Stories2/en

Wikipedia is Changing Lives

Here are just a few of the amazing stories that our users shared with us. We thank them for their willingness to tell their story about Wikipedia.

I am a retired physicist. Two years ago I started dabbling in a new field of physics, astrophysics. I now have 4 publications in a refereed journal of the American Institute of Physics. I could not possibly have done it without Wikipedia -- limited resources and not enough time left to do it otherwise!

Wikipedia has become my primary source of information across all forms. Coming from a small city in India, not all books were available there. For students in these areas, due to ready availability of internet access, Wikipedia is a trustworthy source of knowledge. I can confidently say that over 50% of knowledge I have gained in last 5 years has been through Wikipedia. I hope that Wikipedia continues to grow, and remain free. I believe it is the best gift from this generation to the future ones. As a celebration for my birthday this year, instead of buying a new dress, I thought it would be good to give back to the community that has contributed substantially to enrich my life. My donation is small but earnest and from the heart."

I'm 50 years old. After long time, I have decide back to the ""school"" I am very grateful to the people involved in wikipedia. Without this global encyclopedia and open, I could not continue. The knowledge made available to almost everyone and free... This is the true revolution. Thanks for everything.

I had just started nursing school and we were being told that the licensing board was increasing the focus on immunology, one of the most complex systems in the body, and because of that we were required to score higher on a more focused test on the subject in order to remain in the program. I had never worked in healthcare and the vocabulary alone was a foreign language... not to mention the subtle connections between cells that had to be understood. We were all terrified, I was terrified... My textbooks were good resources but I could not get a full, global picture of what was happening on that level to be able to act on it. So, I sat down in front of my computer, opened wikipedia (which was forbidden as an academic resource-but I still believed it could help, what did I have to loose) and I typed in one of the terms... then I just kept clicking words, links, anything I did not fully understand, I clicked and read that article and then clicked back and I kept clicking and making connections, imagining concrete relationships for the abstract ideas, clicked some more, I was learning like my brain was built to, constantly building on the knowledge before it... I Aced the immunology test, excelled at my boards, Started working as an RN on a Heart floor and now I am finishing my Masters in nursing. Thank You.

From an early age, I've had a desire to learn about everything. And, when I say "everything," I mean it. My curiosity included the most obscure ("Who's pictured on the highest dollar denomination?"), the bizarre ("What do humming bird's eggs taste?") and the prescient ("How much oil is there on the planet?"). Naturally, this lead me to read a rather voraciously and, especially, to have a penchant for encyclopedias.

I would quickly exhaust both bound volumes and CD-ROM encyclopedias quite quickly. Want I needed was a resource that was virtually inexhaustible. The internet was certainly was necessary, but where to find it all? A search engine listed a number of results, hundreds, thousands. I needed a single place that housed all the knowledge I desired, but where would I find it?

Then, around about 2005, I found what I had been searching for -- Wikipedia. I don't remember exactly how I found it. I forget what I was searching for, maybe professional wrestling, maybe a Saturday morning cartoon from the nineties, but I had found it. It has been a beautiful journey ever since.

I worked in the rural, northeastern region of Thailand teaching 3rd grade with little to no physical resources. With a slow or limited internet connection and a group of knowledge hungry 3rd graders, Wikipedia helped me gather the most amount of information in as little time as possible.

I recall the days of my youth when my very concerned parents, who had my best educational interests in mind, invited the World Book Encyclopedia salesman to our home. Of course they purchased a set for my sister and me, paid for on time payments, and we lived our life from then on with the certain knowledge that even if we did not know something, we could find the facts about anything in our set of World Books.

Fast forwarding to now and this wonderful service you created on the internet, I can only wish you God's Speed that enough people contribute a little cash each, at least those who USE YOUR WIKIPEDIA, that it may be available to the whole world as a resource of valuable free information.

I just sent you 15 American bucks, and I consider this a very good investment. In fact, I consider my return already sent back to me tenfold. It is a lot cheaper than the set of World Books my parents struggled so diligently provide four us and to pay for.

I trust you will continue to develop the site wisely, upgrading the veracity of the content, and be a further inspiration to others to make our world smaller; all this in the hopes one day we will see we are all more alike than different, and we can abolish war and poverty forever in this vision of ONE HUMANITY.

It's not a story, It's what wikipedia means to me.

Wikipedia gives more people access to knowledge, helping balance the huge difference that exists between poor and rich. Wikipedia can help a little kid in India to learn things he would have never imagined and a professor in London to create and share the content for that kid to learn. All of this only with acces to internet. So, keep it free and this could be a world of better and more just opportunities for everyone.

After "catching" lung cancer in 2002, I needed to learn about treatments, medicines, all sorts of things. As I looked words up I found that I became most comfortable with the explanations I read on Wikipedia. I then started using it for sooo much more. Anytime I need scoop on anyone, any event, and so on...I go straight to Wikipedia.

I'm sorry I cannot donate more. Or I would. Your site is awesome, and I wish you (and me) the best of luck in reaching your fundraising goals.

I have a rare chronic disease, Sheehan's Syndrome. Since, most doctors never have had a Sheehan's patient I have used your web site information to obtain additional information. Most doctors have read a one line statement in same outdated medical book about Sheehan's Syndrome. And, of course these out dated medical books all state that with replacement medication a Sheehan's individual can lead a, "Normal Life". I belong to an incredible Sheehan's online group and none of us have yet to find a Sheehan's Syndrome person that leads a normal life. Unfortunately, there is not a sufficient amount of research or information on my disease. I sincerely appreciate Wikipedia's efforts and maintain such a wonderful informative web site.

I am an 81 year old Professor Emeritus who was trained in History but researched and taught in several social, economic and design "disciplines". Fifty-five years ago, for money, I wrote sections for encyclopedias in the UK, so I appreciate and celebrate the differences between that world of knowledge and Wikipedia. The difference I prize the most is the smooth way in which the reader is encouraged to widen and/or deepen her/his knowledge of the chosen topic.

I was extremely ignorant when I stumbled upon Wikipedia nearly five years ago. I had read about a "free online encyclopedia that anyone can edit or contribute to," and was extremely skeptical. I figured it was worth a look, but knew it probably would never have the exact information I needed.

Boy, was I wrong.

Now, Wikipedia isn't perfect. It is a prime target for vandals and charlatans who love spreading misinformation. But it also has a crack community of experts and people who do their homework in order to keep this treasure trove of information as accurate as possible.

Wikipedia has been my salvation. I am far more intelligent because of Wikipedia. I am far more aware of this world, this universe, and how everything ties together because of Wikipedia. Whenever I hit a stumbling block in my writing, whenever I come across a new word or concept I have never heard of, I run to Wikipedia. And 99.9 percent of the time, I find what I am looking for. Wikipedia truly is a special place, and I hope it remains exactly how it is for generations to come.

As for me, I will be a Wikipedian until the day I pass from this world and into the next.

Wikipedia for me is the one of the greatest technological manifestations and expressions of the inter-subjective, dialogical nature of human knowledge. Every article is rife with links to other articles which in turn link to other articles in an entire chain of signification whose sum total is none other than that of public human knowledge. The most beautiful aspect of Wikipedia for me is how transparent the website makes this inter-subjective phenomenon, providing internet users with the possibility to share their knowledge among a community of learners.

At Portland State University's Intensive English program, I teach ESL and American Culture to students from 50 nations. After completing their American college and graduate studies, most of these students will return to leadership roles in their home countries.

In the adult ESL classroom, we use Wikipedia to learn quick facts and also to learn about English writing. We start with Simple English pages, when available, and move into the full English ASAP. Students who hail from countries where information is tightly controlled are often surprised by how easy it is to answer a question. Of course now they get Wikipedia on their phones; it is absolutely instant gratification. And because they find it so easy to use, Wikipedia has evolved into a major teaching tool for me.

In a recent class on adjective clauses (not normally an exciting subject) students had to fill-in-the-blanks of a "which" clause: "We took the road from Amman to Riyadh, which is [-] kilometers long." OK, get on Wikipedia and find out. Or, "we heard an address from the current Prime Minister of Japan, whose name is [-]." Again, the race for the answer!

Also from the English Wikipedia, my students learn writing: vocabulary, paragraph structure, organization of information, and how to follow the references at the bottom of each page in order to cite those original sources. If a page flagged for lack of evidence or bias, we discuss those flags -- students learn research-culture values from seeing the comments of editors too.

Thanks Wikipedia, from a grateful teacher of academic ESL!

Wikipedia is the go-to source for answers to virtually any question and is a triumph of the internet age. For some reason it is popular for people, especially teachers and professors, to seriously doubt the authenticity of wikipedia to the extent that I often hear assignments which explicitly bar wikipedia as a source. They seem to ignore the fact that the majority of wikipedia articles have copious citations to back up their claims: in fact, it is more odd to notice a claim that needs a citation than one which has links to one or more online resources. These same people presumably trust a handful of editors printing paper encyclopedia for profit more than individuals so invested in their areas of expertise that they take time out of their lives to share knowledge with the entire world for free. The rest of us know better and are that much more informed for visiting wikipedia whenever the occasions presents itself. Here's to another year of the world's information for free at the fingertips of the world.

I'm a physics student from Buenos Aires, Argentina, and I've been using Wikipedia for some years now. Wikipedia is one of the few things that from time to time makes me think "Wow, this internet thing is REALLY something". We are so used to it right now that we never stop for a second to think about it. I had these same feeling once, when watching on line the first pictures of mars taken by the recently landed Phoenix spacecraft only minutes ago: "I'm watching now a picture taken minutes ago on the surface of another planet, by a human made spacecraft". Wikipedia (and the rest of the foundation proyects) have become and essential and inextricable part of the internet as we know it, and enjoy. I just cannot be thankful enough of your work.

Its not really my story, but my husbands family's story. They are rfom Northern Iraq, to them its known as Kurdistan. It isnt what you wuold think when you think of a middle eastern part of the world. They believe in education, and believe in women having education. Education is freedom and freedom is education. Women are stronger, having a higher self esteem, and have the chance to take care of themselves if they are educated.

Thank you for providing, and for keeping on keepin on while others have tried to make education and learning a way to cash in.

I come from the island of Cuba where access to the Internet is very limited, almost impossible. I never had full Internet access while living over there. In 2001 I moved to the USA where I currently live with my beautiful family. One of the first things that I discovered in my new life was the power of the Internet. I came to understand that power the day I discovered Wikipedia. I can't even tell you how much I have learned by clicking on the endless Wikipedia doors to knowledge. Whenever I need to explore a subject the first step is see what wikipedia says about that subject. I hope that Wikipedia keeps being alive and free forever. That's why I made a modest donation. If I could I would donate a whole million to it. Thank you Wikipedia!

My mother was a librarian and I grew up with a library as a sort of 2nd home when my mother used to take me along to work. Later in my school years, I would drop by whenever I was off from school. I grew up having an repository of knowledge as my playground and now I understand what that meant, how much it enriched my life and imagination and empowered me to be who I am today.

I hope that future generations would always have free, unfettered access to the vast sum of human knowledge, history and experience. Understanding and appreciating it may be the key to a better world for all of us. And that is why I believe Wikipedia is something worth supporting.

I am a Professor at Yale and I use Wikipedia all the time. Wikipedia saves me hours of searching for information. I am constantly amazed at the accuracy of your information. Although, as an academic,I am critical (and suspicious) of all purportedly true information - I find info on Wikipedia as reliable as many academic sources. A colleague of mine finds the information more accurate than many texts.

