Wikimedia Enterprise To Launch Paid Service For Big Tech

[engine]

Wikimedia is to launch a paid service to big tech, but stresses the service to users will remain free.

The project was previously known as "Okapi".

The focus is on organizations that want to repurpose Wikimedia content in other contexts, providing data services at a large scale, so that they are faster and more comprehensive, reliable, and secure. Wikimedia Enterprise aims to improve the user experience of Wikimedia's readers beyond our own websites; increase the reach and discoverability of the content; and improve awareness and ease of attribution and verifiability by the organizations that reuse Wikimedia content the most—through self-funding services.

[meta.wikimedia.org...]

[lammert]

...repurpose Wikimedia content...

Nice. So they now sell the data entered by volunteers to big spenders to fill their own pockets?

[engine]

Nice. So they now sell the data entered by volunteers to big spenders to fill their own pockets?

Wait, Wikimedia is a non-profit organization!

The key part to recognise is that many businesses use the Wikipedia content to make money, yet pay little or nothing back to Wikimedia.

[brotherhood of LAN]

I suspect they've been inspired by the recent AU/news dramas

[JorgeV]

Hello,

I don't understand well, will we still be able to use the dumps freely?

[super70s]

At least there may be less nagging for donations (the PBS of the Web).

[engine]

will we still be able to use the dumps freely?

Yes it will.
The target is big business such as Google, which has paid to support the organisation in the past, but doesnt pay for useage, and Amazon which, according to reports, currently pays nothing.

[Webwork]

Non-profit isn't synonymous with no-costs or no-overhead, so I see nothing wrong with efforts to fund those costs - especially with charges leveled against those who make exceptional and/or profitable use of the non-profit's services . . at some cost to the non-profit.

OTOH, if heavy users were already significant funders / underwriters / contributors then the planned program probably wouldn't exist. #GoFigure