Im Grueene Foundation shows Jimbo the money, WPers "may get bits of leftover ham sandwich," sez Wales Options

[Newsfeed]

Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales given Swiss award for 'democratizing the access...
Los Angeles Times
By AP GENEVA (AP) — A Swiss organization has awarded Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales 100000 Swiss francs ($104000) for "democratizing the access to knowledge. ...

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[thekohser]

There's another $104,000, straight to Jimbo's pocket. That will buy a lot of Russian subway tokens!

[Jon Awbrey]

There's another $104,000, straight to Jimbo's pocket. That will buy a lot of Russian subway tokens!

Nobody understands the relationship between democracy and cache better than the Swiss.

And it's probably wiki-peanuts compared to the cache in his numbered accounts.

Jon

[Subtle Bee]

The founder of Wikipedia, Jimmy Wales, has been given a monetary award for developing the online user-based encyclopedia.

Oh bleeping hell. They gave him $100k. Him personally. That's just super.

[thekohser]

Mods, please get this stream of nauseous news into one thread. I've already responded to another news thread, and now Subtle Bee has weighed in.

[EricBarbour]

A Swiss organization has awarded Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales 100,000 Swiss francs ($104,000) for "democratizing the access to knowledge."

The Im Grueene Foundation said Friday the free online encyclopedia "revolutionized the access to knowledge as man's most important resource" because it allows users to also be contributors.

The Gottlieb Duttweiler Award -- named after a Swiss businessman -- is awarded irregularly and last went to former U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan in 2008.

Wikipedia is one of the most popular websites in the world. Wales has said the site has more than 3 million entries in English, far more than a traditional encyclopedia, and is rapidly expanding into other languages, with almost a million entries in French and more in German.

Jesus H. Christ. Someone tell me this is some kind of hoax.

[thekohser]

One thing is for sure, I hope the moderators here consolidate our comments about this story onto one thread. I think it's a subject worth more discussion -- such as investigating where this money is coming from originally.

I suspect a certain Swiss watchmaking company with "minor celebrities" as spokespeople is somehow involved.

[thekohser]

Does anybody know anything about this "Im Grueene Foundation", or more accurately, the "Im Grüene Foundation", supposedly established in 1946? What was Switzerland flush with in 1946? Ask Mike Godwin.

A link to its parent organization.

This post has been edited by thekohser: Mon 11th October 2010, 7:13pm

[Milton Roe]

A Swiss organization has awarded Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales 100,000 Swiss francs ($104,000) for "democratizing the access to knowledge."

The Im Grueene Foundation said Friday the free online encyclopedia "revolutionized the access to knowledge as man's most important resource" because it allows users to also be contributors.

The Gottlieb Duttweiler Award -- named after a Swiss businessman -- is awarded irregularly and last went to former U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan in 2008.

Wikipedia is one of the most popular websites in the world. Wales has said the site has more than 3 million entries in English, far more than a traditional encyclopedia, and is rapidly expanding into other languages, with almost a million entries in French and more in German.

Jesus H. Christ. Someone tell me this is some kind of hoax.

The real problem is that we've gotten to the point of thinking that the Swiss have especially fine judgement about the accomplishments of people and their abilities (despite their worrisome treatment of the young Albert Einstein in 1903 ), and this small award and announcement makes it seem almost as though the "Swiss" approve of Jimmy Wales. That's how the English news is playing it, and it's certainly how the WMF is doing so.

Actually, most Swiss have probably never heard of the man, and those that have, probably have seen only the German or French versions of Wikipedia, and would be shocked by the perversions that go on in the English version, which is our main target here, and which is the only version Wales has been really involved in running, and making policy for. So this award is not only unfunny but unfair. Such is life.

[Cock-up-over-conspiracy]

This topic is notable enough to be bumped into the main forum where it will be picked up by the forum assistant and search engines. "Wales has succeed to build" ... it is all very wrong. The money should go to the community, or a community project.

Listen to this ... who are they kidding? There should be community outrage about this. I find it hard to believe that some support would not be found within the community for stopping this. Of course, there would also be many bottom wipers who would love Jimmy for getting his hands on the dough.

Why exactly does he need it and what does he do with it? There should surely be come accountability somewhere.

Jimmy Wales is replaced by Gottlieb Duttweiler Prize 2011

The Gottlieb Duttweiler Prize 2011 goes to Jimmy Wales, founder of online encyclopedia Wikipedia. Wales has succeeded in nearly a decade to build a global knowledge network. His free access to Internet encyclopedia has become the symbol of the upheaval in the media industry. In addition, it has revolutionized access to knowledge as the most important resource of the people, contributing to the democratization of knowledge.

Thanks to its independence and neutrality, Wikipedia enjoys wide acceptance and credibility. Their pioneering Wales does not seek money or fame but wants to share and pass on knowledge. His non-profit organization funded by donations, the cooperation is voluntary, the participatory model deeply democratic - because "Voluntariness is the price of freedom" (Gottlieb Duttweiler).