While watching breaking news on tv about the attempted terrorist plane attack on Christmas Day 2009, the news reported that the FBI had discovered the presence of PETN in the device. Wanting to get more information on what PETN was I turned to Wikimedia and sure enough there was everything you needed to know about the subject. While reading up on this I was pleasantly surprised to see Wikimedia was updating the website right before my eyes! Putting this breaking news story under the history of this subject! Wow, you can't get any more current information than that! It made us a true believer of Wikimedia and inspired us to make a donation to this very informative and important site.

I will be 70 years young in a few weeks. As a retired print and broadcast journalist, writer and eternal student, I can only imagine what it would have been like to have had the Wikipedia resource as a young person.

I have used Wikipedia as a springboard reference for many of the articles I write today. Even on a fixed income as a retiree, it is important, I feel, to find a few dollars to support this astounding project. Donating what one can also affords a feeling of having been a tiny part of Wikipedia's growth. At my age, it is good to be able to look far into the future.

We are a family that live in the interior of Brazil in a very poor state. We have opened a learning center and work with local children from nearby villages. Wikipedia is INVALUABLE for this work. The knowledge available to them on Wikipedia is a thread of contact with the 'outside world' and empowers them!

Forty years ago as a schoolkid I had to catch a bus and use the reference materials at Gosford Library if I wanted to do research for school. Our local library at Woy Woy NSW didn't have reference materials nor anywhere to sit. If you family didn't own an encyclopedia (Britannica preferred) this was what you had to do for your schoolwork. Having Wikipedia on the home PC is an incredible experience considering my schooldays.

The information Wikipedia provided at our finger tips helped our family navigate through the medical jargon when my nephew’s vehicle was struck by a drunk driver. Being able to research and comprehend various parts of the brain allowed us to understand his Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) as well as his many broken bones and nerve damage. It offered an invaluable aid in asking doctors specific question on his injuries.

I had no knowledge of TBI or peroneal nerve before his accident, but after researching Wikipedia, I had gained enough information for doctors to ask me if I had a medical background since my questions on the injuries were very specific. The knowledge I gained allowed me to find the proper treatment for my nephew.

Wikipedia allows people to easily gain knowledge on subjects and make intelligent decisions based on what they’ve learned. It empowers people.

I know very few people that don't turn to wikipedia to brush up, clarify, or research topics of interest. And while that by itself is magical, what is even more remarkable to me is that it actually feeds and creates curiosity. Countless times, a quick fact check turns into an hour long digression from wiki-hyperlink to wiki-hyperlink. Thanks for making recreational research a convenient hobby.

Wikipedia lets me be a more effective advocate for the health care of my elderly mother--being able to read about medical conditions, medications, symptoms, treatments, etc. in clear English, makes me able to ask better questions and feel comfortable that we are considering all options.

I teach "brain fitness" classes for institutionalized disabled and older adults. The idea is to keep them thinking, analyzing, discussing, learning, remembering and involved in our changing world. Wikipedia allows me to be responsive to their questions for free. I work for the State of California, and our budget has been slashed so severely that we have no resources at all for lesson planning. It's up to me, the instructor, to find and prepare everything for class with my hourly pay or for free. Wikipedia provides invaluable, up-to-the-minute, verifiable information for free. Thank you!

Also, each time I explain to my students what Wikipedia is, we launch into discussion about the changes in encyclopedias since their youth, the new technology, publishing history, timing and societal expectations for services, communications, and more. My older students are amazed that Wikipedia exists, and very, very grateful that it does! They have learned to ask me to look things up for them and report back next class! :)

If you don't use it, you lose it! You keep us all thinking. I am grateful too!

Thank you all--everyone around the world--for contributing to Wikipedia, and to those who started it all!

In my opinion, the two most laudable goals of Wikipedia are its aim of free universal accessibility by all of humanity, and its ideal of veracity of content, the latter being policed by countless users themselves. While it is an extremely important aid to the populations of the developing world, it is as well a sobering window on other cultures for members of the so-called developed world. My personal use of the "Wiki" is most often as an immediate reference source to confirm, question or expand on some fact in the nonfiction books that I read. Joyful it is to be able to extend one's knowledge without the distracting exposure to the multiple bells and whistles of advertisements marketing, too often, tinsel & sham.

I certainly hope for a Wikipedia Forever -- and give you my full support for the web tool as I know it now. Wikipedia is my go-to source for quick background regarding work tasks, locating easy explanatory photos or diagrams for my six-year-old, and resolving trivia disputes with my husband or 17-year-old. Not that I've collected any of my monies yet. But, yes, I'm always right. So far.

I find the resource to be thorough, well-organized, and I very much appreciate when information is noted as being subject to further research or scrutiny from within the Wikipedia community. It bolsters my already high regard for Wikipedia's search for "truth" (whatever that is)and verifiable honesty in its research. You guys rock.

Wikipedia is an incredible resource. I cherish the fact that I can learn more about anything -anytime. More importantly, curious and motivated people in less developed countries can enter this knowledge base not only to expand their breadth and grasp of knowledge that's "out there" but also to contribute information of their own. Equal knowledge available to all people - truly a gift to humamity.

I am a revenue strategist. I rely on the Internet for most of my secondary research. I started using Wikipedia in 2005. I noticed that techies were putting excellent information out there. Since then I have used wikipedia to get a baseline view of MANY subjects - and I'm amazed at the overall quality and value of what is available. The criticisms that are leveled at Wikipedia are eclipsed by the value it creates. Wikipedia is so much more valuable than traditionally managed encyclopedias because information is much more likely to be up-to-date, AND it is more likely to be correct because all of us have the opportunity to comment and improve its contents.

Kudos to Jimmy and all the Wikipedia team. You re providing huge value to ALL OF US!!

Few years ago, I stumbled across Wikipedia and the information it provided free of charge when other encyclopedia where asking to subscribe for their service. I come from a developing country and I know that for the majority of us subscribing is not an option. We cannot afford it and most of the time our parents don't have a credit card or they don't trust the net. But when Wikipedia showed a way to provide accurate, updated, and useful information free of charge I was an instant fan, my friends followed and soon we heard it was a world wide success. Tomorrow when a new generation arrives and as more people gain access to the net Wikipedia will be there for them as a source of reliable and updated information like pure cool water to a thirsty traveller. That is what wikipedia forever means to me.

Searching the web for information on a variety of specialised topics, it is Wikipedia that almost always offers the most thorough, the most easily readable, the most accessible (can copy and paste all content) information on most topics, plus all articles are fully referenced. If our kids are learning in this manner, knowledge has no limits. Thank-you Wikipedia.

I am writing a biography of a man and his wife who were born in Germany in the 20s and went through the war, Russian occupation, escape and immigration to the US. Interviewing and taping their story over the last ten years. Memories now failing along with Health, I lacked the information I needed to write the book. If it had not been for the wealth of information on Wikipedia, this task would have been impossible. I can't begin to express the help Wikipedia has been in accessing historical information and pictures form thousands of sources right from my desk-top. Thanks to all those thousands of people who have taken the time to contribute.

As the husband of a PhD student, I look over many scientific articles and am struck by the continuing lack of connectedness between works cited, where citations still consist of author name(s) + year of publication. Scientists may be used to this, but I find it frustrating, and something that the original designers of HTML were trying fundamentally to address. I think Wikipedia shows the full flowering of HTML's ability to cross link and draw together knowledge. I think that that by itself would be enough to set Wikipedia apart, but I also think there is a subtler psychological effect involved. Wikipedia's snowballing content and the increasingly rigorous and academic standards applied to that content are, I think, beginning to show people that they can publish their research and findings to the world through this forum and be happy that it will not be vandalized or subverted willy nilly, WHILST still being open for valid, properly referenced criticism. This can only be a good thing, since it embeds in context the nuances and controversies that the lay person may not initially realize exist in any work of exploration, AND allow those facets to be easily explored. It frees us from simply 'looking up the answer' and purveying that as gospel. :-) Thanks.

I especially like Wikipedia for the detailed, highly sophisticated articles on history, the arts and music, and science. The depth and complexity of these articles are the equal of any existing reference source and are instantaneously accessible. I use Wikipedia so frequently I have come to take its existence for granted -- and to overlook the obvious need to finance this noble enterprise. Of special note is the quality of the articles on the medical sciences; as a physician, I have found this resource to be at least as valuable as the on-line medical websites I also access.

In considering the importance of Wikipedia, one is reminded of the impact that the "Encyclopedie" of Diderot and the other Enlightenment philosophers must have had when it was created; this project is comparable.

Thank you for this extraordinary resource!

Free and open communication and information are the absolute cornerstones of creating a brighter world for all mankind. If you consider intelligence not as the information available within an organism, but the knowledge available TO an organism, then we are the smartest people ever to live, in part because Wikipedia has made a world's wealth of ideas accessible to us.

The Wiki model of collaboration demonstrates the amazing things we can accomplish together, when the minds of everyone meets the minds of everyone. Who knows what else we can transform.

One day, a first class education will available to anyone with an eager mind and an internet connection.

As long as Wikipedia can fend off the manipulations of those with an agenda and a desire to control the discourse, it provides Us, the People of the World, with our best hope for something better.

Thank you so much Wiki.

When I was a little child I wanted to know everything there is to know about the world. I used to read whole encyclopaedias just for fun. I felt my brain needed to absorb everything just like exercising your muscles to stay fit. Then the world wide web came into my life. My first CD-ROM-encyclopaedia was Encarta. With the internet I discovered Wikipedia and my view on finding information changed. As a teacher i am confronted with pupils who do not really want to learn anything. Using Wikipedia in classroom changed their point of view drastically. Once we talked about the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, they did not know, what it was. One of my students took out his cellphone (which is actually not allowed in class, but I thought, I'd let him use it for the sake of it) and read, what information Wikipedia had on this matter. All students thought, there is no such thing as a garbage patch far far away from Europe actually caused by us. This changed the view on the world for at least my class forever. For the first time they got an idea of what actually happens outside the boundaries of their home country and that everything we do can cause turmoil on the other side of the globe. Thank you, Wikipedia, for providing this piece of information including all the great pictures and diagrams. Carry on like this.

I work for a federal agency doing policy research and always use Wikipedia to discover primary sources that I hadn't seen before. What prompted my donation was the extraordinary linkage of wikipedia content with google maps: a stunning achievement in sharing human knowledge and of technology!

How great to have this resource right at my fingertips! I appreciate the hard work that goes into the site and am happy to support it with my dollars. I write for a living, and my first step in researching any subject is often wikipedia, where I can find reliable information and a list of sources for further research. Invaluable!!

I can't imagine not having Wikipedia as a reference tool. I can't recall one Google search I've done for a reference check that doesn't come up with Wikipedia in the first or second listing. It's invaluable to get facts I need when making a political point to my friends on Facebook. Some of them just spout off "facts" with no links. I, however, can document my statements with a link to Wikipedia and my argument is instantly more credible.

I am an antiques dealer, often doing research trying to discover past history about items I have. I love history and Wikipedia has assisted often in discovering the past about historical items. Even though I am doing research to help sell the items I am researching, I often get absorbed into the history behind the item, its connection to people from the past, and how it might connect with someone or something in the present. Thanks for all the great volunteer work for this awesome resource!

Since I knew the wikepegia ,I constantly use it for my refernces.I am a Pharmacist by profession. I gather information regarding many drugs/medicines in detail and same is helping me in my profesion. Being aheart patient one of the medicine presribed to me has very bad side efects which I came to know from wikepedia and asked my Physician regarding the side effects of the same and got my prescriotion changed.I also refer the wikeprdia when I plan the travelling programme on the bases of  information given in wikepedia and which helped us planning our programme. Even I came to understand regarding various relegions of the worldincluding my own religion ,Jainism,in detail. My Hearty Comlemnts to you Mr.Jimmy Wales,the founder.

