I just read this very moving appeal from Wikipedia Founder, Jimmy Wales. The appeal is to help protect and sustain Wikipedia. I am sure most people who use the internet have at some point or another used Wikipedia. I’m also sure many of us still do. Jimmy’s appeal reminded me of some of the little things we all take for granted sometimes. Wikipedia is a service that is FREE. Not only free to use, but it is also Ad-Free. Even more amazing is the fact that Wikipedia content is written by anyone who wants to contribute. It essentially contains a wealth of knowledge and information that in my opinion, is unparalleled on the web today. Such a simple concept that proves to be more power and useful than things that are not free. It also goes to show what humans can accomplish when we all work together and cooperatively towards a common goal.

Coming from a technology background, I appreciate the amount of resources and expenses that must go into keeping such a site of this scale managed, orderly and active. Wikipedia needs to stay, as it is one of those few online assets that was built up by the people for the people. So show your support and donate, I just completed my donation.

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.

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