
Is Wikipedia Trolling? When is enough, enough? - LeoNatan25
https://twitter.com/LeoNatan/status/884904391588950018
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smt88
> _Is Wikipedia Trolling?_

No. They're asking for money. You should look up the definition of trolling.

They have similarly aggressive ads for people in the US as well.

> _When is enough, enough?_

When people provide as much value to Wikipedia and Wikipedia provides to them.
By that I mean giving Wikipedia enough money that it can run indefinitely.

~~~
xg15
And they ask for money by... reducing the value they provide by adding nag
screens? I think you can call that trolling.

(I'm actually not that bothered by _Wikipedia 's_ nag screens because they are
easily discarded and I can identify with the cause.

However, there seems to be a proliferation of agressive, undismissable "quasi-
paywall" nag screens in other services that would do really well to die a
quick death. But of course they won't...)

~~~
smt88
> _reducing the value they provide by adding nag screens_

Is this sincere? How does it reduce the value? You just scroll past it.

> _I think you can call that trolling._

You can call it trolling, but you won't be using the same definition as most
people[1].

If Wikipedia is trolling, then so are art galleries who ask you to donate at
the door, churches who pass around a collection plate, toll roads, and anyone
else who provides a public service and asks for money.

If people are really irritated by Wikipedia asking for money, they should stop
using it. But they won't because it's literally one of the most important and
useful creations in human history. How can people begrudge them a request for
a donation?

1\. From Webster's:

> _a : to antagonize (others) online by deliberately posting inflammatory,
> irrelevant, or offensive comments or other disruptive content … trolls
> engage in the most outrageous and offensive behaviors possible—all the
> better to troll you with. — Whitney Phillips_

> _b : to act as a troll (see 3troll 2) on (a forum, site, etc.) … is also
> notorious, for trolling message boards on the Internet, posting offensive
> material he himself has written and then suing anyone who responds in
> agreement. — Mark Hemingway_

[https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/troll](https://www.merriam-
webster.com/dictionary/troll)