As a senior Civil Engineering student at Boise State University, obtaining quick answers regarding information that I need to know is vitally important. I have benefited from Wikipedia in many ways and not just because of school. Wikpedia is a great initial source for studying topics and terms relating to engineering theory. It is also great source of all general information pertaining to our way modern way of life.

It started, as most things in my life start—over a game of chess. I’ve never been very good at chess, the pawns, the queens, who can keep any of that straight? My friend, Donnie, was taking forever to make the next move, so I started browsing the internet. I happened upon this wiki article that was pretty damn funny, unbelievably funny. So I said to my friend, “Damn. This is pretty damn funny. Unbelievably funny.” My friend said, “Come on you know you can’t believe everything you read online. And wiki? That’s not even legit.” I was disappointed by my friend’s opinion, yet he continued blabbing. “If you really want to read a good story you got to go to the library. Crack open a book. Some heart wrenching stuff in books.”

I thought for a moment. It was a long moment. Pointlessly shamelessly long, but to be honest he really wasn’t making a move. I kept staring at the screen. He was right, there were a few problems with the article. For example, the sources weren’t cited properly. And that kinda irked me because I loved what wiki was doing. I thought it was an excellent tool to access free information. And I knew. I wanted to help make wiki better. One page at a time. One day at a time.

To me, wiki is an opportunity to make the world better. Something that I am proud to stand behind.

Forty years ago as a teenager in the wilds of remote Wyoming my sweetheart (now my wife of forty years) and I played a travel game called "padiddle", based on counting vehicles with one headlight burned out. The first person to see one shouted PADIDDLE and banged on the ceiling of the car, earning a kiss from the other person. I saw two of them last night, regrettably while travelling alone. With fond memories, I wondered how widespread and well-known this game had become since the Sixties, and decided to check it out when I got home. Imagine my surprise when I googled "padiddle" and immediately got a hit on a Wikipedia article! Wikipedia truly is a place to find out about ANYTHING. We only played the kissing version (Ahem!) but the article informed me of two other versions, one very naughty, of which we were unaware. So Wikipedia perfectly fulfilled its role by increasing my knowledge. My only regret is that I can't contribute anything in the way of origins or references -- we're both too old to remember where we learned it!

I'm disabled from injuries to my knee and back, and consequently, I have too much free time on my hands, but Wikipedia has made my days infinitely better. You provide me with interesting articles, from science to current events, and one of the most incredible aspects of Wikipedia is that almost anything I look up not only has verifiable facts, but they're up to date, and I find that to be one of the most important parts of what you do. I thank you for making my days of pain less painful. God bless you guys

For me, Wikipedia is Freedom.

There's a Chinese proverb that goes: "Better to light a candle than to curse the darkness"

The Internet in general, and its sound applications like Wikipedia, in particular, provide me the means to light the candle of the world in an era of general gloominess.

This access to knowledge is Freedom. And for me, Freedom is the most important thing in my life, after health.

I started using Wikipedia a few years ago when a friend told me to use it as a resource in doing research for a work project. I’d heard about it on NPR and in news articles but I had not really thought much if it given the tons of information pouring into our brains on a daily basis. From the first time I hit the site I became an instant fan. Wikipedia is The Starting Place for just about any research I do online or off. Wikipedia stands as an independent resource not compromised by alliances with behind the scenes funding organizations or annoying advertising. It is the very independent nature of the site and the fact that it exists due to its end users who are also it’s supporters that makes it a truly nonbiased objective source of information that users can rely on to provide accurate and insightful information. Now that I’ve reached a place in my life where I can start giving back to those who have helped me get to where I am Wikipedia is on the top of my list. I look forward to many more years of accessing the ever growing store of information being built and housed at Wikipedia and I know my children will be doing the same as they grow-up in a world that now has a resource as vast and empowering as Wikipedia. Keep up the good work and stay true to your goal.

I work at a planetarium in Florida, and part of my responsibilities include research for writing various articles. Without Wikipedia, my tasks would be doubly difficult. Plus, I include knowledge gleaned from Wikipedia to enhance my sky tour presentations in the planetarium theater. Other than workplace usage, I go to Wikipedia for answers about nearly anything I want to know about, and there is a bountiful wellspring of information here that will expand my understanding of the world and the universe in which it resides. Wikipedia more than deserves my donation!

Man, where do I begin. I work as a freelance translator covering topics as diverse as education, construction, tourism, military defence, science and medicine. How does Wikipedia help me? Well I visit Wikipedia every day and let's just say that without it, my job would be a thousand times harder. I just read this week's Time magazine featuring the Q&A with Jimmy Wales and it made me want to show my appreciation once again. Thanks Jimmy, you really have given humanity something worth celebrating.

I am a photographer. I capture life with images. However, there is nothing that I can produce that will ever replace the catalog of life that is Wikipedia. An organic collection of written history, Wikipedia changes from moment to moment while remaining as factuality true and unbiased as can be expected of any historical medium. It has not only enhanced but changed my life and it is a resource that I hope will continue long after my photographs have turned to dust.

I've relied on wiki for many times, starting from information about a pen to information about education in Germany, u.s.a and so on.. I've touched by the affection and love towards work and social responsibilities by "wikitians" (I call the persons who work on Wikipedia). Jimmy's appeal is really understandable and sensitive. Though I've donated very less now, when i get employed I'll surely help wikitians and Wikipedia with good part of my income and information. In this world of self and ego, the work by wikitians and Jimmy wales is really wonderful and selfless. Hope my donation will do its duty by motivating people to stand by the selfless and make them feel proud for helping billions of people.

I work at a non-profit doing writing and research in environmental and animal law. Clearly there are many good reasons to support this project we are all invited to use. Perhaps one less remarked-upon but highly important is the way in which a well-maintained electronic research base contributes to a better human relationship with the environment. Imagine the fuel saved, for one, because obscure information can now be obtained without shipping. As with small donations adding up when put together, the ecological benefits can be major in the aggregate.

Wikipedia means to me... A fast ad-free repository of information in the spirit of human cooperation

Wikipedia is one of the most inspiring tools I have had the fortune to grow up with. It is the resource I cherish the most as a premedical student and a knowledge enthusiast. The quality is amazing, and every time I use it I give a silent shout-out to all of the people who work to make it great without the motivation of recognition or even monetary compensation. I would like to shake the hands of every single one of them. But since these wonderful volunteers are far too numerous, I will settle for thanking them all indirectly by becoming the best doctor I can be and by attempting to embody this atruistic, selfless quality that is so characteristic of Wikipedia. As I study the ways in which nonprofits and volunteer groups function today, I can't help but notice how amazing Wikipedia is simply because of what it stands for, and for the enormous effect it will have on all people. It is the symbolic free exchange of knowledge, and it will affect every aspect of our society for generations to come. Knowledge empowers, and Wikipedia empowers all of us together. Wikipedia is a purveyor of equality, opportunity, and hope.

When I was a kid, I used to wonder what it would be like if I could ask any question and have it instantly answered. A couple of months back, I realized that the Internet has effectively made this possible, and much of this is made possible by Wikipedia.

Wikipedia shows that we aren't isolated in the world - that we can depend on the help of others while at once contributing to the greater community. Wikipedia proves to me that people are inherently good, curious, innovative, and willing to share their knowledge and do what they can to make the world a better place.

I am a Clemson University student and with out the availability of Wikipedia I would have a much more difficult time doing research for classes and papers. Wikipedia provides me with information when ever I have a question about something that I need more information on. It is my go to source for info on the internet. I hope that Wikipedia continues to grow and to amass all of human knowledge into on single database. Thank you for this service that has become an almost everyday part of my life. I would love to write for wikipedia and to contribute to the articles if given the opportunity. Thanks.

I'm a physicist and I regularly use Wikipedia for work and for fun. If I quickly need to recall a formula or a concept regarding Electromagnetism or quantum physics Wikipedia is a good starting point. One day an important visitor came to our lab, that is located on the roof-top of a 12-story building with a lot of windows. As we were watching the sky with a large Polaroid sheet and commenting about how clouds and sky look different in vertically or horizontally polarized light, our guest told us that our eyes can be used as polarizers and showed us the amazing Haidinger's brush effect. Of course Wikipedia has an entry for it!

ever since i was in 9th grade, i had access to wikipedia... its been a wonderful 7 years of relation between me and wikipedia. although i have never edited it ever but it has been a source of my knowledge. I love science (specially astronomy) and due to lack of books and technology here in pakistan, there was no way i could be updated with recent developments or any historical event that would alter the perceptions of human mind. Wikipedia made it easier, it made my access to a whole new universe of knowledge with just a click. One can only imagine what will wikipedia evolve into?!

For many years in my spare time I have been compiling a global chronicle of ancient and medieval history and archaeology. The principal sources have been multi-volume works like the Cambridge histories. I not only use the coordinate of time in organizing this information, but I also have developed a code for location and a separate code for the wide diversity of inter-related topical possibilities. The code has proven to be most helpful in finding a place for information that otherwise would never have a home. Currently the manuscript is over 3700 pages in length and I hope to move forward with it more quickly once I retire from teaching next year. In the past, when I didn't understand something that I was reading, I used to seek quick clarity by looking into encyclopedias. If this failed I used to put the question on hold until the next time I went to the library, where there was usually a source that would resolve my concern. As you might expect, Wikipedia has proven to be a great time-saver. I especially like Wikipedia because there is no advertising, which means it is uncensored by the corporations. I also like the fact that it is completely open, which increases the liklihood that it will also include information off the beaten scholarly mainstream, long neglected because it serves no pre-existing theory, but nontheless deserving the right to be heard. Of course, all sources of information have errors. In my opinion, the Wikipedia system of making corrections is as good as any other because the people who read the literature will be most interested in its accuracy and in time the errors will be corrected. In those inevitable instances of unresolved disputes, I think you should have a window that leads to a forum, where the various sides can present their pros and cons. I don't believe decisons should be made by voting, for sometimes the minority turns out to be right. Therefore, both sides should be shown. So that's my 2 cents worth. Keep up the good work! You have earned my respect.

I love that on Wikipedia there are so many people who care about particular topics and want to share their particular knowledge with other people. The fact that we can link to other related articles expands the learning potential of the encyclopedia immensely. I always end up with several tabs of Wikipedia open when I get into a topic. Thank you Wikimedia so much for really contributing to my life by making it possible for a huge community of people to come together and learn from each other.

I first heard about Wikipedia from a couple of young men with backpacks from Belgium whom I met in a hotel wifi hot-spot in Japan just north of ground zero. Since the purpose of my travel to Japan was to do research on the nuclear bombing of Nagasaki, they referred me to Wikipedia as an editable online encyclopedia where I might find and / or add to a world wide knowledge base.

I use Wikipedia frequently throughout the day in an effort to augment the history I write about. I find the knowledge base of Wikipedia to be a great idea, I hope that all who support Wikipedia remember that all knowledge developed here should tend toward and model the immutable facts of nature and science. All knowledge should possess a solid root in that which is immutable including history. I believe if all who contribute to the knowledge of Wikipedia remember to keep information based in natures immutable truths, this effort will support my hope of seeing Wikipedia approach the dimensions and status of a virtual online Library of Alexandria.

I'm grateful for a community who gathers to learn and enjoy the truths recorded in Wikipedia. I hope this effort is never controlled by a minority of esoteric overseers but remains the combined influence of a world wide community whose standards for divining the truths recorded here are never based on conjecture but rather an epistemology supported by natures immutable truths.

