1/ 🧵 Here are some of the things about the alleged #Saudi interference in #Wikipedia, the related bans of Arabic Wikipedia admins enachted by the #Wikimedia Foundation, and the Wikipedians jailed in Saudi Arabia that keep getting missed, or are misreported. 2/ The two Wikipedians jailed for 8 and 32 years respectively were arrested in summer 2020. One had his sentence increased from 5 to 32 years in summer 2022. dawnmena.org/saudi-arabia-g… They were volunteer editors – hobbyists, not Wikimedia staff.

Now an Ars Technica article quoting a cryptic #Wikimedia statement saying there are “material inaccuracies” in the reports.

“There was no finding in our investigation that the Saudi government ‘infiltrated’ or penetrated Wikipedia’s highest ranks”

arstechnica.com/tech-policy/20… “And there are in fact no ‘ranks’ among Wikipedia admins … While we do not know where these volunteers actually reside, the bans of any volunteers who may have been Saudi were part of a much broader action globally banning 16 editors across the MENA region.”—#Wikimedia statement

Wikipedians are rebelling against "unethical" fundraising banners the Wikimedia Foundation wants to display on Wikipedia in coming weeks, calling them "guilt-tripping", "immoral", "This is not a fundraiser for Wikipedia – this is a fundraiser for the WMF" en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia… Background: The Wikimedia Foundation has increased its revenue goal for this year to $175 million, a $20 million increase (actual hosting costs are about $2.5 million) foundation.wikimedia.org/wiki/Resolutio…

This year, once again, so many people are led into thinking Wikipedia is "broke" and must be "saved". In fact, the Wikimedia Foundation is richer than ever, with hundreds of millions in assets, 8-figure annual surpluses and $350K executive salaries. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia… You wouldn't think so from the fundraising emails currently being sent out, telling people to donate "to keep Wikipedia online", saying it's "awkward to ask", etc. A recent poll of Wikipedia volunteers condemned these emails as unethical and misleading. lists.wikimedia.org/hyperkitty/lis…

The Wikimedia Foundation has released mock-ups of the Jimbo emails that will be used from September to November to ask past donors for more money—ostensibly to "keep Wikipedia online", as though the Foundation didn't have assets and reserves of ~$400M. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia… Each email address associated with a past donor will get three emails. Email no. 2 tells people they can unlock bronze, silver, gold and platinum "badges" if they continue donating each year. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia…