Wikimedia Foundation

Wikimedia Foundation. The Wikimedia Foundation is a non-profit organization founded by Jimmy Wales and Larry Sanger to maintain and develop Wikipedia, Wiktionary, Wikibooks, Wikiversity, Wikinews, and Wikimedia Commons. The foundation is headquartered in San Francisco, California, and is supported by Google, Microsoft, and the Ford Foundation. The organization's mission is to empower and engage people around the world to collect and develop educational content under a free license or in the public domain, and to disseminate it effectively and globally, as stated by Jimmy Wales during the Wikimania conference in Frankfurt.

● History

The Wikimedia Foundation was established on June 20, 2003, by Jimmy Wales in St. Petersburg, Florida, with the help of Tim Shell, Michael Davis, and Florence Devouard. The foundation's early development was supported by Richard Stallman, Lawrence Lessig, and the Free Software Foundation. In 2004, the foundation launched Wikimedia Commons, a repository of free images, videos, and music files, with the support of Yahoo! and the Open Content Project. The foundation has since expanded its operations to include Wikidata, a knowledge base developed in collaboration with the German Research Foundation and the Allen Institute for Artificial Intelligence.

● Organization

The Wikimedia Foundation is led by a board of trustees composed of Jimmy Wales, Patricio Lorente, and Christophe Henner, among others. The foundation's staff includes developers, designers, and community managers who work on the development and maintenance of the foundation's projects, including Wikipedia, Wiktionary, and Wikibooks. The foundation also has a number of chapters and user groups around the world, including the Wikimedia Deutschland and the Wikimedia France, which are supported by Google, Microsoft, and the Ford Foundation. The foundation's operations are also supported by Amazon Web Services, Facebook, and the Knight Foundation.

● Projects

The Wikimedia Foundation operates a number of projects, including Wikipedia, Wiktionary, Wikibooks, Wikiversity, Wikinews, and Wikimedia Commons. These projects are developed and maintained by a community of volunteers from around the world, including Larry Sanger, Ward Cunningham, and Richard Stallman. The foundation also supports the development of Wikidata, a knowledge base that provides structured data for the foundation's projects, in collaboration with the German Research Foundation and the Allen Institute for Artificial Intelligence. The foundation's projects are used by millions of people around the world, including students, researchers, and journalists, and are supported by Google, Microsoft, and the Ford Foundation.

● Governance

The Wikimedia Foundation is governed by a board of trustees that is responsible for setting the foundation's strategic direction and overseeing its operations. The board is composed of Jimmy Wales, Patricio Lorente, and Christophe Henner, among others, and is advised by a number of committees, including the Audit Committee and the Finance Committee. The foundation is also subject to the oversight of the State of California and the Internal Revenue Service, and is a member of the Nonprofit Leadership Alliance and the Technology Association of America. The foundation's governance is also influenced by the Wikimedia movement, a global community of volunteers and organizations that support the foundation's mission, including the Wikimedia Deutschland and the Wikimedia France.

● Finances

The Wikimedia Foundation is supported by a number of donors, including Google, Microsoft, and the Ford Foundation. The foundation's annual budget is around $100 million, which is used to support the development and maintenance of the foundation's projects, including Wikipedia, Wiktionary, and Wikibooks. The foundation also receives support from Amazon Web Services, Facebook, and the Knight Foundation, and is a member of the Nonprofit Leadership Alliance and the Technology Association of America. The foundation's finances are overseen by the Finance Committee, which is composed of Jimmy Wales, Patricio Lorente, and Christophe Henner, among others.

● Controversies

The Wikimedia Foundation has been involved in a number of controversies over the years, including criticism of the foundation's governance and finances. The foundation has also been involved in disputes with copyright holders, including the Recording Industry Association of America and the Motion Picture Association of America. The foundation has also faced criticism from Wikipedia editors, including Larry Sanger and Ward Cunningham, who have raised concerns about the foundation's policies and procedures. The foundation has responded to these criticisms by implementing a number of reforms, including the establishment of a board of trustees and the development of a strategic plan, with the support of Google, Microsoft, and the Ford Foundation.