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Wikipedia makes me feel like I live in the future.

I remember when I was a kid, I was always jealous of the people on Star Trek because they could look up anything they wanted on their computer. I thought, “that is the coolest thing ever!” I wished I could learn anything I wanted, anytime.

And that’s what I do now, all the time, through Wikipedia. It’s like the sum of human knowledge is always right there at my fingertips, and it’s thanks to the enormous community of volunteers who do most of the work.

What’s amazing is how simple and efficient this powerful resource is: The Wikimedia Foundation, the non-profit that supports Wikipedia, gives everyone the tools they need to write and edit articles, ensures the servers that make the site available around the world are up and running 24/7, and runs the entire operation on a tiny budget with just a handful of staffers.

That’s why Wikipedia only has to do fundraising for a small part of each year. It works because just enough people like you and me contribute each time. It’s kind of a leap of faith, but take it from a volunteer and one of Wikipedia’s earliest donors: every dollar makes a difference in keeping Wikipedia free and ad-free for anyone to use in any way they want.

I hope you’ll take that leap of faith today and pitch in whatever you can afford. Because when you do, you’ll be contributing to something people won’t just use today – you’ll be helping to build a resource people will use far into the future. Just like on Star Trek.

Here’s to living in the future,

Ryan Kaldari

Wikipedia Editor