Template:2011FR/appeal-karthik-QA-1202/en

When terrorist bombs went off in Mumbai, I know I wasn’t the only person rushing to the Internet for answers.

At moments like that, when people are scared and confused, quick access to reliable information can really make a difference.

So, I tried to help by going on Wikipedia to contribute photos, maps, and information from the scene so that other people could learn about the attacks.

My friends wonder why I spend all my time on Wikipedia and not on Facebook, changing status updates. It’s because I have seen how useful Wikipedia can be for people around the world, an amazing resource that’s free and available to everyone. With 470 million different visitors every month, it’s revolutionized the way we consume and spread information. And it does it all for free -- with zero ads, under 1,000 servers and fewer than 100 staff. That’s amazing. Just look at Google and other major web sites. They have hundreds of thousands of servers and tens of thousands of staff. It’s no wonder Wikipedia is the 5th most popular and most visited site online. And it’s also no wonder why they need support every year from people like me and you. Will you pitch in $5, $20, $50 or whatever you think Wikipedia is worth to you? Thanks,

Karthik Nadar

Wikipedia Author