# Wikipedia is a marvel of the modern age - You should try to donate something if you can. I gave $ 10
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wikipedia-is-a-marvel-of-the-modern-age-you-should-try-to-donate-something-if-you-can-i-gave-10/643043
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion
**Created:** [December 5, 2012, 6:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wikipedia-is-a-marvel-of-the-modern-age-you-should-try-to-donate-something-if-you-can-i-gave-10/643043 "2012-12-05T06:29:58Z")
**Posts on this page:** 9
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)
#### Post date: [December 5, 2012, 6:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wikipedia-is-a-marvel-of-the-modern-age-you-should-try-to-donate-something-if-you-can-i-gave-10/643043/1 "2012-12-05T06:29:58Z")
Give so more brains will live -
[Wikipedia donation page](https://donate.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special%3AFundraiserLandingPage&country=US&utm_medium=spontaneous&utm_source=fr-redir&utm_campaign=spontaneous)
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### Author:  [@Napier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Napier)
#### Post date: [December 5, 2012, 12:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wikipedia-is-a-marvel-of-the-modern-age-you-should-try-to-donate-something-if-you-can-i-gave-10/643043/2 "2012-12-05T12:13:56Z")
Ditto. I already gave $50. I use it so often for so much that not giving would have felt inexcusable. What a monumental entity to be able to support!
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### Author:  [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)
#### Post date: [December 5, 2012, 12:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wikipedia-is-a-marvel-of-the-modern-age-you-should-try-to-donate-something-if-you-can-i-gave-10/643043/3 "2012-12-05T12:21:50Z")
Agreed.
There is another thread around here somewhere wherein some fellow Dopers were get’n all pissy because they felt the advert asking for money was obnoxious. They also felt it was a scam because in order to close that pop up, that’s currently being shown on the site; you have to click exactly right there on the ‘X’. And if you miss it, OMG! You’ll be subjected to Wiki asking for money.
I already gave $10.
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### Author:  [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)
#### Post date: [December 5, 2012, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wikipedia-is-a-marvel-of-the-modern-age-you-should-try-to-donate-something-if-you-can-i-gave-10/643043/4 "2012-12-05T14:37:26Z")
> [@Shakes](#):
>
> There is another thread around here somewhere wherein some fellow Dopers were get’n all pissy because they felt the advert asking for money was obnoxious. They also felt it was a scam because in order to close that pop up, that’s currently being shown on the site; you have to click exactly right there on the ‘X’. And if you miss it, OMG! You’ll be subjected to Wiki asking for money.
Can’t you simultaneously believe that Wikipedia is deserving of money but that the way they go about it is annoying at best and a flatout lie at worst?
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### Author:  [@GoodOmens](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GoodOmens)
#### Post date: [December 5, 2012, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wikipedia-is-a-marvel-of-the-modern-age-you-should-try-to-donate-something-if-you-can-i-gave-10/643043/5 "2012-12-05T15:19:49Z")
What about it is a lie (serious question)? I don’t know enough about the operation of Wikipedia to understand that.
I plan to donate for the same reason I donate to NPR–it provides me with endless information and entertainment. I plan to not donate much because I have a 6 month old baby.
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### Author:  [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)
#### Post date: [December 5, 2012, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wikipedia-is-a-marvel-of-the-modern-age-you-should-try-to-donate-something-if-you-can-i-gave-10/643043/6 "2012-12-05T18:08:59Z")
> [@Interrobang](#):
>
> What about it is a lie (serious question)? I don’t know enough about the operation of Wikipedia to understand that.
Many of the ads use wording that suggests that if Wikipedia doesn’t meet their funding goal they’ll have to shut down. That’s actually a flatout lie because Wikipedia has enough cash on hand to run the site for at least a year and probably two. And this isn’t a secret as the Wikipedia Foundation makes their financial information public.
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### Author:  [@Absolute](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Absolute)
#### Post date: [December 5, 2012, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wikipedia-is-a-marvel-of-the-modern-age-you-should-try-to-donate-something-if-you-can-i-gave-10/643043/7 "2012-12-05T18:14:44Z")
> [@Justin\_Bailey](#):
>
> Many of the ads use wording that suggests that if Wikipedia doesn’t meet their funding goal they’ll have to shut down. That’s actually a flatout lie because Wikipedia has enough cash on hand to run the site for at least a year and probably two. And this isn’t a secret as the Wikipedia Foundation makes their financial information public.
This isn’t a lie. You’re really complaining because they’re not waiting until they’re totally out of cash to ask for donations?
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### Author:  [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)
#### Post date: [December 5, 2012, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wikipedia-is-a-marvel-of-the-modern-age-you-should-try-to-donate-something-if-you-can-i-gave-10/643043/8 "2012-12-05T18:17:21Z")
> [@Absolute](#):
>
> This isn’t a lie. You’re really complaining because they’re not waiting until they’re totally out of cash to ask for donations?
Sure it is. Wikipedia is in no danger of shutting down. Even if they chose not to hold a fundraiser this year, it would 12 months before they’d even start discussing their reduced finances, 18 months before they’d consider shutting down, and 24 months before it actually happened.
There’s no need for the ads to be as annoying as they are and there’s definitely no need for the exaggerated claims that the site is running on financial fumes.
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### Author:  [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Son_of_a_Rich)
#### Post date: [December 5, 2012, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wikipedia-is-a-marvel-of-the-modern-age-you-should-try-to-donate-something-if-you-can-i-gave-10/643043/9 "2012-12-05T19:03:44Z")
It wouldn’t bother me any if Wiki were to have small unobtrusive banner ads, as long as they were confined to the top with no video or animation or sound.