Wikipedia has changed my life in that it consistently provides the information I desire in a moment's time. Fast processing and intelligent internal logic gets me to the page I am looking for in a flash. If it wasn't for Wikipedia, I know I would not be where I am today intellectually. For that I am grateful and that is why I donate to Wikipedia.

I'm a junior in college now, but all through high school and before, Wikipedia was frowned upon by all teachers or other intellectual people I knew. Even though I had never actually found, or heard of anyone else finding, a serious factual error, using Wikipedia just seemed kind of lazy. But after playing a game with one of my high school friends in which we would make absurd changes to a particular Wikipedia article - and seeing how quickly those changes were checked, reviewed, and removed - my faith in the job the people at Wikipedia do started to grow immensely. Now, my friends and I enjoy surfing Wikipedia for interesting people, places, and events, or lists of those, but I also never feel bad about looking something up for one of my classes either.

I'm Wikipedia reader and contributor. I'm contributing to Armenian Wikipedia since 2006. A Language which most modern full encyclopedia was last time printed in late 70-ies. Yes, that's feels almost like in famous video clip, with professor Britannica - "And one day, computers may become so small, they will fit in one small room". And there are hundreds of languages for which the only encyclopedia available is Wikipedia. Last not least, Wikipedia, is just one of 9 exciting projects of Wikimedia. By donating to Wikimedia Foundation, you help preserve and develop 8 other beautiful projects. And who knows, how many other projects were inspired by Wikipedia? They say, knowledge is light, so let's spread the light all over world. Together.

Wikipedia is like an Oasis for me -- Needless to say, there is information everywhere on the internet, but how accurate is it? How reliable is the information ? I am studying for a certification and I have used Wikipedia so many times - to get a difficult concept explained, to look up a technology and so on.

I have the Wiki companion on my iIpad, and I am really blown away by the Wikimedia book facility. I created my first compilation on several articles in cryptography and I just downloaded that to my computer - THANK YOU.

I now feel that I should pay to keep Wiki strong, I have made my first small contribution. Needless to say, there will be more in the future.

Please keep up the good - No GREAT work.

My story may date me...but I remember when the encyclopedia salesman used to come to our house. The first time - to sell my parents all the books - and then to buy the yearly updates. We were always so excited! Knowledge has always been sacred to me. It is another joy now to be able to add to 'yearly updates' through your donation program.

Personally, I was able to add a comment to erroneous information about a family member that was within your "library" and that was verified by Wikipedia.

Wikipedia is a non-commercial internet community based site where a huge amount of information can be found for free, with no advertising! It is a good place to start when researching any topic. Journalists and reporters say that it is the first place they look when researching a story. Few have any staff or budget these days; Wikipedia keeps the free press going!

Wikipedia is unique and only employs 50 people in its foundation. Many people who onced contributed now prefer Twitter & Facebook to promote themselves and other products. Since Wikipedia will not accept dvertisements,donations are now necessary to keep Wikipedia as one of few remaining non-commercial aspects left on the internet.

In 1995 I lost my oldest son at age 42 from a brain Tumor, One of the many good memories was his meeting Joe Namath after a N.Y. Jets loss to our Oakland Raiders,in which Mr Namath received a broken jaw in that game. He signed my sons Jets Pennant and spoke with him for several minutes,with a broken jaw. Thanks to wikipedia, all I wanted to know about that game, Joe Namath is a class act.

As a teenager and high school student of electronics, I was provided the opportunity to repair traffic signals in my home town of Quincy, IL. Traffic signals provided the inspiration to continue studying electronics at Black Hawk College in Moline, IL and Bradley University in Peoria. Upon graduation from Bradley, I found employment with Motorola but, as was common in the 1970's, within a couple years the factory was purchased by Mitsushita Electric Co. and subsequently closed. I eventually returned to Black Hawk College where I would work for 35 years as a broadcast engineer, professor and chairman of the Electronics department.

I've recently retired from college teaching however, prior to retirement Wikipedia became an integral contributor to my daily lecture routine. Before leaving the office and heading down the hallway to lecture, I habitually consulted Wiki for supplemental lecture items such as, "Who was Fahrenheit?" as it's often the subtle personal items that can make a lecture entertaining. I'm now employed part-time repairing computers and again, Wikipedia has become essential to my daily routine as you are the first place I look for answers to daily technical challenges. Google first, then Wiki is an exercise I practice a dozen times daily for rapid and detailed information about technical items.

But, there's something that I've always hoped Wikipedia could provide. Someday when you, Wikipedia, run out of things to do, consider starting Wiki-Works or Wiki-Mation where science items are demonstrated using motion animation as nothing improves learning and retention like a good demonstration. Imagine "Seeing" into an electric circuit where electrons can be viewed travelling through a circuit and collecting across the plates of a capacitor or flowing through the internal junctions of semiconductors. Deriving mathematical equations from an electric circuit or fluid-power system is relatively easy once the current flow path is known. But more importantly, developing the "Mind's eye" of an engineer or scientist takes years of traditional classroom study but, could be reduced to minutes with the assistance of quality animation. Botany, biology, meteorology, chemistry, and all of engineering - a source of animation demonstrations would be a huge benefit to educators of all sciences. Should you decide to pursue a project of this type and would like a little assistance, please let me know as retirement is driving me insane.

Thanks a bunch for helping me with all my interests.

By the time I was in middle school, perhaps, the Iowa Basic Skills tests were administered such that answers went on to answer sheets that computers could read. I reflected, at the time, on what a great savings in time that must have been for the school and wondered vaguely where all that would go as I got older. Then there were the moonshots and 20 years later crunky PCs became available to us. But never did I imagine the home or office PC as it is today and the hundreds and thousands of hours I would be saving on personal and academic research, international banking from my own PC etc. and I certainly never imagine that an idea like Wikipedia would become the giant in my life that I has become. Google and Wikipedia. WOW!

As a teenager, I was constantly dragging my parents to the local library in search of good quality books on science, electronics, assembly language, and computer programming...topics I was deeply interested in. The search for good information was tedious and rarely productive. I rapidly exhausted what the local library contained (which was almost nothing) and then resorted to transfer requests from other libraries which took weeks to arrive. Often the material I did manage to get was over my head or lacked enough introduction to really be useful. At the time (~1982-85), teachers and school were little or no help in these subjects.

I didn't realize then how valuable that hard fought knowledge was...but it is now a profession for me and what I learned on my own at age 15 is worth more than anything I learned in college or grad school. That self-reliant, self-teaching process is still a part of me, and Wikipedia is the perfect compliment. The pace of learning with access to Wikipedia is exponentially faster than before. I can not place a value on it.

Learning in an un-supportive environment can be tedious, frustrating, but ultimately quite rewarding if one persists long enough. Wikipedia is the ultimate tool of the self-starter.

Wikipedia is the best first source of data for me and my kids. My son is always peppering me with questions, and wikipedia's ever-growing and usually accurate and up-to-date information about the topics that come into our minds. Thanks for being their generation's World Book Encyclopedia, only better.

The utility of Wikipedia to me has been two-fold: firstly its daily use has become a fair substitute to the next best alternative, which capitalizes on my interests at the moment I feel them and imparts my spirit with knowledge when it is most demanded; secondly I use it in lieu of translator. In more ways than one it is thus a communication aid unlike any other.

What is my next best alternative encyclopedic resource? At one point it was my father -- and in a way it always will be. Ever since he lost his capacity to communicate in his native tongue effectively, however, his other abilities diminished dramatically. When we moved to America in the 1990s he didn't speak English, so the next-best soon became the 1967 Britannica, "recycled" most appropriately. The latter was indeed am excellent substitute for the Major Soviet Encyclopedic Dictionary (itself a sad shadow of the multi-volume Small Soviet Encyclopedia behemoth we were compelled to abandon before leaving Russia). At around the same time the internet was just getting started. With and without it I suddenly found myself in the role of the family's reluctant pre-teen translator.

Nowadays I've nearly abandoned many paper resources we would use if internet were unavailable. This is how Wikipedia became my dictionary and translator. In situations where I wish to communicate with the people most dear to me about a concept they know in a different language I look it up in English. Then I switch to their native tongue's edition for the same article -- or to a different one otherwise understood or related -- and voila the Tower of Babel is behind us. Of course, this is a somewhat embellished passing beyond it. One must still understand what the article is saying for example! Yet, the fact is that this has helped me communicate with my father, my heritage and my new nation.

Wikipedia is imho the best Internet project ever, both, for practical as well as ideological reasons. First of all, its practical value is beyond any measures!! There's no single day I wouldn't use Wikipedia. To find more info about a keyword. To find a translation. To find a second opinion. To answer questions from my kids. ;o) In fact, one of my standard phrases when answering my kids' questions used to be: google it. But now it's: look it up at Wikipedia!

And the ideological value of the Wikipedia approach is nothing less than trendsetting. It's the first step to a society where knowledge isn't used to cement own power but to share it, for the benefit of all.

I really love it!!

I used to be a know it all without knowing it all. Now I can really know it all with Wikipedia.

Earlier this summer my pregnant wife became ill with a severe headache and fever requiring a trip to teh emergency room. Initial diagnoses did not reveal anything unusual. I followed along on Wikipedia as the Dr's scratched their heads, and began down a path suspecting meningitis. Over the next few hours I became a wiki-expert on meningitis. It almost seemed as though I was two steps ahead of the Drs since meningitis is not something they see very often, and were undoubtedly doing their own research behind teh scenes. I was able to "study up" on the lumbar puncture procedure and was immediately relieved to see that the fluid was clear (a sign of the more dnagerous bacterial meningitis) but concerned by the high opening pressure (which later turned out to be falsely elevated due to incorrect postion (sitting vice prone)).

To make a long story short, my wife was quickly diagnosed with aseptic spinal meningitis and spent three days in the hospital. But with Wikipedia at my fingertips, I was able to inform myself and my wife, which helped us better communicate with the Drs, enabling us to ask more informed questions and provide them better information that ultimately may have led to a speedier diagnosis and recovery, to an illness than can be very dangerous if not treated correctly in a timely manner.

Wikipedia also provided reassurance thoughout teh ordeal since knowledge displaces fear of the unkown.

Not to mention is kept me (and my wife) occupied during the hospital stay by searching all kinds of interetsing hospital equipment such as the fetal monitoring equipment. I soon became a closet expert in tococardiagraphy.

Wikipedia is a never ending rabbit hole of knowledge.

Thanks so much for the service you provide. I hope to have time one day to contribute myself.

I am a technology teacher in an elementary school. For research, Wikipedia is our primary source of information. There is no worry about inappropriate material, and the graphics are accurate and interesting. When I come across material on the internet I am unfamiliar with, whether it's a word I'm unfamiliar with or a medical or literary reference, Wikipedia is where I go to learn something new.

My 30 years in IT and especially the past 20 years as a management consultant has taught me that there's nothing more valuable in this "Information Age" than knowledge and information. I use Wikipedia every day both in service to clients and to answer every day questions that arise from being the father of 5 children. Thank you!

I write about nutrition for a living. Much of what I write is about personal experience, and thus needs no research. But when I'm making a statement about the history of nutritional research ("Who was Joe Goldberger?") or the structure of a given nutrient, it's vastly useful to have Wikipedia right there.

But it's more than that. I'm a Toastmaster, and when it's my job to speak to the topic of the week, a quick look at Wikipedia never fails to generate ideas. Any time my husband looks at me, or I at him, and says, "Where is X nation?" or "What was the name of that guy who...?" it's off to Wikipedia.

At heart, I'm still the same geeky kid who sat in study hall reading the World Book for fun. Having a vastly larger, more detailed and comprehensive encyclopedia sitting on my desk, fully searchable, is that geeky kid's dream come true.

It's a great thing that Wikipedia has done, and continues to do.

