Wikimedia Foundation
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Wikipedia's first desktop design update in a decade doesn't rock the boat (updated)
Wikipedia's desktop website has finally been redesigned, but it's a stealthier upgrade than you might think.
The Wikimedia Foundation won't accept crypto donations anymore
The Wikimedia Foundation has confirmed that it will no longer accept Bitcoin or other forms of crypto.
Wikipedia plans to charge large organizations using its encyclopedia
Wikipedia is set to launch a commercial product later this year that will see it sell customized data sets to tech giants including Google and Apple.
Wikipedia's new code of conduct targets harassment and misinformation
The Wikimedia Foundation aims to bolster inclusivity and stamp out 'negative behavior.'
The North Face gamed Wikipedia to boost Google searches
Apparel giant The North Face apparently resorted to some less-than-scrupulous tactics to ensure its gear stood out in search results. The Wikimedia Foundation reported that The North Face and its ad agency Leo Burnett Tailor Made admitted to having "unethically manipulated" Wikipedia for the sake of a campaign. In a video, the two firms said they switched Wikipedia photos with their own to ensure that North Face would show at the top of Google when people searched for adventure. It claimed that it had been "collaborating with Wikipedia," but the site denied this -- it even pointed to the companies boasting that they avoided attention from Wikipedia moderators.
Wikipedia iOS app relaunches with mobile editing and a new design
Wikipedia recently revamped its app for Android, bringing the ability to edit articles and view random articles in the process. Starting today, those features are also available on iOS, with a new version of the official app available for download in the App Store. In addition to adding new functionality, the Wikimedia Foundation's overhauled the design, and it promises a better, faster navigation experience. Check it out for yourself via the source link below.
You can now edit articles, view random pages on the Android Wikipedia app
Wikipedia already has an app, but get ready to meet its replacement. Available on Android starting today, the app's not just an aesthetic refresh; it adds the ability to edit entries directly from your mobile device. For those of us who use Wikipedia solely for browsing, that feature won't matter, but for active community members it's an important improvement.
10 tech non-profits worth donating to before 2014
Granted, the holidays didn't exactly leave us flush with cash, but as every charity we've ever contributed to has reminded us via e-mail over the past couple of days, the year is drawing to an end, which means we're running out of time to rack up those tax deductions. And what better way to do that than by donating to a cause you really believe in? In the seasonal spirit of not entirely altruistic giving, we've asked our editors to suggest some of their favorite non-profit tech organizations. Sure there's an endless list of non-tech orgas we could have included like, say, The Red Cross, the Humane Society or even the first amendment defending Comic Book Legal Defense Fund, but for the sake of brevity -- and staying comfortably within our own wheelhouse -- here's a list of tech non-profits to get you started. If we skipped one of your favorites, feel free to add it in the comments below.
Wikimedia's small-screen future
The office is silent when our small film crew arrives at Wikimedia's San Francisco headquarters. There's none of the newsroom buzz one might associate with the operators of one of the world's largest sites. Hell, the day I started at AOL, there was a bulldog skateboarding through the halls. There are a few subtle, telltale internet startup signs, like several bottles of liquor hastily packed in a filing box on the lower floor, sitting next to a small CD mixer. While it's Friday afternoon, the company's resident mixologist is out at the moment. The celebration will have to wait. Just to the right of the party box is Song Yingxing, a conference room named for the Chinese encyclopedist, which has more recently adopted the "Mushroom Kingdom" name, owing to a slew of gaming consoles and peripherals housed inside. It won't stay that way for long, according to Matthew Roth, the foundation's global communications manager, who's kindly devoted much of his afternoon to chaperoning us around the two floors. "No one really plays the games," he says. The hammock, too, is empty for our visit. It would be easy enough to chalk up such good behavior to the presence of a visiting media outlet, but sometimes the simplest answer is the best: Friday afternoon or not, the folks seated at these desks are hard at work. In the lower of two levels occupied by the foundation, developers have their heads down, rushing to get the soon-to-be-released in-house Wikipedia app out the door. The project has only been on the drawing board since January, and the foundation only hired its first dedicated iOS developer in the past month. The move is the next step in expanding the site's already massive reach to corners of the world that it hasn't quite penetrated, an attempt to help the organization approach its utopian vision of free information for all. On its face, it's a simple photo uploader -- but it's more than that, really. It's a chance to open up Wikipedia editing to an even larger global audience. It's as good a reason as any to be inside on a beautiful mid-April Friday afternoon in Northern California.
Wikipedia adds watchlists to mobile web app, plans to release more features soon
With over three billion mobile pageviews last month, Wikipedia certainly has the consumption side of information down. Mobile content creation, on the other hand, has been severely limited. Beginning with updates released today, the Wikimedia mobile web team aims to change that. This latest web app refresh includes the ability to log in or create an account to track articles on a user's watchlists. In addition, new users will see the watchlist star on their mobile devices as an incentive to create an account and join the community. Future updates will allow users to add photos and edit article content on the go, too -- but note that the Wikipedia bots will be keeping all you mobile pranksters in check. Hit up the source link to get started.
Mobile Miscellany: week of April 2nd, 2012
Not all mobile news is destined for the front page, but if you're like us and really want to know what's going on, then you've come to the right place. This past week, CyanogenMod gained a new logo, Google acquired a mobile payments company and we learned that the HTC EVO 4G LTE for Sprint will include an embedded SIM card. These stories and more await after the break. So buy the ticket and take the ride as we explore the "best of the rest" for this week of April 2nd, 2012.
