Changes

As a [[Directory:The New York Times|New York Times]] writer commented in a column once:

As a [[Directory:The New York Times|New York Times]] writer commented in a column once:

:''"As long as he is involved with Wikipedia, however, Mr. Wales will continue to be a guiding light for its many contributors — as well as a lightning rod for its critics."'' <ref>[http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/17/technology/17wikipedia.html?_r=1&bl&ex=1205899200&en=e0949ec94f152e85&ei=5087%0A&oref=slogin "Open-Source Troubles in Wiki World"], Noam Cohen, March 17, 2008.</ref>

:''"As long as he is involved with Wikipedia, however, Mr. Wales will continue to be a guiding light for its many contributors — as well as a lightning rod for its critics."'' <ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/17/technology/17wikipedia.html?_r=1&bl&ex=1205899200&en=e0949ec94f152e85&ei=5087%0A&oref=slogin |title="Open-Source Troubles in Wiki World" |archiveurl=http://archive.is/20120921/http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/17/technology/17wikipedia.html?_r=1&bl&ex=1205899200&en=e0949ec94f152e85&ei=5087%0A&oref=slogin |archivedate=2012-09-21}}, Noam Cohen, March 17, 2008.</ref>

As a [http://toolserver.org/~soxred93/pcount/index.php?name=Everyking&lang=en&wiki=wikipedia Wikipedia administrator] with over 125,000 edits on the project has said:

As a [http://toolserver.org/~soxred93/pcount/index.php?name=Everyking&lang=en&wiki=wikipedia Wikipedia administrator] with over 125,000 edits on the project has said:

:''It is a sad, sad statement on the Wikipedia community that it has never gotten rid of Jimbo Wales. It's remarkable to me that now, in 2010, Jimbo is still around, while the project itself is stagnating quite badly. I thought at one time that such a vibrant project with so much potential would surely jettison Jimbo -- who is so obviously a useless and unprincipled opportunist -- in relatively short order, once it matured to a certain point. Instead I'm starting to wonder if the project will sink and Jimbo will still be sitting there when it does.'' <ref>[http://wikipediareview.com/index.php?s=&showtopic=30616&view=findpost&p=250652 User:Everyking], August 31, 2010.</ref>

:''It is a sad, sad statement on the Wikipedia community that it has never gotten rid of Jimbo Wales. It's remarkable to me that now, in 2010, Jimbo is still around, while the project itself is stagnating quite badly. I thought at one time that such a vibrant project with so much potential would surely jettison Jimbo -- who is so obviously a useless and unprincipled opportunist -- in relatively short order, once it matured to a certain point. Instead I'm starting to wonder if the project will sink and Jimbo will still be sitting there when it does.'' <ref>{{cite web |url=http://wikipediareview.com/index.php?s=&showtopic=30616&view=findpost&p=250652 |title=User:Everyking |archiveurl=http://archive.is/20120921/http://wikipediareview.com/index.php?s=&showtopic=30616&view=findpost&p=250652 |archivedate=2012-09-21}}, August 31, 2010.</ref>

==Not a pornographer?==

==Not a pornographer?==

While the Wikipedia project consistently released statements to the press in its earliest years describing Larry Sanger as the "co-founder" of the encyclopedia, Jimmy Wales later took it upon himself to reframe the description of Sanger as an "employee" of Wales'. Wales has stated that he appreciates Sanger's contributions, but he seems unwilling to accept Sanger as a pioneer of Wikipedia's construction.

While the Wikipedia project consistently released statements to the press in its earliest years describing Larry Sanger as the "co-founder" of the encyclopedia, Jimmy Wales later took it upon himself to reframe the description of Sanger as an "employee" of Wales'. Wales has stated that he appreciates Sanger's contributions, but he seems unwilling to accept Sanger as a pioneer of Wikipedia's construction.

