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'''Wikia''' (originally "WikiCities") was co-founded in 2004 by [[Directory:Wikipedia|Wikipedia]] co-founder [[Directory:Jimmy Wales|Jimmy Wales]] and [[Directory:Angela Beesley|Angela Beesley]]. They hoped to capitalize financially on the working model presented by Wikipedia. In fact, it has been said that Wales' ambition was to take the success of Wikipedia and "[http://sethf.com/infothought/blog/archives/001343.html commercialize the hell out of it]."
'''Wikia''' (originally "WikiCities") was co-founded in 2004 by [[Directory:Wikipedia|Wikipedia]] co-founder [[Directory:Jimmy Wales|Jimmy Wales]] and [[Directory:Angela Beesley|Angela Beesley]]. They hoped to capitalize financially on the working model presented by Wikipedia. In fact, it has been said that Wales' ambition was to take the success of Wikipedia and "[http://sethf.com/infothought/blog/archives/001343.html commercialize the hell out of it]."
At one time, 60% of the [[Directory:Wikimedia Foundation|Wikimedia Foundation]] board of trustees were simultaneously employees of Wikia. As of December 2009, there are over [http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:LinkSearch&limit=5000&offset=20000&target=http%3A%2F%2F*.wikia.com 21,300 external links] from Wikipedia to Wikia.com sites, which are funded by Google AdSense and other advertising revenues. For the better part of 2009, the Wikimedia Foundation was paying rent to Wikia, Inc. on a monthly basis, [http://lists.wikimedia.org/pipermail/foundation-l/2009-January/049340.html using a tax-advantaged grant] from the Ruth and Frank Stanton Fund. These scenarios describe a failure in [[Ethical_accountability#Wikimedia_Foundation|ethical accountability]].
At one time, 60% of the [[Directory:Wikimedia Foundation|Wikimedia Foundation]] board of trustees were simultaneously employees of Wikia.
==Using Wikipedia as an external link farm==
[[Image:Why Wales Blocked Kohs (screen cap).jpg|right|thumb|400px|One way Wikia infiltrated Wikipedia]]The only period when external links from Wikipedia to Wikia were in decline were the two months prior to October 2006. Immediately after Jimmy Wales blocked one of his leading critics from Wikipedia, the link expansion continued unabated. As of December 2009, there are over [http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:LinkSearch&limit=5000&offset=20000&target=http%3A%2F%2F*.wikia.com 21,300 external links] from Wikipedia to Wikia.com sites, which are funded by Google AdSense and other advertising revenues.
==Wikia was the Wikimedia Foundation's landlord==
For the better part of 2009, the Wikimedia Foundation was paying rent to Wikia, Inc. on a monthly basis, [http://lists.wikimedia.org/pipermail/foundation-l/2009-January/049340.html using a tax-advantaged grant] from the Ruth and Frank Stanton Fund. These scenarios describe a failure in [[Ethical_accountability#Wikimedia_Foundation|ethical accountability]]. Did Wikia offer the lowest-priced rent solution to the Wikimedia Foundation? Not at all. After a [http://lists.wikimedia.org/pipermail/foundation-l/2009-January/049345.html frantic] back-and-forth [http://lists.wikimedia.org/pipermail/foundation-l/2009-January/049354.html attempt] by different [http://lists.wikimedia.org/pipermail/foundation-l/2009-January/049360.html agents] of the Wikimedia Foundation to [http://lists.wikimedia.org/pipermail/foundation-l/2009-January/049411.html explain] how this [http://lists.wikimedia.org/pipermail/foundation-l/2009-January/049389.html level] of [http://lists.wikimedia.org/pipermail/foundation-l/2009-January/049391.html self-dealing] was [http://lists.wikimedia.org/pipermail/foundation-l/2009-January/049393.html allowed to happen], Wikia's CEO Gil Penchina finally revealed (a year later, January 4, 2010) in a personal e-mail:
<blockquote>''They <nowiki>[the Wikimedia Foundation]</nowiki> approached us and asked if they could rent space on a temporary basis.. and I think it ended up being 4-6 months give or take. I thought about giving it to them for free and I wasn't sure which was worse... getting accused of bribing a non-profit for giving it away, or getting accused of stealing for a non-profit for charging... so we ended up asking them to get competitng (sic) quotes from other landlords so that THEY could feel comfortable with the decision.''</blockquote>
First there is a request to rent space from a hand-picked bidder, and only ''then'' a suggestion to get competing bids from other landlords? It sounds like someone at the Wikimedia Foundation wanted to make sure that Jimmy Wales' for-profit company had the inside track on that bid, worth many thousands of dollars.
==Wikipedia as a staffing source for corrupt Wikia employees==
A wave of problems began with a decision by Jimmy Wales to hire a 24-year-old college dropout named [http://www.wikipedia-watch.org/gifs/wmessjay.png Ryan Jordan] to work at Wikia. The hiring decision was made, even though Wales apparently knew Jordan had been passing himself off to the Wikipedia community (and to ''The New Yorker'' magazine's Pulitzer Prize winning [[Interviewed By:=Stacy Schiff]]) as a tenured professor [http://www.wikipedia-watch.org/gifs/essjay5.png holding multiple advanced degrees]. Further aggravating the issue, Jordan (whose Wikipedia screen name was "Essjay") was soon appointed by Wales to the highest volunteer adjudicating body within Wikipedia -- the Arbitration Committee. So, this was another instance of a Wikia, Inc. employee holding an exclusive position of power on Wikipedia.
A wave of problems began with a decision by Jimmy Wales to hire a 24-year-old college dropout named [http://www.wikipedia-watch.org/gifs/wmessjay.png Ryan Jordan] to work at Wikia. The hiring decision was made, even though Wales apparently knew Jordan had been passing himself off to the Wikipedia community (and to ''The New Yorker'' magazine's Pulitzer Prize winning [[Interviewed By:=Stacy Schiff]]) as a tenured professor [http://www.wikipedia-watch.org/gifs/essjay5.png holding multiple advanced degrees]. Further aggravating the issue, Jordan (whose Wikipedia screen name was "Essjay") was soon appointed by Wales to the highest volunteer adjudicating body within Wikipedia -- the Arbitration Committee. So, this was another instance of a Wikia, Inc. employee holding an exclusive position of power on Wikipedia.