Is my relationship with Wikipedia actually a story? In real stories, shouldn't protagonists face disappointment and conflict before the happy ending? In contrast, for me, Wiki is just a dream come true. Once upon a time I believed that if I wanted to learn whatever I wanted whenever I wanted to, I would have to live in a book-lined house, a goal which I very nearly achieved. Now, however, although I still love books and choose to live surrounded by them, I also have a computer on whenever I am awake because that way, I can satisfy my curiosity within seconds. Not only that but I can also discuss the results with other interested people, no matter how arcane the subject. For an endlessly curious person, this is heaven, pure and simple.

I constantly refer to Wikipedia to check facts and learn more about all kinds of topics while I develop science education materials. I also greatly appreciate the images on Wikimedia Commons, which allow me to add information and visual interest to the lessons I work on. Of course, I also use Wikipedia for fun - to look up movies, historical events, etc., etc., and to let my kids find out more about things they're interested in. Where would the Web be without Wikipedia??

When I was younger I used to read encyclopedias... I mean, just skim through them until I found something interesting and then learn about it. But I could only do it on the weekends, because I was poor and only my Grandmother had the huge set of the books. When Wikipedia first started, I visited sparingly. Now that there are many articles on all subject matter, I visit almost daily. It has become my go-to source for information that is concise and correct. Sometimes when I think about Wikipedia, I cry. To me, it is an expression of all that is good and helpful in the world. People working together and contributing little by little can build something monumental over time. And I never cease to be amazed and astounded when I think that all this is provided free of charge and ads. All this collaboration was done by individuals whose only thought was to share what they know and make the world a better place. Sitting in front of my computer for hours, scrolling the pages away, I can read and learn and be entertained. I can start learning about AI, and end up on Laser Fusion... You take me back to those days at my grandma's house. Except now when I'm interested in a subject, I can easily just browse to a different article and read up. Plus just knowing it's free and that someone put their time and expertise into teaching me... Keep it free. It may just be idealistic, but I think that Wikipedia may be the instrument that brings about world peace. I have a job flipping burgers, and I hate every minute of it. But as long as I have money, I'll make sure to donate to Wikipedia every year. You guys might get some more from me when I get paid this weekend. I can't say enough good about you guys. Your hearts are pure, and free of greed. You set an example that we all should learn to live by

It means the difference between knowing and not knowing about something. As an 'encyclopedia' type of source the subjects are limitless and the most obscure bits of what might be regarded as useless information by other sources and have no references Wikipedia almost never disappoints. It was only once that I can recall not having any information on a subject. I can't remember what that was now. It was awhile ago.

I also appreciate that you make it quite clear about the sources and citings so that I am able to make a determination about the validity.

I very much appreciate the factual format and that it is commercial free. If I wanted opinions or rants there are plenty of places I could go for that. There is only one Wikipedia.

I am on a very limited fixed income. I use your site often. I wish I was able to donate more. A source of credible information is vital to inquiring minds and Wikipedia in this regard is priceless.

Thank you for being and for sharing.

I speak a "minority" language: català. My culture and identity have been historically attacked -few decades ago we suffer a dictatorship that banned our language- and even now we are still fighting for our rights as a people. For us is important to protect our main sign of identity, the language, and thanks to Wikipedia I'm proud of being able to find a bunch of information in catalan, and share the information about us with the world, making the catalan a normal language used in every day's life. Thanks Jimmy, thanks users around the planet!

Wikipedia has been a great source of information for me as I pursue higher education at the undergraduate and graduate level in electrical engineering. The physics and math descriptions found in the Wikipedia articles are often more intuitive than those found in my textbooks, and often act as a great starting point for me in my studies. I am very thankful that such a wonderful source of information exists, free of charge, for anyone with an internet connection

Whenever somebody says, well, I don't think I know that, in my environment, the person with the fastest data connection is usually the one who utters "Wikipedia!". And out comes the smartphone, and most of the time, even if you go through Google, it is the Wikipedia answer that is one of the first in the results. And it is the one we know to represent the most peer reviewers for any article, and thus many times the most reliable. And when I tell you this even happens in the E.R., where I work, you know this means something. As we speak, the Wikipedia answer to many medical questions or problems, is one that, even if sometimes not complete, most often reflects true facts and contains valuable basic (and often advanced) information, on which we can rely in special cases or anything we're not used to see everyday. From the bottom of my heart, I say thank you Wikipedia. I'm pretty sure you saved a number of lives...

As a health advocate and writer, I find Wikipedia to be an outstanding source of pretty darned objective information in an area that is otherwise dominated by drug company propaganda and supplement sales literature. It's usually well annotated as well. There is simply no other reference tool as accessible, reliable and comprehensive. By helping us think for ourselves about medicine -- and dealing evenly in its treatment of mainstream and alternative solutions -- I believe Wikipedia is saving lives.

I work a large company (one of the DOW 30) and there was an email dispute between high level managers about the date a divestigure of our company had taken place. People were trading internal web links, which disagreed, to show the dates. Then I looked it up on Wikipedia and the correct infromation was clearly shown.

I'm teaching at a small University in Tanzania--one of the poorest countries in the world. Any computer registered in East Africa is not even allowed to purchase items from itunes. IP addresses from developing countries are routinely rejected. This commercially elitist attitude allows the beauty of Wikipedia to shine the brightest. Thank you to Wikipedia!

I am a university professor and I run a virology research lab. I require access to new information daily on a wide variety of topics. My "go to" resource is Wikipedia; a day does not go my without accessing it. The information is always accurate, up to date, and well written. This is a fabulous resource that should be supported.

Wikipedia is sometimes criticized for having content that is constantly changed/updated by many different sources. People seem to want a static leather-bound book of "final-word knowledge" written by a gray-haired expert.

I'm a scientist, though, and my world is all about challenging existing theories and continuously working to improve our understanding of the universe around and within us. There is no final word for scientists. We work as a *community,* not as isolated mad scientists in gloomy castles as portrayed in movies. A few of us are crackpots, but the review process weeds out bad science.

Wikipedia appears to operate on much the same principle - many authors, peer review, and constantly updated. That's just as it should be!

I've found the Wikipedia articles about subjects in which I'm expert to be good. Wikipedia is, for me, a great introductory-level source for subjects in which I am NOT expert. I can follow up on the cited references, Google, or use other citation databases to find the original primary source papers when I want greater depth on specific points.

Bottom line: Thank you, Wikipedia. You do a great thing. Keeping Wikipedia free to the public is important to me because knowledge is power - power that should be available to *every* child with curiosity about the world into which they are journeying.

As a present for my 39th birthday, my older brother created for me my own Wikipedia page in Hebrew. I translate Japanese literature. You could Google my name before and find something, but if I tell people I'm in Wikipedia, they go "Wow". It IS wow. Wikipedia broadens the mind. I absolutely want to keep it ad-free. It's a sanctuary for people who just want to know, and it's almost like money is out of the equation - where in the world does that happen?! I'm happy to be a "sustainer".

Wikipedia is an invaluable resource for me during my work as a translator, a wealth of information at my fingertips maintained by specialists and enthusiasts in countless fields, and a triumph of the human spirit--proof of the amazing things that we can do when we work together with a noble ideal in mind.

My donation is small, but my appreciation is anything but.

No TV reception out here in the hills of SW PA--not that it ever really mattered--but access to information is absolutely KEY and my talents as a farmer, fiber artist and human being have been aided immensely by the ready access to Wikipedia. From medical diagnoses to rock stars to authors I have turned to this source for solid information over the past few years and am happy to help keep it going. You're right--what would the world be like if we were dealing with Truth? How much further would we have evolved?

Wikipedia is a little miracle to me - it's a cliche, but almost like a dream come true. When I was a little girl it wasn't really even conceivable - it means I don't have to have a set of encyclopedias at home or run to the library every time that I want to learn something new, or find out about a certain place, or person or foundation, or anything! It's very cool - I never take it for granted. It's an expanding of the consciousness of the world, and it's fun, it's quick, it's easy and reliable. Thank you, thank you, for all your hard work and for your vision.

In pursuing a possible student conference scam for a neighbor's daughter, I was able to secure excellent information about the Company involved from Wikipedia. This information enabled me to draft a proper letter and as of this date, she has received a full refund. Wikipedia has been outstanding for me in many other situations as well. Keep up the good work

Years ago when I first found Wikipedia, I thought it was a noble, yet flawed plan. After seeing other websites under similar "open to anyone's editing" policies get overrun by vandals and others who don't take it seriously, I thought Wikipedia would ultimately find itself suffering the same death.

6 years later, it's great to see it has not only survived the inevitable onslaught of vandalism, but has triumphed over it. The number of serious and dedicated editors greatly outnumber the vandals and pranksters. The reason for this is simple: I think unlike the other attempts made for something like this, Wikipedia was founded by the most dedicated and serious team of subject-matter experts to get the ball rolling, and most people who came to the site recognized the value of a working website like this and wanted to contribute to something rather than make a farce out of it.

The wealth of information on Wikipedia is unlike anywhere else. Whenever I wanted information about a particular concept, event, piece of literature, famous person, or anything else known the humanity, I used to start with Google. Now, I usually start with Wikipedia because the first result that comes up on Google is often the Wikipedia page anyway, and it saves me a click.

I remember learning about Wikipedia around 2001-2002 and being so pleased that mankind was becoming capable of such noble works. This may sound silly to some, but I truly believe that there is no more admirable a pursuit than providing a free education, and the general spreading of knowledge without the constraints built to benefit one other than the recipient of said knowledge. What better pedagogical tool than this evolution beyond not only the codex, but a digital book. Wikipedia is a living text, it is the collective knowledge of millions rendered at a fantastic speed. Wikipedia has evolved with the help of many people--most notably it's hardworking volunteer base who have filled it without any expectation of personal gain.

This is quite arguably the single most valuable philanthropic organization, not only today, but to have ever existed. Knowledge is the foundation upon which all that is uniquely human is built.

I use wikipedia in my work. I am a nurse on a med-surg floor in a busy hospital. Nursing school does not prepare you to be able to answer everything a patient wants to know or needs to know about their illness. I have printed vast amounts of info from wikipedia about everything from diabetes to Whipple procedures, for both patients and myself. I have a notebook full of information. Wikipedia has been an invaluable tool for me. Thank you.

I graduated 8 years ago with a bachelor in chemical engineering in Venezuela and I just started working in engineering 2 years ago, so as you can imagine, my engineering knowledge was a bit rusty. As I faced the need to develop calculations, projects and ideas at work, I used Wikipedia to help me remember some of the concepts and equations I had forgotten. Wikipedia allowed me to get back in track with my career, and for that, I thank you!

The Web is a remarkable tool, yet the sheer amount of adulterated content available makes it as scary as it is useful. As a parent I find myself concerned about the effect the web will have on how my kids will interpret the world. Wikipedia, on the other hand, has always represented the best of what the web can do for us; a place to share our collective wisdom and expertise, while holding us accountable to each other for the information we post.

Wikipedia is a brilliant concept of social networking to create a non-biased, accurate, self policing source of critical knowledge. I have been using this site for years and am pleased to have the opportunity to donate. Thank you.

I put in a netbook lab in a remote village in the mountains of the Dominican Republic that has no electricity, no potable water, no library, few books beyond government issue textbooks, and barely trained teachers. Using Kiwix, I was able to make all of Spanish Wikipedia available to the student offline. It is practically the sole source of information besides textbooks and is used extensively for reading and researching topics, both by the students in the village, and the graduates who have gone on to a highly rated high school in the suburbs of Santo Domingo.

