Re: [Wikimedia-l] Let's accept Bitcoin as a donation method

On 15 March 2014 13:31, Daniel Zahn wrote: > On Mon, Mar 10, 2014 at 10:13 AM, Nathan wrote >> It's hard to credit that people are still pushing for the WMF to accept >> Bitcoin payments after the worlds major venue for trading them, the Magic: >> The Gathering Online Exchange, crashed and "disa

Re: [Wikimedia-l] Let's accept Bitcoin as a donation method

On Mon, Mar 10, 2014 at 10:13 AM, Nathan wrote > > It's hard to credit that people are still pushing for the WMF to accept > Bitcoin payments after the worlds major venue for trading them, the Magic: > The Gathering Online Exchange, crashed and "disappeared" $500m. Obviously > not a safe and secu

Re: [Wikimedia-l] Let's accept Bitcoin as a donation method

On Mon, Mar 10, 2014 at 11:02 AM, Oliver Keyes wrote: > > > Wow, we've made an entire 1.6k out of bitcoin? This totally seems like the > highest-value way to spend our time! Thanks, Bitcoin! I'm sure that the > value of these items won't wildly vary in short spaces of time based on > things like

Re: [Wikimedia-l] Let's accept Bitcoin as a donation method

Charles Gregory, 10/03/2014 14:26: On it he states "I'm planning to re-open the conversation with the Wikimedia Foundation Board of Directors at our next meeting (and before, by email) about whether Wikimedia should accept bitcoin." More info at the thread itself. What's the board of directors

Re: [Wikimedia-l] Let's accept Bitcoin as a donation method

Wow, we've made an entire 1.6k out of bitcoin? This totally seems like the highest-value way to spend our time! Thanks, Bitcoin! I'm sure that the value of these items won't wildly vary in short spaces of time based on things like, oh, your propensity to have banking neophytes host your exchanges

Re: [Wikimedia-l] Let's accept Bitcoin as a donation method

Jimmy's already noted this is WRONG, but the erroneous Telegraph story reads: "Wikipedia charity begins accepting Bitcoin donations after co-founder Jimmy Wales set up a personal account "to play around" with digital currency and was swamped with cash" http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/wikip

Re: [Wikimedia-l] Let's accept Bitcoin as a donation method

Hi everyone, I thought it may be worth pointing out that this conversation has be re-opened by Jimmy on reddit: http://www.reddit.com/r/Bitcoin/comments/201fa6/hello_from_jimmy_wales_of_wikipedia/ On it he stat

Re: [Wikimedia-l] Let's accept Bitcoin as a donation method

That very rough number that Matt threw out there has far less to do with the cost of applying human brainpower than it does with the cost of taking the available brainpower away from things we know are going to significantly increase our efficacy. We have several of those things looming on the hori

Re: [Wikimedia-l] Let's accept Bitcoin as a donation method

On Jan 9, 2014 11:38 AM, "Matthew Walker" wrote: > > I will probably regret saying this[1] -- but the figure we like to throw > around here in fundraising tech is that a new payments gateway [2] is not > even worth considering unless it is likely to make us at least 500K USD a > year[3]. Thanks f

Re: [Wikimedia-l] Let's accept Bitcoin as a donation method

On Wed, Jan 8, 2014 at 8:38 PM, Matthew Walker wrote: > It is a significant undertaking to integrate a new gateway with our current > code (think several man months of time related to coding, code review, > donor services preparation, and testing; not including contract negotiation > and legal rev

Re: [Wikimedia-l] Let's accept Bitcoin as a donation method

I will probably regret saying this[1] -- but the figure we like to throw around here in fundraising tech is that a new payments gateway [2] is not even worth considering unless it is likely to make us at least 500K USD a year[3]. Or, in the case that it is not an immediate payoff, if it is strategi

Re: [Wikimedia-l] Let's accept Bitcoin as a donation method

Thanks Erik for a well written overview. Would it be possible for the WMF to give an estimate on what it would cost to build and/or what the threshold of annual bitcoin donations would make it worthwhile building. Someone might be interested in donating specifically to have this built, or we could