Dr. Sanger has [http://www.larrysanger.org/roleinwp.html taken the time] to elaborate on the factual evidence that supports his identification as "co-founder" of Wikipedia.  Jimmy Wales has done very little such work to compile evidence that he is the "sole founder".<ref>[http://www.larrysanger.org/roleinwp.html My role in Wikipedia (links)], Dr. Larry Sanger, 2007, ''LarrySanger.org''.</ref>

Dr. Sanger has [http://www.larrysanger.org/roleinwp.html taken the time] to elaborate on the factual evidence that supports his identification as "co-founder" of Wikipedia.  Jimmy Wales has done very little such work to compile evidence that he is the "sole founder".<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.larrysanger.org/roleinwp.html |title=My role in Wikipedia (links) |archiveurl=http://archive.is/20120912/http://www.larrysanger.org/roleinwp.html |archivedate=2012-09-12}}, Dr. Larry Sanger, 2007, ''LarrySanger.org''.</ref>

More recently, Sanger has called out Wales via an "open letter",<ref>[http://blog.citizendium.org/2009/04/08/an-open-letter-to-jimmy-wales-copy/ An open letter to Jimmy Wales], Dr. Larry Sanger, 2009, ''Citizendium.org''.</ref> where the displeased creator of the Wikipedia name and architecture accuses Wales of "lies and distortions", being "transparently self-serving", and issuing "particularly outrageous" claims.

More recently, Sanger has called out Wales via an "open letter",<ref>[http://blog.citizendium.org/2009/04/08/an-open-letter-to-jimmy-wales-copy/ An open letter to Jimmy Wales], Dr. Larry Sanger, 2009, ''Citizendium.org''. {{deadlink |url=http://blog.citizendium.org/2009/04/08/an-open-letter-to-jimmy-wales-copy/}}</ref> where the displeased creator of the Wikipedia name and architecture accuses Wales of "lies and distortions", being "transparently self-serving", and issuing "particularly outrageous" claims.

Clearly, the facts remain:

Clearly, the facts remain:

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|archiveurl=http://archive.is/20120723/http://www.cbc.ca/canada/british-columbia/story/2008/03/02/marsden-breakup.html |archivedate=2012-07-23}}</ref><ref>{{cite news

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  | url = http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20080304.wlbreakup04/BNStory/lifeMain/home

  | title = Ms. Marsden's cyberspace breakup: tit-for-tat-for-T-shirt

  | title = Ms. Marsden's cyberspace breakup: tit-for-tat-for-T-shirt

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  | title = Wikipedia Founder's Fling With Columnist Ends in Nasty Public Breakup

  | title = Wikipedia Founder's Fling With Columnist Ends in Nasty Public Breakup

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  | url = http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/tech_and_web/article3475722.ece

  | title = Fury of a woman scorned – on Wikipedia

  | title = Fury of a woman scorned – on Wikipedia

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  | title = Ex takes her revenge on Mr Wikipedia

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<ref>{{cite news

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  | url = http://www.usatoday.com/tech/webguide/internetlife/2008-03-04-wikipedia-wales_N.htm?csp=34

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  | url = http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2004286879_btwikipedia17.html

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  | title = Wikipedia experiences growing pains  

  | title = Wikipedia experiences growing pains  

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There is curiously only a brief mention of this episode in the anonymous-edit-protected Wikipedia [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jimmy_Wales article about Jimmy Wales], even though it was the [http://news.google.com/archivesearch?q=%22Rachel+Marsden%22+Wales&btnG=Search&hl=en&um=1&ie=UTF-8 talk of mainstream media] for the better part of March 2008.  Compare, there is [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mel_Gibson_DUI_incident an entire article] about Mel Gibson's DUI incident; an article which any anonymous IP address can edit and malign.  Not so, Jimmy Wales' article.  He merits special protective editorial favors, it would appear.

There is curiously only a brief mention of this episode in the anonymous-edit-protected Wikipedia [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jimmy_Wales article about Jimmy Wales], even though it was the [http://news.google.com/archivesearch?q=%22Rachel+Marsden%22+Wales&btnG=Search&hl=en&um=1&ie=UTF-8 talk of mainstream media] for the better part of March 2008.  Compare, there is [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mel_Gibson_DUI_incident an entire article] about Mel Gibson's DUI incident; an article which any anonymous IP address can edit and malign.  Not so, Jimmy Wales' article.  He merits special protective editorial favors, it would appear.

==Misspending Foundation funds==

==Misspending Foundation funds==

[[Image:Jimbo_in_Vogue.jpg|right|thumb|300px|Jimbo playing dress-up]]In March 2008, Wales was accused by former Wikimedia Foundation employee Danny Wool of subsidizing personal expenditures with foundation funds.  These included rebuffed attempts to have reimbursed a $1200 dinner for four, a $650 wine tab, and even a visit to a Moscow massage parlor that Wales submitted ''twice'' for payback from the Foundation. Wool also stated that Wales had his Wikimedia credit card taken away in part because of his spending habits, though Wales denied this claim.<ref>[http://smh.com.au/news/biztech/wikipedia-head-accused-of-expenses-rort/2008/03/05/1204402516874.html Wikipedia's Jimmy Wales accused of expenses rort], Asher Moses, March 5, 2008, ''[[Sydney Morning Herald]]''</ref> Foundation Chair Florence Devouard and former foundation interim Executive Director Brad Patrick denied any wrongdoing by Wales or the foundation, saying that Wales accounted for every expense and that for items he did not have receipts for, he paid out of his own pocket.<ref>[http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/03/05/BUVFVDM3H.DTL San Francisco Chronicle]</ref>  Executive Director Sue Gardner would later defend Wales on CNET video, saying, "Jimmy has never done anything wrong."<ref>[http://news.cnet.com/1606-2-6233396.html CNET video of an extremely uncomfortable Sue Gardner]</ref>

[[Image:Jimbo_in_Vogue.jpg|right|thumb|300px|Jimbo playing dress-up]]In March 2008, Wales was accused by former Wikimedia Foundation employee Danny Wool of subsidizing personal expenditures with foundation funds.  These included rebuffed attempts to have reimbursed a $1200 dinner for four, a $650 wine tab, and even a visit to a Moscow massage parlor that Wales submitted ''twice'' for payback from the Foundation. Wool also stated that Wales had his Wikimedia credit card taken away in part because of his spending habits, though Wales denied this claim.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://smh.com.au/news/biztech/wikipedia-head-accused-of-expenses-rort/2008/03/05/1204402516874.html |title=Wikipedia's Jimmy Wales accused of expenses rort |archiveurl=http://archive.is/20120921/http://smh.com.au/news/biztech/wikipedia-head-accused-of-expenses-rort/2008/03/05/1204402516874.html |archivedate=2012-09-21}}, Asher Moses, March 5, 2008, ''[[Sydney Morning Herald]]''</ref> Foundation Chair Florence Devouard and former foundation interim Executive Director Brad Patrick denied any wrongdoing by Wales or the foundation, saying that Wales accounted for every expense and that for items he did not have receipts for, he paid out of his own pocket.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/03/05/BUVFVDM3H.DTL |title=San Francisco Chronicle |archiveurl=http://archive.is/20120912/http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/03/05/BUVFVDM3H.DTL |archivedate=2012-09-12}}</ref>  Executive Director Sue Gardner would later defend Wales on CNET video, saying, "Jimmy has never done anything wrong."<ref>{{cite web |url=http://news.cnet.com/1606-2-6233396.html |title=CNET video of an extremely uncomfortable Sue Gardner |archiveurl=http://archive.is/20120921/http://news.cnet.com/1606-2-6233396.html |archivedate=2012-09-21}}</ref>

If these facts are not enough to convince you that money makes its way through the back door to Wales' wallet, then perhaps a look [http://lists.wikimedia.org/pipermail/foundation-l/2009-January/049340.html at the front door] is in order.  The Wikimedia Foundation announced in January 2009 that it was to begin paying rent to Jimmy Wales' company, Wikia, Inc., on a monthly basis.  They would use the tax-advantaged funds granted by the Ruth and Frank Stanton Fund.  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:

If these facts are not enough to convince you that money makes its way through the back door to Wales' wallet, then perhaps a look [http://lists.wikimedia.org/pipermail/foundation-l/2009-January/049340.html at the front door] is in order.  The Wikimedia Foundation announced in January 2009 that it was to begin paying rent to Jimmy Wales' company, Wikia, Inc., on a monthly basis.  They would use the tax-advantaged funds granted by the Ruth and Frank Stanton Fund.  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:

