[Wikipedia-l] Please change the embarrassing donations message

Wed Oct 8 01:07:32 UTC 2003

JT is exactly right. The message is annoyingly
pedantic-- and it should be indented and in italics,
too - it looks like a first sentence in an article. 

~S~
"Do or do not there is no try" --YoYoMa

--- James Duffy <jtdire at hotmail.com> wrote:
> > >"We are trying to make
> > > Wikipedia faster and more responsive. You can
> help by making a 
> >donation."
> > > I hope this satisfies your concerns.
> >
> Please please reword the donation line on the pages.
> It is disastrous in 
> terms of PR. We know we have a problem on wiki right
> now, but the current 
> wording highlights the flaws in a way that is never
> done in PR. Rule number 
> 1: NEVER EVER EVER draw attention to your failings.
> 
> At present what it is implies is ''wiki has a
> problem. Wiki isn't working 
> right. We need money to fix it. If we don't get it,
> it isn't going to work 
> right.
> 
> It implies
> 1. That wiki is flawed;
> 2. We are /trying/ to fix it, but trying doesn't
> mean we will succeed.
> 3. That wiki is in so much difficulty it has to beg
> for money to make itself 
> usable.
> 
> PR people would hang themselves in shame if they
> were responsible for 
> sending out such a message.
> 
> The message should be spun positively, not
> negatively. What it should say 
> is,
> 
> Wiki's phenomenal growth requires constant upgrading
> of technology to give 
> you the best service possible. Giving that service
> requires funding. You now 
> can donate money to help your wikipedia remain the
> fastest growing 
> encyclopï¿½dia on the internet. For more
information,
> see [[Wikipedia 
> donations]].
> 
> That wording, trimmed down and tightened as
> necessary, sends a different 
> message to our current message.
> 
> 1. Wiki is a phenomenal success;
> 2. We need funds to continue that success;
> 3. You can help /your/ wiki stay ahead of the rest.
> 
> It is positive, not negative, motivational not
> begging. It tells people 
> 'join in our success', not 'we are trying to fix our
> problems but badly need 
> money'.
> 
> Please change the current cringe-enducing message.
> 
> JT
> 
>
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