User talk:Andrevan/Arguments for advertising on Wikipedia
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I'm not sure how to integrate my feelings on the matter into the current format, but I will say that I have been in favor of putting ads on Wikipedia for about two years. As I see it, the ads would be put only in the (main) namespace (and not on stubs), only at the bottom of articles, be text only, and be completely invisible to logged in users. The money-making potential is enormous, and before anyone gets angry that someone might be profiting off their work, keep in mind that people are already profiting of our work in the numerous mirrors, and that the WMF is a charity with many goals outside of website management. While, apparently, we cannot have all our income from ads for legal reasons, to ignore such gargantuan potential revenue streams shows an almost criminal neglect. The WMF needs the money, not just to ensure the current survival of our Projects, but to hire proper executive management, and to more quickly and efficiently achieve its societal and educational goals. While some people may leave in protest, it will not be enough to negatively effect our editing base, and those truly dedicated editors always find their way back anyway. Advertising on Wikipedia is something that needs to be done, and should be done - indeed, as a charity, the WMF has an obligation to allow advertising, and we as a community have a moral obligation to accept it. --Jeffrey O. Gustafson - Shazaam! - <*> 23:52, 4 August 2007 (UTC)
