Directory:Wikimedia Foundation investigation
Wikipedia and the later foundation that was created to have stewardship over it and related projects had enormous potential to create authentic, reliable storehouses of knowledge. Over the past nine years, however, the world has witnessed within the early Wikipedia leadership and later the Wikimedia Foundation such levels of hypocrisy, graft, fiscal irresponsibility, self-dealing, and sleaze, it is time to launch an organized investigation into this diseased center of the free culture movement.
MyWikiBiz is hereby setting aside $500 to seed a fund for researchers, a cash incentive to facilitate a project that would investigate and document any suspicious or ethically-compromised financial transactions or social interactions that have ever occurred within the Wikimedia Foundation, or in the direct sphere of influence of any of its principal staff or trustees (present or former). The purpose, of course, is to help future generations recognize the patterns that surround these misdeeds, in order to prevent their repetition.
Anyone is welcome to submit a "grant request" below (suggested remittances for various tasks will likely be between $25 and $100). We may discuss the relative strengths or weaknesses of various proposals, but the final authority for granting monies from this initial $500 seed fund will rest with Gregory Kohs, who may be contacted offline by calling: 484-NEW-WIKI.
Follow-up funding
Anyone who is in a position to provide additional financial support for this project is welcome to pledge here, and we can work out the transactional details such that all parties are comfortable that the money will be distributed efficiently and with integrity.
- Gregory Kohs ($500) -- MyWikiBiz 08:12, 25 March 2010 (PDT)
- Name here (amount considering) sign with -- ~~~~
Proposals
Enter ideas for proposals below.
Gather what's known
Proposed: Assemble a cited, summary list of all scandals and misdeeds to date related to the Wikimedia Foundation and its past and present staff and trustees that have been publicly documented through verifiable means. (Examples: COO a wanted felon; Treasurer received bench warrant for arrest by Illinois court; Wikia recipient of Stanton Fund money intended for usability; etc.)
- Anticipated person-hours: 5
- Compensation requested: ??
- Applicant(s) willing to accept the work (with number of hours promised):
- Name here (hours)
- Compensation offered: $75 (by MyWikiBiz 19:59, 24 March 2010 (PDT))
Interview former associates
Proposed: Assemble a list of prospective interview candidates (former "whistle-blower" WMF employees; ex-trustees; past friends, partners, spouses of key players; etc.) and conduct recorded/documented one-on-one interviews with them, in a discovery process to learn about behind-the-scenes misdeeds that to date have not been publicly documented.
- Anticipated person-hours: 2 hours per interview
- Compensation requested: ??
- Applicant(s) willing to accept the work (with number of hours promised):
- Name here (hours)
- Compensation offered: $40 per interview (by MyWikiBiz 19:59, 24 March 2010 (PDT))