==Jeffrey Merkey favors-for-payment allegations==

==Jeffrey Merkey favors-for-payment allegations==

[[Image:Jimmy Wales on Washington Post interview.jpg|right|thumb|200px|Napping on the job.]]Later in March 2008, it was alleged by [[Jeff V. Merkey|Jeffrey Vernon Merkey]] that Wales had edited Merkey's entry in Wikipedia to make it more "favourable" in return for donations to the Wikimedia Foundation. In May 2006 Wales had erased Merkey's article "because of the unpleasantness of it" and stated "we are nearing a resolution of this longstanding conflict," referring to a dispute between the Wikipedia community and Merkey over the content of the biography. Wales called the allegation that the Wikimedia Foundation had received donations in exchange for this "nonsense."<ref>[http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/cashforkindness-scandal-rattles-wikipedia/2008/03/11/1205125911471.html Cash for kindness]</ref> <ref name="bbcpaidediting">{{citeweb|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/7291382.stm|title=Wiki boss 'edited for donation'|accessdate=2008-03-12}}</ref> Nonetheless, Merkey made a very clear and very deliberate statement to the Associated Press that attested: <blockquote>''Wales agreed that in exchange for a substantial donation and other financial support of the Wikimedia Foundation projects, Wales would use his influence to make Merkey's article adhere to Wikipedia's stated policies with regard to internet libel "as a courtesty" and place Merkey under his "special protection" as an editor.''<ref>[http://lists.wikimedia.org/pipermail/foundation-l/2008-March/039545.html [Foundation-l] Statement to the Associated Press], Jeffrey Merkey, March 9, 2008.</ref></blockquote>

[[Image:Jimmy Wales on Washington Post interview.jpg|right|thumb|200px|Napping on the job.]]Later in March 2008, it was alleged by [[Jeff V. Merkey|Jeffrey Vernon Merkey]] that Wales had edited Merkey's entry in Wikipedia to make it more "favourable" in return for donations to the Wikimedia Foundation. In May 2006 Wales had erased Merkey's article "because of the unpleasantness of it" and stated "we are nearing a resolution of this longstanding conflict," referring to a dispute between the Wikipedia community and Merkey over the content of the biography. Wales called the allegation that the Wikimedia Foundation had received donations in exchange for this "nonsense."<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/cashforkindness-scandal-rattles-wikipedia/2008/03/11/1205125911471.html |title=Cash for kindness |archiveurl=http://archive.is/20120921/http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/cashforkindness-scandal-rattles-wikipedia/2008/03/11/1205125911471.html |archivedate=2012-09-21}}</ref> <ref name="bbcpaidediting">{{citeweb|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/7291382.stm|title=Wiki boss 'edited for donation'|accessdate=2008-03-12 |archiveurl=http://archive.is/20120921/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/7291382.stm |archivedate=2012-09-21}}</ref> Nonetheless, Merkey made a very clear and very deliberate statement to the Associated Press that attested: <blockquote>''Wales agreed that in exchange for a substantial donation and other financial support of the Wikimedia Foundation projects, Wales would use his influence to make Merkey's article adhere to Wikipedia's stated policies with regard to internet libel "as a courtesty" and place Merkey under his "special protection" as an editor.''<ref>[http://lists.wikimedia.org/pipermail/foundation-l/2008-March/039545.html [Foundation-l] Statement to the Associated Press], Jeffrey Merkey, March 9, 2008.</ref></blockquote>

A few news sources that reported the story [http://pages.citebite.com/w1n0s3r6h3bmk provided the link to the article's history to show Jimbo edited the article], except if one is to hit "edit history" he will see nothing. The page was deleted from Wikipedia in May 2010. Still [http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Log&page=Jeff+V.+Merkey the page's log from  October 2006 "(investigating new edits for possible violations of WP:NOR, WP:RS, and WP:BIO [edit=autoconfirmed:move=autoconfirmed)"] shows that Jimbo Wales protected the page just as Merkey said he did. The page reminded protected for almost two years. It is very unusual for an article of little importance. Also unusual is [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User_talk:Jimbo_Wales/Archive_30#Question_about_Merkey this exchange]: Jimbo was asked about the article:  

A few news sources that reported the story [http://pages.citebite.com/w1n0s3r6h3bmk provided the link to the article's history to show Jimbo edited the article], except if one is to hit "edit history" he will see nothing. The page was deleted from Wikipedia in May 2010. Still [http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Log&page=Jeff+V.+Merkey the page's log from  October 2006 "(investigating new edits for possible violations of WP:NOR, WP:RS, and WP:BIO [edit=autoconfirmed:move=autoconfirmed)"] shows that Jimbo Wales protected the page just as Merkey said he did. The page reminded protected for almost two years. It is very unusual for an article of little importance. Also unusual is [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User_talk:Jimbo_Wales/Archive_30#Question_about_Merkey this exchange]: Jimbo was asked about the article: