrote:

Another piece of blatant misrepresentation.

Fae was the subject of multiple homophobic attacks during that period and there was an orchestrated campaign by the usual group of haters who can't stand to see an openly gay man achieve prominence in our community.

Fae resigned voluntarily in order to reduce the impact of the hate campaign on the institution that he had been instrumental in building.

The call for an EGM was signed by all of four people. Four people. I could get more signatures for a petition to give Jimmy Wales a knighthood. (Ok, I might be exaggerating that last one).

--

Rexx

On 11 January 2015 at 08:57, Toby Dollmann <toby.dollmann@gmail.com> wrote:

Why ?

Have you forgotten Section 230 of Communications Decency Act ?

Toby

On 1/11/15, Gerard Meijssen <gerard.meijssen@gmail.com> wrote:
> can someone shut this guy up?
> Thanks,
> GerardM
>

Re: [Wikimedia-l] PLEASE ASK PERMISSION BEFORE ADDING PEOPLE O YOUR LIST! [WAS: Could someone please tell me why I have been subscribed to this list?]

I think there are important considerations at hand here

On Jan 11, 2015 5:02 AM, "Rui Correia" <correia.rui@gmail.com> wrote:

Hi Toby

Thanks for providing an explanation of the reasons for creating the
list. By the way, despite your efforts, I still have no idea what the
list does.

However, what I asked for was an explanation of WHY I came to be added
to your list.

I opened the link that you provided and read that "A number of members
of WikiProject_Open_Access were at the yearly OA conference (and
Wikimania) these weeks, and many attendees were interested in
continuing discussion by email." The idea was supported by roughly
three of four people. Hardly a mandate!

Then either through lack of creativity or to pose as an existing list
you use an existing name (wikimedia-l)!

Then to add injury to insult, you use an old unrelated email to send
out your notification about users being added to this list. There is
nothing I hate more than people too lazy to create a new email, who
open old emails to send out new unrelated information. It is
unprofessional. It is immature.

PLEASE REMOVE MY ADDRESS IMMEDIATELY. I suggest that in future you ask
people for permission before adding them to your lists or - even
better - announce on an existing list the of the new list with the
necessary information for sign-up for those who want to do so -
VOLUNTARILY!

Regards,

Rui

2015-01-11 12:42 GMT+02:00 Toby Dollmann <toby.dollmann@gmail.com>:
> Dear Rui
>
> I would be happy to explain.
> Please see this link https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T55216
>
> "We have enough people discussing things by email that having a
> dedicated mailing list to make our discussions public and archived
> would be useful and bring us closer in alignment to Wikimedia
> community precedent of being transparent.
>
> We also talk with a certain number of non-Wikipedian stakeholders, and
> for that reason we need an email list."
>
> So this is that kind of Open Access list for Wikipedia editors.
>
> Toby
>

Re: [Wikimedia-l] Wikimedia Foundation stays quiet about 2 recent--and rare--'global bans'

Interesting choice of language to refer to a longtime member of our community. Care to explain your tone?

On Jan 11, 2015 3:48 AM, "Toby Dollmann" <toby.dollmann@gmail.com> wrote:

Gerard

You are just another parasitic WMF tit sucking cockroach troll.
http://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Grants:PEG/Gerard_Meijssen_and_Michael_Everson/Batak

So sod off or share this
http://stream.aljazeera.com/story/201501091417-0024478

"Saudi Arabia begins 1000 lash sentence for blogger"

Toby

On 1/11/15, Gerard Meijssen <gerard.meijssen@gmail.com> wrote:
> Hoi,
> My blog needs no sensationalist out-dated blurbs.. I am happy to be
> topical, timely and if that is boring to you all the more reason why I do
> not bother people with it. It is there for them if they want it.
>
> If you mean by free speech that you can say what you like and say it loudly
> where you are explicitly not wanted, then your idea of free speech is not
> what I support.
> Thanks,
> Gerard

--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Wikimedia-l" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to wikimedia-l+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com.
For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.

Re: [Wikimedia-l] Cash-for-kindness scandal rattles Wikipedia

Is this av see an article? Where it's from?

On Jan 10, 2015 11:33 PM, "Toby Dollmann" <toby.dollmann@gmail.com> wrote:

Published at http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/cashforkindness-scandal-rattles-wikipedia/2008/03/11/1205125911471.html
mirrored here
https://archive.today/20120921040030/http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/cashforkindness-scandal-rattles-wikipedia/2008/03/11/1205125911471.html

Cash-for-kindness scandal rattles Wikipedia
Asher Moses
March 12, 2008

THE toughest two weeks of the career of the Wikipedia co-founder,
Jimmy Wales, just got tougher, with a former chief scientist at one of
the world's biggest technology companies claiming Mr Wales traded Wiki
edits for donations.

Jeff Merkey, a former computer scientist at Novell, claims Mr Wales
told him in 2006 that for a substantial donation from Mr Merkey, he
would edit his Wikipedia entry - which included details of lawsuits
involving Mr Merkey including one brought by Novell alleging
misappropriation of trade secrets - to make it more favourable.

Mr Merkey made a $US5000 donation in 2006 and the edit history for his
Wikipedia entry showed that, about the same time, Mr Wales changed the
entry after wiping it out and ordering editors to start over.

Mr Merkey's claims were published in a statement on a Wikipedia
mailing list. On the same mailing list, Mr Wales called the allegation
"nonsense".

The claim is the most damning yet against Mr Wales, who was last week
accused by a former Wikipedia executive of improperly using the
non-profit organisation's funds for his own lavish recreation.

Danny Wool, effectively Mr Wales's right-hand-man for two years before
he left the donor-supported Wikimedia Foundation last year, said Mr
Wales had tried to claim the cost of a visit to a Moscow massage
parlour and expensive bottles of wine.

Earlier, a former girlfriend, Rachel Marsden, leaked messaging
transcripts purporting to show Mr Wales using his influence to
improperly change Ms Marsden's Wikipedia entry so he could continue
"f------ [her] brains out".

Mr Wales, who is going through a divorce, publicly dumped Ms Marsden
via a statement on the online encyclopedia, leading her to retaliate
by releasing the transcripts and auctioning some of his clothes on
eBay.

On the Wikipedia mailing list, Mr Wales said he would "never offer,
nor accept any offer, whereby a donation would buy someone special
editorial treatment in the encyclopedia".