I am a Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering who teaches courses on digital system design and computer architecture. Every term, I refer my students to look up the course title and main topics on Wikipedia. The coverage of Digital Electronics on Wikipedia gives the students a comprehensive and early view of what they will learn during the whole semester. The value of Wikipedia does not stop there. We can search for the related history of contributers to the field from the 19th century and up to now. Wikipedia contributes to simplifying my work as a professor, enriches my class material, and offers a unique collection of information that is hard to find in single text book. Thank you Wikipedia.

As a near-retirement minister of 40 years, and now (commonly) an officiant of funeral services for many beloved people (as well as a facilitator of grief support for several people), I have a deep interest in people and the experiences of their lives. My early undergraduate work was done in history, so this dovetails well into my funeral work. Usually, I spend 2-3 hours with a family, gathering information about the decedent, so as to be able to tell his/her story in sufficient detail that those who may be present are brought emotionally near the loss felt by the grieving family. Often, however, specific information about places and events is not well-documented and have to set out on a search for this information, so as to be able to write the story with insight and accuracy. Usually, Wikipedia is my first stop. I realize its limitations, but am continuously surprised at the depth of the information I discover on Wikipedia. What a wonderful tool it is, and I am grateful for it, everyday.

Whether I’m doing research or just learning about our amazing world and its inhabitants, Wikipedia is always there! There is a reason Wikipedia is so popular. It is the quickest source for information about virtually anything. My thanks to all you folks at Wikipedia for your vision, hard work, and dedication! You make our world more exciting and understandable.

I first found Wikipedia years ago, probably when I was around eight or nine years old. Then, it seemed like a whole new world of knowledge just waiting to be read. Now, of course, I have more practical uses for the site, but it still retains my respect and some of the awe I had when I was younger.

When I first heard people saying that Wikipedia was not a reliable source, I was crestfallen. I had been using it for more than a year, but the first time I brought it up I was shot down. However, I continued to come back because no matter what people said, a vast majority of the information I read was correct. That hasn't changed. In fact, I think that the accuracy of information on Wikipedia has increased drastically since when I first began using it. Incorrect information will be corrected within an hour, if not in minutes. Schools are beginning to trust Wikipedia as a source, and even in the classes that I can't use it directly, the sources credited have helped me time and time again.

Without Wikipedia, the internet would be a very difficult place to find information. Without a trustworthy database that contains almost everything people need to know about any given topic, the number of web users would almost certainly decrease drastically. Wikipedia is easy and free to use, provides an excellent user experience, and has all sorts of great information in one place. No wonder it's one of my most-visited websites.

Wikipedia, for me, is both a fundamental tool for daily living and an entertianing and enlightening source of wonder.

I often use Wikipedia, in real-time, on conversations (phone) to get information, definitions, technical data, etc. that enriches and accelerates my daily activity.

I have a brother who does research in molecular biology. As a PhD who runs a major univesity research lab doing important work in cancer reserch, amoung other things, he often uses Wikipedia to find sources of information in areas of research that are outside of his domain of expertise.

Wikipedia is now an important and relevent aspect of our culture, which is evolving into a collective-rational consience and moving away from the former society of separation and ingorance. We are a smarter society because of the tools like Wikipedia.

In the fall of 2009 I was diagnosed with Dermatomyositis. DM is an auto immune disease that is rare and physically debilitating with no known cause or cure. Besides the Myositis Association, Wikipedia was the one source I could rely on for complete information about my illness. When I needed to better understand what my physicians were telling me about symptoms or side effects from medication, I went to Wikipedia. The information was straight forward and accurate with references that helped me to better understand what I was dealing with.

Today I am in remission and my outlook is more positive. I will be forever thankful that I had Wikipedia as a resource that helped me through a trying time.

As a part time developer I cannot keep up with all the jargon of new technologies. Senior Developers whom I rely on to do my job throw out references that they assume I understand. To stay positive I just stick my head up for fresh air and search terms on Wikipedia to catch up to what they are talking about.

They share with me the nugget I need but it is protocol to not bog them down with peripheral questions. They respect me more for doing my own research and I respect them by using Wikipedia to get caught up.

So Wikipedia helps me keep my ground and pull my own weight. But I also realize that Wikipedia is not a tool to help me earn respect with my friends and colleagues, Wikipedia is also a community of human friends and colleagues.

So Thank you to all those who have shared your knowledge with me.

Please keep the tax receipt, this is not a donation I am making, its just what I owe.

Thank you friends and thank you Jimmy for your vision.

I'm a graduate student in physics, and I use wikipedia very often as a reference. In my field it is a great reference, and a good starting point whenever learning about something new. I think it is a good model for organizing knowledge in general. I try to write up the things that I have worked out, in a way similar to wikipedia. I figured it would be good to give back.

Wikipedia is amazing. Being away from my home country and having left all the books behind, Wikipedia really gives me opportunity to carry knowledge around the world. The most amazing part is how it is easy to access same information in different languages. It makes it easier for me to translate things and communicate with people who learned the same thing in different languages. I hope eventually universities accept Wikipedia as a legitimate source of facts.

I first discovered Wikipedia in my first year of high school as a viable, reliable, and easier-to-use alternative to my old dusty collection of the Encyclopedia Britannica for a research project I had to complete. I found Wikipedia to be much easier to use, and finding information on what you're looking for literally can't be easier. Better yet, Wikipedia is current and up-to-date, resulting in the most full and comprehensive information database in the world. I continued to use Wikipedia as my primary source of information throughout my school and university career, and continue to use it on a daily basis. People don't give Wikipedia its due credit and respect because they think that anyone can go and plant incorrect information into articles, rendering all information on Wikipedia as non-credible, but this is nothing more than a myth devised by an older generation who cannot grasp the idea that people knowledgeable on a certain topic would take the time and effort to write or add to an article out of the good will of their hearts to help educate the rest of the world. Would you ask a doctor about a medical condition? A doctor wrote the article about that condition on Wikipedia. Would you ask a physicist about the theory of relativity or quantum mechanics? A physicist wrote those articles on Wikipedia. Not everybody can afford a complete set of the Encyclopedia Britannica, and not everybody can find the time to go to a library and pick through dozens of books to find little pieces of information here and there that is actually pertinent to what they are looking for. But everybody can afford Wikipedia. Everybody has the time to type in a single word or phrase describing their topic, opening a world of knowledge with the click of a button. Everybody has access to Wikipedia across the globe. There are millions of articles in hundreds of languages, and considering the proliferation of the internet on a global scale at this time, there is no excuse for anyone not to access the abundant wealth of knowledge that lies in the lush, endless gardens of Wikipedia. Wikipedia is undoubtedly the greatest (in every possible way) source of information in the world.

Writing a non-fiction book requires data that I would not be aware of nor have access to except for Wikipedia. The range of information and links broadens my experience and perception of the world but also gives me the simple pleasure of discovery. I am mega-grateful to Wiki and all involved! Be Blessed.

I grew up in a remote village in India. We did not have access to a library. I understand how important it is for people to have information readily available when they need it, without having to pay for it. I really appreciate the fact that when I want to learn about a topic, all I need to do is to go to Wikipedia and search. Wikipedia follows ancient Indian education system where the students donated whatever they could afford to their guru. Education was basically free, and I believe that is the way it should be. Thanks to Wikipedia.

I am a private tutor, a former Jesuit professor and priest, and interested in the future of education. The method you have established for filtering relevant wiki articles that my students can validate has been fruitful in developing their ability to think for themselves. Good people speaking well will save the world.

My wife is allergic to Sulphur. She had a cystitis resistent to treatment. She took a lot of Ranitidin and Omeprazol for gastric reflux. Through Wikipedia I could see the structural formula of these antiacids and discovered that all of them have Sulphur. This medicines were suspended and the chronic recurrente cystitis dissapeared.

I support Wikimedia because it has been true to its mission and provided a highly valuable service without requiring anything from users, including the annoyance of ads. It is easy to forget that a decade ago we would have to take time to go to libraries to research much of what we can now find almost instantly from our computers and our smartphones. Search engines are great. But Wikipedia provides digests of the contents of the relevant links and the source references so that we can check the facts. I use Wikipedia several times a day without even thinking about it. But when I do, I am reminded that it is a grand project worthy of my financial support.

As I was writing my check to the Wikimedia Foundation I was thinking about the other very worthwhile organizations that could use my small donation this holiday season. I was laid off in June and am launching my own business and I thought about what brought me to Wikipedia today...I was looking up "XML Paper Specification." Then I thought about the hundreds of times I have used Wikipedia in the past and the “sometimes brief/sometimes in depth” information I have been able garner from its massive resources. It's funny when I was growing up my mom bought my brother and me the World Book Encyclopedia and every year for many years bought the annual update. She started when we were in elementary school. She is 83 now and just the other day I told her how much I appreciated that she had done that. It was so nice to have that type of reference in our home. My brother and I used it for so many school projects and I can remember using it almost reverently. Today, everything is a Google away, but I can say that Wikipedia is one of my first points of research, just as the World Book was when I was growing up. For this reason when I clicked on the "Important Message from Jimmy Wales" and saw his story about how Wikipedia came about and his philosophy, I felt that donating to The Wikimedia Foundation was as important as any of the "other worthwhile organizations" that had crossed my mind. After all knowledge feeds the soul! That is also why I decided that I should share my story of "What Wikipedia means to me."

I am the last hope and dream of a man who struggles in a foreign land. My father, Jose Paz, grew up with his uncle’s family in El Salvador. To them he was another mouth to feed—they fed him like a dog with scraps and leftovers. Still, he has never forgotten what he considered their kindness. He understands that they could have left him to be an orphan in the streets, that they chose to sustain him as an act of generosity. Sometimes he was so hungry that he would venture out into the forests around Suchitoto looking for fruit to eat. Looking into my father’s eyes now, I see a dark tunnel in which he is lost. Frantically he searches for an escape. The only sound for miles is a dim whisper of hope. He hopes that I will succeed and have a better life than he has but sadly he cannot help. He has little money and less education—having spent his childhood in the scorching sun doing manual labor. He doesn’t know the language, can barely navigate American culture. He was once a towering figure—a super hero in my eyes, but in his own eyes he is a man whose hope entirely rests on a son he cannot help in any way. I try to reassure him—he has been my inspiration. Not only a hard-working man, entirely selfless, but a courageous man, a crusader for justice. We left San Salvador, where he was a taxi driver, because he and many of the other drivers had been organizing to oppose the political repression and one by one they were being killed for it. He didn’t tell me this for many years—that he lived in terror of losing his life, of having his son grow up fatherless as he had. My father has great expectations for me, but I have even higher aspirations for myself. I am the light at the end of that tunnel that envelopes him. I am the reward for all of his struggle. And for me, the pressure of his expectations is a gift, not a burden. When his mother passed away, he crumbled in tears. I had never seen him cry before—but his weeping did not make him any less of a super hero in my eyes. His fallibility, his humanity makes him more of a hero. He lives with no regrets having refused to accept the destiny of his circumstances. It might have been easy for him, as a child, to let hunger drive him to the life of an outlaw, to rob and even kill as vengeance against the world for leaving him alone. But he rejected that surrender. He was too strong to seek false strength. Many times in his life he has fallen, but he refuses to stay down. That is his greatest gift to me—the knowledge that I can fall and rise again just like him. Just like Maya Angelou’s poem, Still I Rise, I will fall like any other human but “like dust, I’ll rise.”

What's the point of my story? Wiki has helped me in school all along, all the years in school when i've had to do research projects or papers wiki has always been there for me and for the world for free.

