Good points. Many people feel sincere gratitude towards Wikipedia, and its volunteer writers.
I would suggest that the fundraising messages could *also* mention that another way people can express their gratitude to Wikipedia would be to become contributors themselves. On Wed, Dec 3, 2014 at 1:09 PM, Liam Wyatt <liamwy...@gmail.com> wrote: > Nicely put Martijn. Many a true word is spoken in jest. > > Dear WMF Fundraising team, please do not take this thread (or this email) > as an attack on yourselves or the professionalism that you apply to your > work. You should continue to take great personal pride in the crucial role > you play to make our [puzzle-]globe keep spinning each year! I also > appreciate that you're in a sticky position of needing to try new things > but also receiving flak when you do. > > Perhaps as a practical suggestion, so we can avoid this discussion > happening *again *next year, it would be worth all of us collaborating > here: > https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fundraising_principles > > Perhaps it is worthwhile adding a section to this page which lists the more > practical expectations about the fundraising banners which we have > developed by consensus over the years. Things like "no animations/sounds", > "no obscuring of the content", "no popups" and "no threats/warnings without > genuine cause". > I'd personally like to add two more things: > - "easily dismissible on mobile" (because I've unintentionally clicked the > banner with my finger many times when trying to press the impossibly-small > "x" icon to dismiss the banner on my phone) and > - "Tell the OTRS team and appropriate Chapter (when applicable) when any > major change (such as adding/removing a new payment method) happens in that > language/country. > > > These Fundraising principles, according to that Meta page, are from > "...an October, > 2010 letter > < > https://wikimediafoundation.org/wiki/Resolution:Wikimedia_fundraising_principles > > > and > a January, 2012 WMF resolution > < > https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Resolution:Developing_Scenarios_for_future_of_fundraising#Guidelines_for_Funds_Distribution_Scenarios > >". > The page itself was primarily edited by WMF Board of Trustees Stu and SJ. > > I would argue that it is possible that several of these principles are not > being followed, at least according to the recent discussions on this list. > Including: > - "*Transparency*: All Wikimedia fundraising activities must be truthful > with prospective donor". Instead, the public seems to be questioning if the > messages are truthful about our financial stability. > - "*Maximal Participation*: ...we should empower individuals and groups > world-wide to constructively contribute to direct messaging." Instead, > rather than being ambassadors for our mission, wikimedians are feeling > increasingly embarrassed when their friends/public ask about the > fundraising campaign. > -"*Minimal disruption*: ...causing minimal disruption and annoyance for > users of the projects" Instead, a desire to finish fundraising quickly is > given higher priority. Even though that is *not *one of the stated > principles. > -"*Internationalism*: ...our fundraising practices must support the easiest > possible transfer of money internationally." Instead, we've had the recent > discussions about how donating is difficult from the Netherlands and > impossible from Russia [did they get a response yet, by the way?] I'd also > add that "I'll keep it short" as a subject-line for the fundraising email > feels to me like "an Americanism" that would be far too casual to be taken > seriously in many other cultures. > > > -Liam > > On 3 December 2014 at 10:13, Martijn Hoekstra <martijnhoeks...@gmail.com> > wrote: > > > On Dec 3, 2014 3:46 AM, "Ryan Lane" <rlan...@gmail.com> wrote: > > > > > > Megan Hernandez <mhernandez@...> writes: > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > As Lila’s email said, we launched our end of year English fundraising > > > > campaign on Tuesday. I wanted to share a little more background on > the > > > > mechanics of the English Wikipedia campaign, and where we are on our > > goals > > > > this year to-date. > > > > > > > > Starting today, banners are being shown to 100% of anonymous readers > on > > > > English Wikipedia in the US, UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. > Our > > end > > > > of year campaign goal is $20 million. As Lila mentioned, our goal is > to > > > > serve more powerful reminders to be able to limit the total number of > > > > banners each reader sees. We are constantly experimenting with new > > methods > > > > to reach our readers and optimize the donation experience. > > > > > > > > > > I know I used to write an email internally every year, saying our > banners > > > are getting out of control, but that's because every year they get > bigger > > > and more obscuring of the content. This year, as usual, is not an > > exception. > > > However, this year the banners didn't just get bigger, the copy seems > to > > be > > > more fear inducing as well. > > > > > > Today I had a coworker private message me, worried that Wikipedia was > in > > > financial trouble. He asked me if the worst happened, would the content > > > still be available so that it could be resurrected? I assured him that > > > Wikimedia is healthy, has reserves, and successfully reaches the budget > > > every year. Basically I said there wasn't much to worry about, because > > there > > > isn't. > > > > > > The messaging being used is actively scaring people. This isn't the > first > > > person that's asked me about this. When they find out there's not a > real > > > problem, their reaction quickly changes. They become angry. They feel > > > manipulated. > > > > > > My coworker told me that he donates generously every year, which is > rare > > for > > > him because he doesn't often donate to charities. He said this year's > ads > > > are putting him off. He doesn't feel like he should donate. > > > > > > I understand that efficient banner ads are good, because they reduce > the > > > number of times people need to see the ad, but it's not great when > people > > > stop posting funny banner memes and start asking Wikimedia to switch to > > an > > > advertising model (seriously, do a quick twitter search). > > > > > > - Ryan Lane > > > > > > > Excuse the cynicism, but maybe automating the message to go out every > year > > on the first week of December will save you frustration and effort. I > know > > how this will end. It'll end like last year, and the year before, etc. > etc. > > Where we conclude, yes, what we did now really cross the line, we have to > > tone it down a bit, with thank yous to those concerned, and apologies for > > taking it too far. I have no doubt it's exactly the same next year. So > > please see the email below I'll automate for the first week of December > for > > now on. > > > > Dear fundraising team. Thank you for your efforts to make the fundraiser > as > > quick as possible. I understand that effective banners allow us to keep > the > > yearly donation drive as short as possible. > > > > Yet the banners I'm seeing this year leave me troubled about the > appearance > > and the message presented. For the appearance, it is the size and > > obnoxiousness that bothers me. They seem to be designed to annoy the > reader > > as much as possible. I know they only work when people notice them but do > > we really *have* to (select one from list: play audio/ obscure our > content > > forcing a click through / use animated content / take up the majority of > > the screen above the fold). It annoys our users, the people we do it all > > for, to no end. Take a look at Twitter, it's not just one or two people. > > > > Secondly I'm alarmed about the content. That should come to no surprise > to > > the fundraising team, because I can't imagine this content hasn't been > > written to evoke the maximum amount of alarm. > > But it crosses the line towards dishonesty. Yes the WMF can use the > > donations, and yes they generally spend it well. But the lights won't go > > off next week if You don't donate Now. The servers won't go offline. > We're > > not on immediate danger. Yet that's what this year's campaign seems to > want > > the message to be. But don't take my word for it, take a look at the > > messages accompanying the donations. People are genuinely worried. They > > will be angry if they find out they're being manipulated, and they would > be > > right. Generally I'm proud of what we do as movement and proud of much of > > the way we do it. These banners make me ashamed of the movement I'm part > > of. And frustrated that I seem to be unable to change it in the long > run, I > > think I may have send out a similar email to this one last year. > > > > For now, two requests. > > # could you please stop misleading the reader in our appeal? > > # could you please make the banners a little less invasive? So that the > > don't obscure content unless dismissed, and so that they take up more > than > > 50% of the space above the fold. > > > > I know you work hard for the fundraiser to be successful, and as brief as > > possible, but please take in consideration the dangers of damaging our > > reputation for openness and honesty, and the impact on our volunteers. > > > > Kind regards, > > > > --Martijn > > > > I will automate this message for the first Tuesday of December, around > > 10:00 a.m. UTC. If others could automate their messages to not exactly > > coincidence with this one, that would help. > > > > --Martijn > > > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > > 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> > _______________________________________________ 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>
