Are you American? On 19 Dec 2014 12:35, "Peter Southwood" <peter.southw...@telkomsa.net> wrote:
> I can only assume this is intended as some form of humour, but I don’t get > it. > Cheers, > Peter > > -----Original Message----- > From: wikimedia-l-boun...@lists.wikimedia.org [mailto: > wikimedia-l-boun...@lists.wikimedia.org] On Behalf Of David Gerard > Sent: 19 December 2014 02:25 PM > To: Wikimedia Mailing List > Subject: Re: [Wikimedia-l] Fwd: Our final email > > Everyone who speaks English is American, particularly the English. > > On 19 December 2014 at 12:21, Peter Southwood < > peter.southw...@telkomsa.net> wrote: > > Are you by any chance American? > > Cheers, > > peter > > > > -----Original Message----- > > From: wikimedia-l-boun...@lists.wikimedia.org > > [mailto:wikimedia-l-boun...@lists.wikimedia.org] On Behalf Of Chris > > Keating > > Sent: 19 December 2014 01:47 PM > > To: Wikimedia Mailing List > > Subject: Re: [Wikimedia-l] Fwd: Our final email > > > > I have to say, I don't see anything remotely objectionable in that email. > > Bold italicised text on a yellow background might not win any design > > awards but effective fundraising often doesn't win design awards.* > > > > I am not 100% sure how much donors care how soon our fundraiser ends > (these days at least, a few years ago they did get fed up with the > perpetual Jimmy banners). However talking about that does give a sense of > urgency to the copy, which again is a key part of fundraising that actually > raises money. > > > > It is of course a reasonable point of view that the WMF and Wikimedia > movement have too much money and shouldn't really try to raise any more. If > you hold that view then I suppose it's reasonable to ask the fundraising > team to make their emails more inept. However, I don't think that is a > sensible view to take at the moment (or, probably, ever). > > > > Chris > > > > *(Actually, the only fundraising industry award I've ever been > > involved in winning were for things that looked very nice, but that > > doesn't disprove the general principle) > > > > > > > > > > > > On Thu, Dec 18, 2014 at 11:08 PM, Liam Wyatt <liamwy...@gmail.com> > wrote: > >> > >> This email was sent by WMF fundraising today. > >> I'm embarrassed. Read the email first, then I'll tell you why, below. > >> > >> *Da:* "Jimmy Wales, Wikipedia" <don...@wikimedia.org> > >> *Data:* 17 December 2014 10:15:56 pm GMT+1 > >> *A: [email address removed]* > >> *Oggetto:* *Our final email* > >> *Rispondi a:* don...@wikimedia.org > >> > >> *If all our past donors simply gave again today, we wouldn't have to > >> worry about fundraising for the rest of the year.* > >> > >> Dear [name removed], > >> > >> This is the last email reminder you'll receive. We hope the response > >> to today's email will let us end the fundraiser. Please take one > >> minute to keep Wikipedia online and ad-free another year < > >> http://links.email.donate.wikimedia.org/ctt?kn=3&ms=NDc2NDYzOTUS1&r=N > >> z > >> U3Mzc1MDY0NjcS1&b=0&j=NTgzMzA0NDgwS0&mt=1&rt=0 > >> > > >> . > >> > >> To protect our independence, we'll never run ads. We receive no > >> government funds. We survive on donations from our readers. If all > >> our past donors simply gave again today, we could end the fundraiser. > >> Please help us forget fundraising and get back to improving Wikipedia. > >> > >> We are deeply grateful for your past support. This year, please > >> consider making another donation to protect and sustain Wikipedia < > >> http://links.email.donate.wikimedia.org/ctt?kn=3&ms=NDc2NDYzOTUS1&r=N > >> z > >> U3Mzc1MDY0NjcS1&b=0&j=NTgzMzA0NDgwS0&mt=1&rt=0 > >> > > >> . > >> > >> https://donate.wikimedia.org > >> < > >> http://links.email.donate.wikimedia.org/ctt?kn=3&ms=NDc2NDYzOTUS1&r=N > >> z > >> U3Mzc1MDY0NjcS1&b=0&j=NTgzMzA0NDgwS0&mt=1&rt=0 > >> > > >> > >> Thank you, > >> Jimmy Wales > >> Wikipedia Founder > >> > >> PS: Less than 1% of our readers donate enough to keep Wikipedia running. > >> Your contribution counts! > >> *DONATE NOW »* > >> < > >> http://links.email.donate.wikimedia.org/ctt?kn=3&ms=NDc2NDYzOTUS1&r=N > >> z > >> U3Mzc1MDY0NjcS1&b=0&j=NTgzMzA0NDgwS0&mt=1&rt=0 > >> > > >> ------------------------------ > >> > >> > >> "our final email"? > >> This is the last email reminder you'll receive"? > >> Surely that should be qualified with "... this year."