Re: [Wikimedia-l] Let's accept Bitcoin as a donation method

On Thu, Dec 12, 2013 at 2:54 PM, Steven Walling wrote: > In general, I would personally like it if the WMF avoided accepting > bitcoin. Today, bitcoin isn't really a functioning currency of exchange -- > it's actually used more as an investment tool to create wealth that > naturally appreciates i

Re: [Wikimedia-l] Let's accept Bitcoin as a donation method

On Fri, Dec 13, 2013 at 8:24 PM, MZMcBride wrote: > > > Re: http://blog.bitpay.com/2012/11/donate-to-wikipedia-with-bitcoin.html > > I'm not sure I'm following all of this correctly. I thought the idea was > that BitPay would exchange Bitcoins for USDs and then donate the USDs to > the Wikimedia

Re: [Wikimedia-l] Let's accept Bitcoin as a donation method

Tomasz W. Kozlowski wrote: >Andrew Bogott wrote: >> So, we have a problem, and then we have an already-implemented >> solution... what is left for anyone to do but dust off their hands and >> go to lunch? If Bitpay has already solved the exact problem that we're >> discussion, why would the founda

Re: [Wikimedia-l] Let's accept Bitcoin as a donation method

Andrew Bogott wrote: So, we have a problem, and then we have an already-implemented solution... what is left for anyone to do but dust off their hands and go to lunch? If Bitpay has already solved the exact problem that we're discussion, why would the foundation spend a nickel duplicating the

Re: [Wikimedia-l] Let's accept Bitcoin as a donation method

On 13 December 2013 14:00, David Gerard wrote: > On 13 December 2013 11:43, Steven Walling > wrote: > > > Who's to say if the work involved in accepting bitcoins, monitoring > > transactions, converting them, etc. will be worth the actual donations we > > receive in bitcoin? Developing and maint

Re: [Wikimedia-l] Let's accept Bitcoin as a donation method

I have no real opinion about the merits of bitcoin. But, I'm nevertheless amused and puzzled by this discussion, as I will illustrate with a little creative editing: On 12/10/13 2:58 PM, Tomasz W. Kozlowski wrote: ...does the Foundation intend to accept Bitcoin as a donation method any time s

Re: [Wikimedia-l] Let's accept Bitcoin as a donation method

On 13 December 2013 11:43, Steven Walling wrote: > Who's to say if the work involved in accepting bitcoins, monitoring > transactions, converting them, etc. will be worth the actual donations we > receive in bitcoin? Developing and maintaining payments systems doesn't > come for free. Fundraising

Re: [Wikimedia-l] Let's accept Bitcoin as a donation method

Steven Walling wrote: Uh... except that because Bitcoin is not a regulated currency, it's value has the potential to fluctuate wildly, and seems to have done so since it attracts speculators of all crazy sorts. Seems pretty fuckin risky to me. I see no reason why the fluctuation of Bitcoin wou

Re: [Wikimedia-l] Let's accept Bitcoin as a donation method

On Thu, Dec 12, 2013 at 8:17 PM, John Vandenberg wrote: > As Peter just said, there is no risk if WMF converts bitcoin donations to > USD immediately. > Uh... except that because Bitcoin is not a regulated currency, it's value has the potential to fluctuate wildly, and seems to have done so sinc

Re: [Wikimedia-l] Let's accept Bitcoin as a donation method

On Thu, Dec 12, 2013 at 11:54 PM, Steven Walling wrote: > naturally appreciates in value, like playing the stock market or buying > gold. Avoiding lots of risky investments is something our very competent I do not plan to get into a perpetual debate just wanted to point out that there is no "pla

Re: [Wikimedia-l] Let's accept Bitcoin as a donation method

On Dec 13, 2013 5:55 AM, "Steven Walling" wrote: > > On Wed, Dec 11, 2013 at 12:31 PM, Jake Orlowitz wrote: > > > * Our peers like EFF, and Internet archive accept it > > > To be totally honest, I think this is moot. > > Support for bitcoin among these two organizations has hardly been a ringing