As a family physician I see a broad range of problems in my practice. While I am proud of the fact that my training exposed and prepared me for most that I see, on occasion I'll need help, whether to brush up on what I already knew but was rusty on, or to look up something new that I had never known before. Whenever possible, I turn to Wikipedia as an unbiased, commercial-free source of information that is crisp, concise, as it is complete. It would truly be a sad day to see the loss of such a valuable instrument.

Wikipedia helps do quick and meaningful research on chemical analysis of pesticide products. My mission in life is to end the needless manufacturing, sale, distribution, and application of toxic synthetic dangerous poisonous pesticides and the 100's of thousands of cases of cancer caused by these monstrous amalgams of arsenic, cyanide, chemical waste products and carcinogens such as Bifenthrin, Cypermethrin, and Cyflutherin. Your site has helped my research and that means you have helped me save the lives of children and help prevent genetic mutations, birth defects, and possibly some cases of breast cancer.

Thank you very much...

I'm a High School History Teacher, and I love using Wikipedia as a tool, not only for information about past events, but also as a way to teach students about the importance of exploring information. What is more, it helps me to emphasize to my history students the value in checking multiple sources, as well as combining information from lots of different areas to create a cohesive story-line or historical narrative. Thank you Wikipedia!

I don't have a specific story to tell, but I use Wikipedia every day. I always reference it when reading news stories to find out more information than what is presented in whatever article I am reading. I look up people or events in the news to find out about their background and associated subjects. I guess the single word that I think best sums up Wikipedia for me is "context". It helps to provide me the background of nearly anything I might want to know and how that background relates to other things in the world. Wikipedia may not be the glitter or the paper but it definitely the "glue" of information.

When I first heard of Wikipedia, I thought it was a dumb idea. Why would I want to utilize information from anyone, everywhere? What confidence could I have in the veracity of what folks can write or revise at will? Over the years, though, Wikipedia has provided me with much valuable information and learning, and moreover, it has renewed my faith in the basic integrity of humanity. Folks don't write on Wikipedia to deceive or feed their egos - the vast majority simply want to inform others and share their knowledge. Thanks, Mr. Wales, for an invaluable resource.

I am a phycisist and I hope Science (a big pilar in human knowledge) will take an example from Wikipedia making all our work available to every human being. I believe we are in the verge of a fundamental cultural change towards a more equal society and Wikipedia is leading the way in one of the most important areas.

I started learning to code thanks to one excellent (and free!) Wikibook. Every time i'm in doubt about an programming method or standard, Wikipedia is the first place I check for answers and it has become a basic part of my online day.

I really enjoy the Wikibooks project. People should realize that they can enjoy great works from a tremendous variety of subjects, not only free as in "downloaded from the internet", but as free in "free to share, modify and expand".

Thanks for changing the world one word at a time, Wikipedia!

Wikipedia has been a way for me, as a disabled retiree with limited access to libraries, to discover with great delight the energy and precision that so many of the contributors to Wikipedia provide, without any hope of gain or even recognition.

Wikipedia approaches what I imagine a Jungian version of the collective unconscious would be were it made explicit.

I particularly respect the contributions by persons from different cultures who can explain from within the meaning of their symbolic languages in a way that I can comprehend. For example, I never properly understood the concept of "avatar" without the contributions of Wikipedia volunteers.

I am an educator. And my own education is important as well. I spend a lot of time learning about the world - brain science, history, and teaching in my case - from the usual sources. And yet, these usual sources - research articles, books, podcast, etc, - are too one-dimensional. They provide information on just the topics that author chooses to cover, whereas real learning is multi-dimensional, and must take a course unique to each learner. Wikipedia lets me make that own course to increase the dimensions. When I am read about dopamine and I want to find out more about basal ganglia, I turn to Wikipedia. When I am read a history book that lacks maps or pictures of the participants, I search them out on Wikipedia. When I read about Paulo Freire and want to know how he died, I turn to Wikipedia. Wikipedia adds unlimited dimensions to my education.

I use Wikipedia for everything. Probably would not have passed engineering/ found jobs without it. My best Wikipedia story comes from summer internship 2009. Friend and I were of course bored out of minds 3pm-5pm everyday. So we made a Wikipedia game. The game starts with picking a random wiki page, lets say apple pie. My friend would give me a random topic, lets say quantum mechanics. The game was then to get from apple pie to quantum mechanics by only using links in the bodies of the wiki articles. For example: apple-pie -> world war II -> dropped atomic bomb(Atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki)->J. Robert Oppenheimer -> Quantum mechanics. 4 links, 4 points. I think we got this one to 3 points. Can't remember how. Additional rules: could not use (1)disambiguation links (2) Menu under wikipedia icon on the left links (3) no "see also" or references links. Links had to be from body of articles basically. Thanks for the good times.

Its been fun seeing wikipedia grow and become such a useful part of our lives. I dont think most people can imagine what they would do without it, just like how everyone knows you can google something - and usually that leads to a plethora of wiki pages on the subject. Its a great resource to have for studying, or for entertainment.

My work has a wiki to organize all our work help files, processes, and other information. Its amazing that this software is available for anyone to make their own database of search-able and editable information. The format is so easy to use and understand. Our lives are better with wiki- plain and simple.

My donation may be meger, but It is still a show of support, and if each of us made a meger donation, wiki could go on forever. :-) Thank you wiki staff for all that you do.

Commercialization invades, cheapens, and violates every aspect of our lives. It seems there is no way to escape it. I must even endure commercials in the cable TV I buy and the movies I pay to see. The fact that a world class repository of information like this can be accessed without the proliferation of ridiculous, insulting, and distracting advertisements is phenomenal. To find an encyclopedia that essentially embodies the collective global knowledge in a concise, organized, and consistent format is truly auspicious. The fact that it can be accessed without charge defies logic. Finding answers to things without having to plow through volumes of poorly organized websites with biased, dated, and misleading information or marketing nonsense is absolutely priceless. As a matter of principal I am on a personal crusade to circumvent, as much as I can, the boorish commercial rhetoric that I am inundated with daily. Your unbelievably outstanding service is the manifestation of that vision. If I had the means I would donate a fortune to this. Kudos to Jimmy Wales and his exceptional band of colleagues for having such a profound and significant positive impact on the human experience!

I used Wikipedia as a small writing assignment in my introductory archaeology class. I asked students to look at wikipedia pages on archaeological sites to identify what makes a good page and then asked them to critique pages that are incomplete. The goal of this assignment is to encourage them to be good consumers of information about archaeology. I am donating a $1 for each member of the class.

I've been using Wikipedia for years now and words cannot describe the endless amount of pleasure and learning its provided me. In my opinion, Wikipedia embodies the spirit and potential of the internet, the ability to bring knowledge and enlightenment to all who wish to obtain it. The wiki movement is truly a democratizing and elevating force that I firmly believe deserves our support. Thank you for all that you've done for the internet and for the world, Wikipedia.

I am a teacher and I encourage my students to use Wikipedia as a jumping off point in our research, or any time we have questions in class. It is the most democratic, most "checked and balanced" starting point for any topic on the internet. Wikipedia is still abhorred or mistrusted by many teachers, but I am not one of them. Wikipedia is the future and using it to its full potential is a skill I want my students to learn.

I am a software consultant, working short term contracts in just about every industry imaginable.

It is not enough for me to know technology and business. I have to become an insta-expert on my *client's* business. One week it might be corn hybrids, the next, artificial hips.

Being about to communicate with my client's on that leave give my instant credibility and allows me to be more effective. And because the articles are written by insiders who are passionate about the topics, I get the real story, not some stuffy academic view.

Wikipedia helps me do my job and makes me money.

I first found Wikipedia when I was a professional snowboarder 1998 and Iooked at the snowboarding page only to see that the board type catagories were missing the original and most classic powder board "the swallow tail" - (This shape emulates the fish tail boards from 1960s short board surfing" - So I contributed. I felt giddy - it wa sthe fist thing I had published on the world wide web - before blogging, twitter and CMS systems. Some years later after working for web design agencies I launched digitaim, a consultancy that helps people make more of, and better understand internet communication technologies. Wikipedia is a key information source for me everyday in enabling the web community to share and discuss the rapidly developing technologies that are exploding across the digital arena.

I am a scientist by training. Therefore I am also a skeptic. Wikipedia continues to impress me with its ability to get complex scientific concepts and facts correct. In addition it is often as up-to-date, and occasionally more so, than the primary-source literature. I truly believe that this resource is one of humankind's greatest achievements. Thank you.

I love Wikipedia because I love knowledge. What I love just as much is the pursuit of knowledge, its improvement and refinement. Wikipedia is not only a repository of knowledge, but a place where people around the world can discuss how to present it the most accurate, thorough and unbiased manner possible. And, though its articles are far from perfect, the standard of thorough citation of sources makes it possible for the reader to evaluate Wikipedia's report with reference to independent sources -- or to doubt it based on those sources or lack of sourcing.

I am long out of academia, yet in my heart there is a yearning for this constant sifting and winnowing (as we call it at my alma mater) of statements and facts in pursuit of the truth.

Wikipedia has become the first place that I look to learn more about the world around me. It never ceases to amaze me how well the community around it collaborates to curate the vast amounts of information submitted. Thank you all for your tireless work, and I hope that this repository of knowledge continues to grow for years to come.

When I want to explain somethign to my friend in Brazil, I fond the article in Norwegian, or english, find the corresponding article in POrtuguese and send the link. So, without knowing eacothers languages much better than social talk, we can explain rather comlicated topics toeachother.

When I was a child (back in the 80s), I'd often look at something and say to myself "Huh... I wonder how that works!" or "I wonder why it does that!" I could ask my parents, but they wouldn't always know. (Or know the details of the topic at hand enough to satisfy my curiosity!)

Now, I live in a household with a child the same age as I was when I became so curious about everything, and I see the same curiosity in him as well! Because of Wikipedia, when he asks me "Justin, how does 'X' work?" or "Justin, why does 'x' do that?", I can say "I don't know... but we can look it up on Wikipedia."

... and of course, whenever my still-curious mind seeks knowledge, I know that Wikipedia will be there for me.

No person should ever stop wondering "Why does it do that?" or "What is that?"... and thanks to Wikipedia, more and more people every year will have the chance to have their questions answered.

Thank you, Wikipedia and those who created it, you truly are a beacon, spreading the light of knowledge to those who seek it.

Most of the week I function as an adolescent psychiatrist... One morning each week though I mentor second year medical students for their first "histories and physicals" at the bedside of patients admitted for medical surgical concerns. I was precepting a student in his meeting with a gentleman who was facing bypass surgery in the next few days. The patient mentioned his "pulmonary function tests" (something I don't deal with on a daily basis!). I figured I ought to get up to speed on "PFTs" and stopped in the hallway and "Wikipediad" PFTs... and low and behold, in about thirty seconds I had the graspable world of Pulmonary Functions with great graphs and curves in front of me...I was delighted for the crash course. The attending cardiovascular surgeon for this patient came walking by...I felt sheepish for stealing the moment to get a crash course from Wikipedia when the surgeon glanced over, said hello with a big smile and peered in and said "dang, i was just going to figure out those respiratory funcion curves myself, can I look in with you!" We both savored the update and I was eager to share the pearl of website learning with the medical student.

I also taught a course to resident MDs on religion and made great use of the fabulous entries on Wikepidea on world religions. I had each doc read up on one of the faith traditions of their choice and we got a great tour of the world religions and a great discussion.

Wikipedia helps me teach my children about the world in a safe, clean and trustworthy manner. Free from bias, banter, commercial interests and risky content. I know I can count on Wikipedia to give well documented answers on almost ever subject imaginable. It truly has become one of the most intriguing successes of the internet!

