[Foundation-l] Alternative to paypal

Tue Aug 7 14:34:57 UTC 2007

Uber Halogen wrote:
> On 05/08/2007, Delirium <delirium at hackish.org> wrote:
>> Ben Yates wrote:
>>> The new amazon payment API looks really good.  Support for micropayments, etc.
>>>
>>> http://paulstamatiou.com/2007/08/04/why-you-shouldnt-ignore-amazons-new-fps/
>>>
>>>
>> If I recall correctly, when proposals like this come up, the canned
>> reply from foundation-type people (if a reply comes at all) is that at
> 
> Curious, isn't it odd that we voted in a board that ignores our proposals?

It is not odd at all. Paypal system is a purely operational issue. The 
board is not in charge of operations. Sue is. Please contact her. That 
is her job.

>> the moment the benefits of adding another option outweight the negatives
>> of having to manage yet another account---between Paypal, moneybookers,
> 
> Do the board members really not have enough time to do this, if they
> don't then they shouldn't be board members. It would take a few
> minutes every week or month - not much time to ask.

----> Sue

>> direct bank transfers in both Germany and the US, and mailed checks,
>> most people are able to donate with reasonable ease, a large number of
> 
> It really isn't about ease, the Amazon thing AFAICS has lower fees and
> therefore would be preferred by users who don't have much money to
> donate (every little helps).
> 
>> currencies are covered, and the fees aren't *too* unreasonable. At
>> least, that was the reply to previous suggestions that we add support
>> for e-gold and for Google's payment system.
> 
> Perhaps our Foundation is in a secret deal with eBay and co. ;) -
> really we should be providing as much incentive as possible for users
> to donate and remember one of Google's corporate philosophies is:
> "Don't be evil" (source: Wikipedia).
> 
>> Perhaps at some point in the future they'll do a reevaluation and choose
>> a new set of two online payment systems (maybe moneybookers is no longer
>> the best 2nd choice?), but I don't think it's likely that Wikimedia will
>> ever want the hassle of simultaneously supporting a large number of them,
>>
>> Of course, I speak as someone with no particular knowledge of the
>> foundation's inner workings; these are just my observations of past
>> practice.
>>
>> -Mark

Bordering trolling in your observations nevertheless.
In any cases, this week, we held Wikimania in Taipei. Some board members 
are back home (Frieda I think), some are still in Taipei, and others are 
in transit. I am commenting from Hong Kong airport. Last I heard, Sue 
was still stuck in Los Angeles airport. Contact her on all operations 
matters.

More on the role of the 
board:http://wikimediafoundation.org/wiki/Elections_to_the_board_%28June_2007%29

Thanks

Ant

>>
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> 
> -UH.