Re: [Wikimedia-l] Let's accept Bitcoin as a donation method

On Wed, Dec 11, 2013 at 12:31 PM, Jake Orlowitz wrote: > * Our peers like EFF, and Internet archive accept it To be totally honest, I think this is moot. Support for bitcoin among these two organizations has hardly been a ringing endorsement. In the past, EFF has rejected it for very practical

Re: [Wikimedia-l] Let's accept Bitcoin as a donation method

On Thu, Dec 12, 2013 at 4:31 AM, Tim Starling wrote: > On 12/12/13 02:54, Nathan wrote: >> Bitcoin isn't native currency for anyone, and anyone who wishes >> to make a Bitcoin donation could certainly do so using a more standard >> currency. > I would think that if anonymity is the main concern,

Re: [Wikimedia-l] Let's accept Bitcoin as a donation method

Other forms of money we do not currently accept include gold coins, Yap money, Tesco Clubcard Points, cowrie shells and cattle. We could accept any of them in theory. Though if anyone wants to donate a herd of cattle to Wikimedia UK please could they contact the office in advance. Chris On 12 D

Re: [Wikimedia-l] Let's accept Bitcoin as a donation method

On 12/12/13 02:54, Nathan wrote: > Bitcoin isn't native currency for anyone, and anyone who wishes > to make a Bitcoin donation could certainly do so using a more standard > currency. Well, this article from a year ago argues that bitcoin is "safer" for donors than donating national currency:

Re: [Wikimedia-l] Let's accept Bitcoin as a donation method

ng the following: > > Litecoin > Namecoin > PPCoin > Feathercoin > Craftcoin > Quarkcoin > Freicoin > Devcoin > Terracoin > BBQCoin > Netcoin > > Actually, scrap that, I've got an even better Ponzi scheme - sorry, > cryptocurrency: TomCoin. > >

Re: [Wikimedia-l] Let's accept Bitcoin as a donation method

On Wed, Dec 11, 2013 at 7:10 AM, David Levy wrote: > MZMcBride wrote: > > > It's funny, I just had a look at the wikimedia-l archive around January > > 2012... you know, that time when Wikipedia literally shut itself down as > a > > political statement. The following month, the Wikimedia Foundat

Re: [Wikimedia-l] Let's accept Bitcoin as a donation method

I can think of a few reasons why we should accept bitcoin: * It's consistent with our leadership in internet technology * Our peers like EFF, and Internet archive accept it * It's secured using the same kinds of encryption we rely on to maintain user privacy * It permits donations from countries t

Re: [Wikimedia-l] Let's accept Bitcoin as a donation method

On Wed, Dec 11, 2013 at 10:10 AM, David Cuenca wrote: > In my opinon this whole bitcoin debate is framed incorrectly. The question > is not if it should be accepted or not, but which parameters make any > currency or payment method acceptable. > > If I had to name a few, I would say: > * less tha

Re: [Wikimedia-l] Let's accept Bitcoin as a donation method

On Wed, Dec 11, 2013 at 3:45 PM, Robert Rohde wrote: > On Tue, Dec 10, 2013 at 2:37 PM, MZMcBride wrote: > > Has there been any discussion about simply accepting Bitcoins but not > > exchanging them? > > > I don't have a strong opinion on whether WMF should or should not > accept Bitcoin donati

Re: [Wikimedia-l] Let's accept Bitcoin as a donation method

MZMcBride wrote: > It's funny, I just had a look at the wikimedia-l archive around January > 2012... you know, that time when Wikipedia literally shut itself down as a > political statement. The following month, the Wikimedia Foundation > established a "Community Advocacy" department, not to be c

Re: [Wikimedia-l] Let's accept Bitcoin as a donation method

On Tue, Dec 10, 2013 at 2:37 PM, MZMcBride wrote: > Has there been any discussion about simply accepting Bitcoins but not > exchanging them? I don't have a strong opinion on whether WMF should or should not accept Bitcoin donations. However, even if we were to accept them, I don't believe we sh