?? > >> If that weren't embarrassing, what about... > >> > >> - Using *bold* AND *italics *AND yellow backgroud colouring all at > the > >> same time in the heading. > >> - Sending an email on the 18th of December saying that if "ALL past > >> donors simply gave AGAIN today" [my emphasis] then you wouldn't > >> need to do > >> any more fundraising "for the rest of the year", i.e. for 2 weeks!! > >> - On the one had it says "we'll never run ads" but in the sentence > >> immediately beforehand pleads help to us stay "ad-free another year". > >> - Does the phrase "Less than 1% of our readers donate enough to keep > >> Wikipedia running" mean a) that less than 1% of readers donate, > which is > >> enough to keep us running, or b) that less than 1% of readers who > have > >> donated, donated enough to keep us running (implying that the > >> other 99% of > >> donors didn't donate enough)? > >> - Finally, this email is addressed from Jimmy, but when you receive a > >> "thank you for donating" email, it's addressed from Lila. [I should > note > >> that the thank you for donating email IS very positive and > >> mission-oriented]. > >> > >> > >> *Effectiveness != Efficiency* > >> One of the official WMF Fundraising principles > >> <https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fundraising_principles> is "*minimal > >> disruption*...aim to raise money from donors *effectively*" [emphasis > >> is original]. > >> I believe that this wording has been interpreted by the fundraising > >> team to mean *"*do the fundraising as quickly as possible". However, > >> I contest that "less disruption" and "more effective" is not the same > >> as "shorter fundraiser". i.e.: Effectiveness != Efficiency. > >> > >> I am sure that these desperate fundraising emails/banners are > >> *efficient *at getting the most amount of money as fast as possible > >> (they have been honed with excellent A/B testing), but, they achieve > >> this by sacrificing the core WMF fundraising principle of being > >> *minimally disruptive. *In fact, they actually appear to be following > >> a principle of being "as *maximally *disruptive as they can get away > >> with, for as short a time as required". > >> > >> Can the WMF to say how "minimal disruption" and "effective > >> fundraising" is defined in practice, and how they are measured? > >> > >> *Shareable vs Desperate* > >> On the same day that the WMF communications team release this > >> inspiring and positive "year in review" video < > >> https://blog.wikimedia.org/2014/12/17/wikipedias-first-ever-annual-vi > >> d eo-reflects-contributions-from-people-around-the-world/ > >> >, > >> this fundraising email sounds negative and desperate. It is all about > >> not advertising and staying online for another year. > >> > >> Couldn't the "year in review" video have been used in the fundraising > >> email to tell a positive story about all we have achieved this year? > >> That's the kind of thing Wikimedians will want to share and feel > >> proud about, not something that almost bullies you to donate out of a > >> sense of moral-obligation. > >> > >> *Fundraising "operating principles"* > >> I would like to reiterate my call to see us develop some practical > >> "operating principles" for fundraising that would give some > >> real-world guidelines for website-banners and emails. Board of > >> Trustees member Phoebe has done an excellent job of summarising the > >> fundraising conversations on this list from the last few weeks here: > >> https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Talk:Fundraising_principles > >> I would like the Board to ask the Fundraising team (once this > >> fundraiser is > >> finished) to develop these operating principles in a collaborative > >> process with interested community members. This is in the hope that > >> in the future, the community can help spread the word and feel > >> empowered to join the fundraising campaign for our movement, rather > >> than simply hoping it will go away as quickly as possible. > >> > >> After all, the final official WMF fundraising principle is: > >> "Maximal participation: Consistent with the principles of empowerment > >> underlying Wikimedia’s success, we should empower individuals and > >> groups world-wide to constructively contribute to direct messaging, > >> public outreach, and other activities that drive the success of > >> Wikimedia’s fundraising efforts" > >> > >> -Liam > >> p.s. by the way, has anyone from the WMF talked the Russian community > >> yet about why they aren't allowed to donate? > >> _______________________________________________ > >> 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> > > > > ----- > > No virus found in this message. > > Checked by AVG - www.avg.com > > Version: 2015.0.5577 / Virus Database: 4253/8764 - Release Date: > > 12/19/14 > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > 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> > > ----- > No virus found in this message. > Checked by AVG - www.avg.com > Version: 2015.0.5577 / Virus Database: 4253/8764 - Release Date: 12/19/14 > > > _______________________________________________ > 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>