With Jimmy Wales receives the prize again a thought leader, who proceeds from the good in people. The delivery of the award, worth 100 000 Swiss francs on 26 January 2011 at the Gottlieb Duttweiler Institute in Rüschlikon near Zurich held in front of invited guests. Roger de Weck, Director-General designate of the Swiss radio and TV company SRG SSR will honor the winners. As one of the most experienced journalists and most distinguished journalists of the country he knows the fundamental importance of free access to knowledge. As a media manager knows de Weck but also about the difficulties free dissemination of information.

And why was it not split between Wales and Sanger?


Their contact details are here: http://www.gdi.ch/en/node/904/signup

This post has been edited by Cock-up-over-conspiracy: Tue 12th October 2010, 1:02am

[A User]

This topic is notable enough to be bumped into the main forum where it will be picked up by the forum assistant and search engines. "Wales has succeed to build" ... it is all very wrong. The money should go to the community, or a community project.

Listen to this ... who are they kidding? There should be community outrage about this. I find it hard to believe that some support would not be found within the community for stopping this. Of course, there would also be many bottom wipers who would love Jimmy for getting his hands on the dough.

Why exactly does he need it and what does he do with it? There should surely be come accountability somewhere.

Jimmy Wales is replaced by Gottlieb Duttweiler Prize 2011

The Gottlieb Duttweiler Prize 2011 goes to Jimmy Wales, founder of online encyclopedia Wikipedia. Wales has succeeded in nearly a decade to build a global knowledge network. His free access to Internet encyclopedia has become the symbol of the upheaval in the media industry. In addition, it has revolutionized access to knowledge as the most important resource of the people, contributing to the democratization of knowledge.

Thanks to its independence and neutrality, Wikipedia enjoys wide acceptance and credibility. Their pioneering Wales does not seek money or fame but wants to share and pass on knowledge. His non-profit organization funded by donations, the cooperation is voluntary, the participatory model deeply democratic - because "Voluntariness is the price of freedom" (Gottlieb Duttweiler).

With Jimmy Wales receives the prize again a thought leader, who proceeds from the good in people. The delivery of the award, worth 100 000 Swiss francs on 26 January 2011 at the Gottlieb Duttweiler Institute in Rüschlikon near Zurich held in front of invited guests. Roger de Weck, Director-General designate of the Swiss radio and TV company SRG SSR will honor the winners. As one of the most experienced journalists and most distinguished journalists of the country he knows the fundamental importance of free access to knowledge. As a media manager knows de Weck but also about the difficulties free dissemination of information.

And why was it not split between Wales and Sanger?


Their contact details are here: http://www.gdi.ch/en/node/904/signup

The more I read stuff like that, the more ripped-off I feel for contributing to wikipedia. I agree with you Cock-Up, the award and the money should have gone to "the community of wikipedia" and not to one named individual.

[Seurat]

I suspect a certain Swiss watchmaking company with "minor celebrities" as spokespeople is somehow involved.

Hey, it's all about "following your convictions", right?

(Photo by SoniaT 360., used under Creative Commons Attribution 2.0)

This post has been edited by Seurat: Tue 12th October 2010, 6:10pm

[Jon Awbrey]

I suspect a certain Swiss watchmaking company with "minor celebrities" as spokespeople is somehow involved.

Hey, it's all about "following your convictions", right?



(Photo by SoniaT 360., used under Creative Commons Attribution 2.0)

Now, now, he hasn't been convicted yet …

Jon

[thekohser]

I suspect a certain Swiss watchmaking company with "minor celebrities" as spokespeople is somehow involved.

Hey, it's all about "following your convictions", right?

(Photo by SoniaT 360., used under Creative Commons Attribution 2.0)

How amusing that it's in the Beijing airport, in the country that periodically bans Wikipedia.

[Somey]

...this small award and announcement makes it seem almost as though the "Swiss" approve of Jimmy Wales. That's how the English news is playing it, and it's certainly how the WMF is doing so.

Good point - I've changed the thread title. Switzerland is a nice country to visit, but at least in terms of scenery, but the Swiss in general are no better at judging character than anyone else, and this award clearly suggests that they're considerably worse at it.

[Milton Roe]

I suspect a certain Swiss watchmaking company with "minor celebrities" as spokespeople is somehow involved.

Hey, it's all about "following your convictions", right?

(Photo by SoniaT 360., used under Creative Commons Attribution 2.0)

How amusing that it's in the Beijing airport, in the country that periodically bans Wikipedia.

And how amusing it is that it's a commercial for a personal watch. Jimbo by all the karma in the universe should be sentenced never to own a watch, but be continually forced to find out the time by asking random people around him, and trying to estimate a correct "mean" by what kinds of watches THEY are wearing.

Oh, yeah, and occasionally a stranger he asks for the time, should tell him it's time he bought a watch, and in addition, that he's teh ghay.