This is the season for giving and I would like to ask that you donate to Wikipedia.

The Internet has enabled a whole world of communication and no where do I see that experience more than in Wikipedia. With over 40 languages used and over 12 million articles, it is a resource that goes beyond the concept of encyclopedia. When I was a kid, my parents bought an encyclopedia. I would read an article and sometimes wanted to know more, but the page was static. Wikipedia in some ways is the better research tool for becoming acquainted quickly and getting the gist of a topic.

Our Friend, Mark Spencer (News - Alert), founder of Digium and Developer of Asterisk, once did a keynote where he asked us all to answer 10 questions individually. He then gave us similar questions to answer in groups. In almost everyone’s case the group answer was better. Wikipedia not only delivers “group knowledge” but it links back to valuable resources. I often use and sometimes contribute to the content, but I am often amazed how much more valuable crowdsourcing is to any community.

I am a constant reader of message boards and watch current events come and go at a blistering pace. Message boards get ridiculous rants from time to time and often lose the value after the first post. News channels give you 22 minutes to give you the world but on Wikipedia the world gives us valuable insight in whatever time you have allotted. Compare your experience of watching TV about the Arab Spring to this article http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arab_spring

Take a look at the page about 4G where it starts by asking us to make the page more readable for the general public. Wikipedia pages are a dynamic experience but more than that it has the discussion page behind the topic. Where if you want to know the rationale by the editors of the pages you can get the story behind the story and more importantly you can contribute. I have helped refine some pages in my own modest way and argued when the page showed a bias on the discussion.

Looking at the M2M reference and the article for Super WiFi I see an opportunity to update the articles which I will be my New Year resolution.

In his appeal for a small contribution, Ward Cunningham the inventor of Wiki’s notes that it takes a whole world to build Wikipedia. Ward continues “There are more than 470 million unique people that rely on Wikipedia every month. It’s the #5 website in the world, up there with Google, Facebook (News - Alert), and Yahoo. And it’s run by a tiny non-profit with 95 staff.” But that staff has harnessed expertise with in communities of Interest.

Jimmy Wales (News - Alert) (News - Alert), the founder of Wikipedia, has spoken at an event of ours, and I often look to do things to help them out. I am looking to have a sponsored dinner on Wikipedia’s behalf in the near future. Until then I am asking you to please consider giving a small contribution to Wikipedia.