Thanks for collapsing my article calling it a rant. Really not worth user discussion? Perhaps a response and I will be proving wrong. Perhaps that will help you. Perhaps I am not the only person that thinks this way.
So Wikipedia does not advertise? Or do they only advertise there own personal appeals? How could they possibly beg the world for more contributions then they already have given? For Jimmy Wales to sit up on his high horse while so many have created his website for him... I just can't fathom how this is anything less than cyber begging. Take your website down, it's not even worth a college citation or even high school for that matter since it's not credible. That and you put your face on information, like it is yours. If the whole idea was to create a community to provide free information with the world, than why is it that you need to be paid? What did you do besides create a glorified forum, from which thousands and thousands made for you. You have free labor. You have one of the most popular websites. You control information. You keep your staff small and you not only ask the world for help, but you need it's money as well. You may as well began talking about monetizing your visitors, which you only have due to the hard work of others. Did I mention all of that hard work was free for you. Oh wait, that's exactly what you are doing with your personal appeals, reminding the world.
So I get it now.
Does Wikipedia use advertising banners as a source of revenue contrary to what the personal appeal states? Yes, Wikipedia does.
How? Through personal appeals on every single article.
But wait Jimmy Wales says this isn't like those for-profit companies, who use point and click banners to gain profits? Yes, but you just clicked a banner, didn't you?
Yes I did, but how does that gain revenue for Wikipedia? Well unlike a point a click banner, where lets say a penny is earned per click. Just for instance. They link you to a tearjerker of an article, where they ask you to give them money. You even have a record of your 'contributions' top contributor. And through the several personal appeals, they have earned more than any point and click advertising would ever make them.
Isn't Jimmy Wales the top contributor? Well he should be shouldn't he. It is 'his' website after all.
Well maybe he did most of the work? Well he should have, but no. It was all of you. In fact this website is based off of free labor.
Good luck figure out the rest.