Re: [Wikimedia-l] Let's accept Bitcoin as a donation method

James Alexander wrote: >That said while I don't think the effort involved here is >tiny/insubstantial the real reason I don't want to do it is because, at >this point, it's seemed more and more like people wanted us to accept >bitcoin more as a political statement then anything else. That is not ou

Re: [Wikimedia-l] Let's accept Bitcoin as a donation method

It's *completely* wrong to call these things Ponzi schemes. *Technically*, they're pump-and-dumps. - d. On 11 Dec 2013 10:59, "Tom Morris" wrote: > I demand that the Wikimedia Foundation start accepting the following: > > Litecoin > Namecoin > PPCoin > Feathercoin > Craftcoin > Quarkcoin > Fre

Re: [Wikimedia-l] Let's accept Bitcoin as a donation method

I demand that the Wikimedia Foundation start accepting the following: Litecoin Namecoin PPCoin Feathercoin Craftcoin Quarkcoin Freicoin Devcoin Terracoin BBQCoin Netcoin Actually, scrap that, I've got an even better Ponzi scheme - sorry, cryptocurrency: TomCoin. And, best of all, if you start ta

Re: [Wikimedia-l] Let's accept Bitcoin as a donation method

[completely personal opinion] To be totally, completely, honest I don't really want us to collect it... and at this point it's mostly for personal reasons. First off this isn't really a huge new push to get us to accept bitcoin, they have been doing this ever 5-6 months in an organized fashion (fr

Re: [Wikimedia-l] Let's accept Bitcoin as a donation method

On 10 December 2013 23:13, Tim Starling wrote: > On 11/12/13 06:58, Tomasz W. Kozlowski wrote: >> I'm sure those reading this list can Google the topic themselves, so I >> won't link to the many angry discussion that are taking place on the >> interwebs right now; > I tried Googling, including n

Re: [Wikimedia-l] Let's accept Bitcoin as a donation method

On 11/12/13 06:58, Tomasz W. Kozlowski wrote: > I'm sure those reading this list can Google the topic themselves, so I > won't link to the many angry discussion that are taking place on the > interwebs right now; I tried Googling, including news and blog searches, and couldn't work out what you ar

Re: [Wikimedia-l] Let's accept Bitcoin as a donation method

Tomasz W. Kozlowski wrote: >Can you let us know the reasons behind the decision of not accepting >Bitcoin other than those mentioned on the FAQ page I linked? Has there been any discussion about simply accepting Bitcoins but not exchanging them? Off-hand, I can't see any potential harm if the Wiki

Re: [Wikimedia-l] Let's accept Bitcoin as a donation method

On Tue, Dec 10, 2013 at 3:37 PM, Matthew Walker wrote: > "That assumes that [Bitpay] are, in fact, forwarding donations at all." > We have received some funds from them. > > ~Matt Walker > Wikimedia Foundation > Fundraising Technology Team Thanks Matt. I'm still concerned that they are offering

Re: [Wikimedia-l] Let's accept Bitcoin as a donation method

"That assumes that [Bitpay] are, in fact, forwarding donations at all." We have received some funds from them. ~Matt Walker Wikimedia Foundation Fundraising Technology Team ___ Wikimedia-l mailing list Wikimedia-l@lists.wikimedia.org Unsubscribe: https:/

Re: [Wikimedia-l] Let's accept Bitcoin as a donation method

I'm a little skeptical about the charitable nature of Bitpay's offer to "hold" funds for the WMF. It doesn't help that they refer to "Wikipedia's bank accounts", but in the absence of other evidence I suspect that Bitpay is taking advantage of the volatility of Bitcoin exchange rates to profit from

[Wikimedia-l] Let's accept Bitcoin as a donation method

Hi! I'm sure that the WMF fundraising people are all aware of this, but this isn't exactly a well-known issue, so please excuse this short introduction. For a few months now, there has been quite a strong push from the Bitcoin community to accept that currency as a donation method; the issue