A slight tangent: I did a quick Google search to try and refresh my memory about the Wikipedia Forever thing, and these were the results: http://imgur.com/7AU8kTp.
I think it's more than worrying that many of the results have the fundraising message as a summary. Cheers, Michel On 4 December 2014 at 23:40, Lodewijk <lodew...@effeietsanders.org> wrote: > I think this discussion and the uproar is only in part because of the > wordings used, the size of the banners (which are maybe terrible, and I get > exhausted from seeing the banner all year round because I have bad luck to > be in so many test groups somehow). A big chunk is about the usual: > communication. Somehow we seem to be unable to set up a communication > workflow where the community feels that they have been involved in the > process. That they have been able to contribute ideas, thoughts, > improvements. > > Life is not all about A/B testing and success rates. Keeping Wikipedia up > is not just about getting enough money as quickly as possible. It is much > more about growing the community, and involving it - using its strengths > and diversity on as many places as possible. And somehow, in the field of > fundraiser and everything surrounding that there seems to be a lot to be > improved. > > I don't agree things can't get better. After the Wikipedia Forever drama, > things did get better. Communication was improved a lot, and both chapters > and individuals were actively involved. Unfortunately, it seems that it has > gotten worse since. I would appreciate efforts to improve this again.And > that has to be more than just asking suggestions for more A/B testing. It > may cost more work in the short run, but I sincerely believe that in the > long run, it is worth it: better results, more creativity and less > frustration. > > Best, > Lodewijk > > On Thu, Dec 4, 2014 at 11:20 PM, phoebe ayers <phoebe.w...@gmail.com> > wrote: > > > With Sam, I'd like to add my thanks to Lila, and to the fundraising > > team which has done an extraordinary job of testing, optimizing, and > > running our fundraising campaigns. And thanks to all of you, for being > > concerned about and invested in our projects' public image and > > financial health and future. > > > > Some perspective from my role as a trustee: > > One section of our recent board meeting was spent discussing the > > fundraising trends that Lila refers to, and thinking about the > > longer-term future of fundraising on our projects. These trends > > include: on-site page views are dramatically down over the past two > > years in the US & Europe, where the majority of our revenue is raised. > > At the same time, there are challenges with fundraising in many of the > > places where readership is growing. Additionally, of course we want > > and need a strong financial basis for the projects over the long-term > > -- not only to keep the lights on but also to build better > > infrastructure (ranging from current contributor-supporting projects > > -- see the recent product survey -- to making the software easier on > > new editors). > > > > And, of course, fundraising is only one small supporting piece of the > > overall picture -- so we discussed how shifting patterns in Wikimedia > > project consumption, ranging from mobile to Google knowledge graph > > type products, might affect our mission long-term. > > > > Given all this context, in our meeting the board discussed whether we > > should try to raise more money now to build our long-term reserves > > (which I personally think is wise, given current trends). We also > > discussed and deeply appreciate the delicate balance that fundraising > > has: yes, we can raise more by running more banners, but at what cost? > > I should note that the board didn't set new targets in this meeting. > > But we did express our support and thanks for the fundraising team's > > efforts, which have been remarkable at making sure that our projects > > are funded by a world-wide group of independent readers. > > > > One side note about the evolution of fundraising in Wikimedia that I > > think is worth noting is that the overall length of the fundraiser has > > shrunk dramatically in the last 7-8 years -- from a month at 100% in > > 2006 to a targeted 2 weeks (or less) today. Individual readers see > > many fewer banner impressions now than they used to. > > > > Personally, I think readers should worry about Wikipedia. We are a > > nonprofit that exists because of the labor of volunteers. Our readers > > who rely on our work and don't think much about how it gets on their > > screens should recognize that what we do isn't guaranteed in > > perpetuity -- it all depends on help, support and work from our global > > community. If that knowledge motivates people to contribute, > > fantastic. If contributing means donating 3$, great. And if it means > > becoming an editor: even better. Let's all work towards that. > > > > -- Phoebe > > > > > > > > On Tue, Dec 2, 2014 at 12:53 AM, Samuel Klein <meta...@gmail.com> wrote: > > > Lila - thank you for this thoughtful update. Fundraising trends and > data > > > are always welcome, particularly where communities can help improve and > > > test local messages. > > > > > > I am also deeply thankful for the smooth work of the fundraising team, > > who > > > have made great progress over the last few years – in storytelling & > > > translation, mobile giving, testing & data analysis. I look forward to > > > seeing what we learn this year. > > > > > > Sam > > > > > > On Tue, Dec 2, 2014 at 1:53 AM, Lila Tretikov <l...@wikimedia.org> > > wrote: > > > > > >> All -- we will not have a pop-up banner. > > >> > > >> I know you want more insight into the trends: we will provide some of > > those > > >> in our upcoming reports and metrics and we will plan to shift to a > > >> quarterly cadence of a more specific metrics report that will include > > >> fundraising. > > >> > > >> Just to cover some basic trends: the last two years have significantly > > >> changed our traffic composition. Regionally, we are seeing growth in > > >> emerging languages and regions. This is great: people who need the > > >> knowledge most, but cannot afford it and often live in countries where > > free > > >> speech is criminalized are learning about Wikipedia. We need to keep > > >> supporting that. In Europe, North America, Australia, etc. we see > > Wikipedia > > >> becoming a part of the fabric of the internet itself: embedded in web > > >> searches, operating systems, and other online resources. This is great > > too: > > >> people get knowledge wherever they are. Both of those trends however > can > > >> make it more difficult to raise funds (and sometimes contribute), so > we > > >> have to make sure we adapt. > > >> > > >> We are doing a lot of work around thinking through a diversified > > >> fundraising strategy. That said, our main tool today are the site > > banners. > > >> Just to be clear: the pop-up banner had advantages. It tested high > with > > >> readers, was only shown once to each user and cut the total number of > > >> impressions needed by a factor of 7! We did hear your concerns > however. > > The > > >> Fundraising team listened and quickly integrated your feedback. While > > our > > >> launch banner will be different from last year’s, it will not be a > > pop-up, > > >> overlay content, or be sticky. As always this starting design will > > iterate > > >> daily and have parallel tests, so you may see variations at any given > > time. > > >> > > >> Megan Hernandez will send another email with more details about the > > process > > >> to-date, and how best to communicate with Fundraising during the > coming > > >> month. > > >> > > >> And in the spirit of the holidays I'd like to thank the fundraising > team > > >> for all of their hard work and to all of the volunteers who have > helped > > >> with the campaigns. > > >> > > >> ~~~~ Lila > > >> > > > > -- > > * I use this address for lists; send personal messages to phoebe.ayers > > <at> gmail.com * > > > > _______________________________________________ > > Wikimedia-l mailing list, guidelines at: > > https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Mailing_lists/Guidelines > > Wikimedia-l@lists.wikimedia.org > > Unsubscribe: https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimedia-l, > > <mailto:wikimedia-l-requ...@lists.wikimedia.org?subject=unsubscribe> > > > _______________________________________________ > Wikimedia-l mailing list, guidelines at: > https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Mailing_lists/Guidelines > Wikimedia-l@lists.wikimedia.org > Unsubscribe: https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimedia-l, > <mailto:wikimedia-l-requ...@lists.wikimedia.org?subject=unsubscribe> > _______________________________________________ Wikimedia-l mailing list, guidelines at: https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Mailing_lists/Guidelines Wikimedia-l@lists.wikimedia.org Unsubscribe: https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimedia-l, <mailto:wikimedia-l-requ...@lists.wikimedia.org?subject=unsubscribe>
