It isn’t just homework assignments that are getting influenced by the rise of Wikipedia. The donations themselves might be getting some improper treatment according to an outgoing chief.
When Wikipedia decided to roll out an aggressive fundraising effort a few years ago, the free encyclopedia came with a remarkably effective battle plan. For the entirety of the campaign, cofounder Jimmy Wales stared visitors down from the top of every page, making you feel guilty every time you viewed an article without paying a dime.
It worked. From 2011 to 2012, Wikipedia’s fundraising arm, the Wikimedia Foundation, pulled in $38.4 million. It was a major increase from the $5 million raised from 2007 to 2008, one that occurred even as editorial involvement with Wikipedia was on the decline.