To me, three aspects of Wikipedia are particularly mind-blowing:

1) It's perhaps the greatest amalgamation of information, in terms of scope, quality and organization, available to the public, yet it's written by unpaid volunteers and it's free. F-R-E-E. 2) Not only is it free, Wikipedia has also resisted the allure of big-time money. There are no ads, no "platinum-members only" links. Wikipedia isn't secretly importing spamware to my computer. Jimmy Wales could be diving, Scrooge McDuck style, into a gold-filled vault. Instead, he's (unobtrusively) asking for small donations. 3) The fact that "wikipedia'd" has become a ubiquitous colloquialism speaks to this site's effect on the world. I think Wikipedia has become almost too successful for it's own financial good. For my generation, Wikipedia is an immutable institution. It's an unquestioned fact of life that answers for almost any question can be found on Wikipedia. I've stopped thinking about how this site functions, about the fact that the content is user research, generated and maintained. That there are no pop-ups. That it's donations, not fees or ads, that keep the servers humming.

It's almost absurd to think of Wikipedia as a mortal entity, but it is. We, the users, need to sustain the site, through both our intellectual and financial contributions. This site is worth a lot more to me than I was able to donate. Still, I'm proud that I donated. Next time I'm browsing Wikipedia, I'll know that my small contribution helped keep this truly awesome site running.

Wikipedia is my first source to go to for well researched and unbiased information. Thank you for the wealth of information, history and links that you offer when I need to understand a subject matter better or want to make wiser choices in my future searches. You have not let me down and, in my professional and private life, access to trustworthy sources of information is important. I have made a donation because I count on you and if you need to count on me, I'll do my part. Thank you for your service!!

Wikipedia is the first place I go when I have to find information for research or just for personal interest. It's always right at my fingertips and it hasn't let me down yet. I truly admire what wiki does for the world over; promoting access to the knowledge of professionals the world over open up countless opportunities for people of all ages. It brings to mind a story about my brother. He was working on a school project and one night he decided to consult Wikipedia for some ideas. He found all the inspiration and resources he needed in just a few moments. after he presented his project to the class, his teacher gave him a letter filled with praise for his ingenuity and resourcefulness and asked if we could move him to a more advanced class. He was six at the time. My brother is eight now and has progressed to reading entire Wikipedia articles for fun. He impresses me everyday with how much he's learned. What I'm trying to say is that Wikipedia has provided children with a supplemented education outside of the formal school system with the freedom to learn what they find interesting. Wikipedia is helping to create a better future across the globe.

The ever expanding wiki community makes me very hopeful for the society my two year old will become a part of. It is fascinating to me, even now, that the long promised future of "information at your fingertips" is here, and thriving. And what makes it even better is that it isn't controlled by just a few, but rather it is being created and maintained by the masses.

When I was six, my dad bought my sisters and I the complete Encyclopedia Britannica set, beautiful, leather bound full of knowledge. The next year, my parents divorced, and we all left my Dad's farm. Those volumes of information probably cost around five thousand dollars, and have just degraded over time, their information becoming less accurate as time passed, although they still look beautiful.

It's good to know that, for free, I can have an excellent source of information, at my finger tips that will never expire or go out of date, so long as the dedicated people running it keep at it. And even if it cost me ten dollars a year, it would still be cheaper, for my entire life, than the five thousand that that encyclopedia set cost.

What does Wikipedia mean to me? It means I don't have to drive to the library constantly to look things up. Wikipedia helps me narrow down sources. And things I know nothing about don't get shoved somewhere in the mind's landfill because it takes too much effort to look them up. Wikipedia makes me feel like I am student still. It make me feel young all the time.

Wikipedia is incredibly useful to me, but what really moves me is that it is useful to literally hundreds of millions if not billions of people who have no other reliable source of information. I'm unemployed and have cut or halted most of my charitable giving, but I can't not chip in, even if only $25, when Wikipedia needs it.

I use it at home and at work. I support Wikipedia because knowledge should never depend on irritating advertisements (try to imagine a future where your son will have to watch a short movie about a new junk food prior to math class!).

For the last several years, I have thoroughly enjoyed accessing, reading, and using Wikipedia on a regular basis. What better way to promote world culture, knowledge, and understanding than by providing worldwide access to the largest encyclopedia that this planet's ever seen. It's incredible that access is not only FREE, but also free from commercial bias. Similar to UNESCO's designation of "world heritage sites," I believe that Wikipedia is a "world treasure," and that's why I'm happy to donate to the cause. As Morgan Freeman said in a series of commercials promoting the Olympics a few years back, GO WORLD! And thank you, Jimmy Wales.

I value the information found in Wikipedia, and appreciate the efforts of the foundation and everyone else who endeavor to provide a complete and accurate account of subjects of social and scientific relevance. Growing up, I can still remember door-to-door sales men selling expensive encyclopedias in my neighborhood, and my mom cutting back on grocery money in order to buy them. I remember using them for research on science projects and book reports, and I was grateful for them because I knew that many families could not afford them.

Nowadays, it is difficult for hard copy books to stay current with the new information available. Science and technology have leaped forward, countries have been changing, and we have a new social awareness. Without Wikipedia, we would not be able to share this information as readily, at least not without advertisers trying to distract and sell.

Thank you, Wikipedia for providing the forum where we can all collectively share what we know, and for keeping the forum private, so that everyone can respect the space for what it is - a place of learning.

Wikipedia has been a wonderful recourse for my children and me to learn new terms, knowledge, and culture background as an immigrant family. It is a safe and trustworthy website for children to do their research. I especially moved by the spirits of all the volunteers around the world to make this happen.

I am a woman who is determined to survive this life with enjoyment and gusto, happiness and exploration.

I have just experienced a second round with breast cancer. It struck two weeks before I started a doctoral program in clinical psychology. This web site has allowed me to find out about medications, doctors, hospitals, anti-estrogen diets, support organizations, and how to look sexy while undergoing radiation, crazy heartless professors, and all kinds of serendipity. Knowledge is one of the nutrients of survival, just as much as water, food, and rest.

This marvelous site grants me access to all of that, as well as a many other interesting things I want to know, like what makes Ella sing the way she does or what gives Beethoven's music the physicality that reverberates in your soul, or why Chopin's piano sings like no other.

This wonderful, free site gives you access to the meat and potatoes of life, no matter where you live. You can find out what makes life sizzle and where to find it. It exists because people take the time to care about sharing with people they will never know, but whose lives they touch so abundantly.

Wikipedia is my go-to resource library. As a high school history teacher, I need to get answers and do research nearly every day. I don't have the time to spend in the library, and I can't afford all the books. Wikipedia is my first choice because of its ease of use. Many of my colleagues like to bash Wikipedia as "unreliable." They don't know what I know about Wikipedia - yet. It's as reliable as the Wikipedia user community can make it, which means it's crammed full of articles whose contributors included experts in every field from every part of the globe the internet can reach. What's more, Wikipedia is continually improving because it's built around the idea that everybody knows something; the whole community is part of the system of creating, editing, and monitoring the development of articles. I tell the naysayers that if they refuse to use Wikipedia, they're passing up the greatest FREE compendium of knowledge ever created.

To me Wikipedia represents everything that the world should be. It's open source format encourages the best and brightest scholars to contribute to articles on literally every subject imaginable.

I believe that Wikipedia is every bit as significant in today's world as the Gutenberg printing press was in it's time. In fact, it will likely be even more influential as the Gutenberg printing press was not able to reproduce anything like the diversity of topics here.

Perhaps the most significant aspect of Wikipedia is that, remarkably, it is not for sale. For the first time in history knowledge is available to anyone with an internet connection at no cost. If there is a greater free service offered to the world today I cannot think of what it might possibly be.

I am a consultant specializing in security. A substantial portion of my work involves providing training to our clients. Wikipedia is my "go-to" source for current security information about international affairs and threats. Used cautiously it is far more useful than ANY government site due to the frequency with which articles are updated and generally has a broader range of easily understood information.

I am a University instructor in the Mid-West. When I was first exposed to Wikipedia, I thought it was interesting and good. Because it was so new, I did not allow my students to use it as a reference source. After using it for years, I have found it to be quite creditable. My impression of Wikipedia is that they are appropriately obessing with accuracy!

As a journalist i need to use multiple credible sources to make sure I am giving my readers the full story on whatever subject I cover. While not completely unbiased, Wikipedia's unique format and culture does its best to provide accurate and detailed information on nearly any topic that is often difficult to find elsewhere. Consequently, it is an invaluable tool and excellent place to start for many of the stories I cover.

When I was a sophmore in high school in 1980, I took an 'advanced class' in computers on a (Tandy -Radio Shack) TRS-80 in the 'new' programming language called 'BASIC'. The computers came via a state grant, had a whopping 8 megs of RAM and an 'expansion interface' that created up to 16 megs of ROM. All programs created by the students had to be 'burned' to a cassette tape (ask your parents if you don't know what a cassette is.) We usually had to 'burn' the program on at least 3 cassettes, and the cassette 'burning' sounded like a phone modem connecting to AOL. (If you don't know what a 'phone modem' or 'AOL' is, again -ask your parents...) The teacher told me something that I'll never forget -because at the time, it seemed impossible. He said "Someday, everyone will have one of these (computers) in their house, and they will all be connected. When a child wants to learn about a 'lion', they will type it into the computer, and they will learn facts about lions...one of those facts about lions, like 'lions live in Africa', will make the child interested in Africa, so then they will type in 'Africa', and so on...This will be the way that your children learn when they are your age..." And now here we are 30 years later, and darn if that teacher wasn't RIGHT ON! (...That's right kids -believe it or not, your teachers DO know what they are talking about!) Thanks to websites like 'Wikipedia', children of all ages can continue their endeavor in learning. Kudos Wikipedia on creating a human interface that allows us all to teach and be taught! The future is NOW!

I use Wikipedia constantly as a source of information about so many things in this world that spark my interest. While other specialized sites may have more in depth or expert data, Wikipedia provides an astounding breadth of information about every conceivable subject area, and with peer review it provides a very high degree of accuracy.

It is impressive that the original idea of the reader powered site, and especially its implementation, has worked so well over the years. It is also clear that the organization of data formats, data repository, and server performance has been carefully thought through.

Congratulations to Jimmy Wales and the Wikipedia crew.

I am a professor of health policy, with broad-ranging interests in epidemiology, health economics, health reform, and global health. I do research and teach post-graduate courses in health economics. I also have two very curious pre-teen sons. I use Wikipedia several times per week. I find the information immediately helpful, comprehensive, sophisticated, and well linked to further sources. In topics for which I have expertise, I find the Wikipedia entries extremely accurate, which of course heightens my confidence for areas where I lack expertise. Wikipedia is a resource of inestimable value for our world. Thank you. I am pleased to support Wikipedia. I may draft a new entry on administrative waste in the U.S. health care system.

wikipedia is the best application of what internet can enable, and what people can do by doing their bit. If we are to bring about changes in terms of more equitable and just world, we need to enable the world with access to information in an accessible form.

I really appreciate the goal and would love to continually support it in terms of the content and financial contribution in a sustained manner.

Shortly after coming home from the hospital after a terrible illness that almost killed him, my father was just beginning to sit up in bed and check his e-mail. I had given him a new laptop so he could do so from bed. I decided to show him Wikipedia. I found the entry for Turk Murphy (his favorite jazz musician) and he read it avidly. Whenhe expressed disappointment that the entry gave the wrong information about Turk's birth, I showed him how to change it. He was enchanted. Wikipedia brought a smile to his face.

I use Wikipedia as a first stop for pretty much anything I want to research. It's an amazing resource! My friends in India say they have a holiday - Wikipedia tells me what it's about. I read about a new technology in the news - Wikipedia tells me how it works. Politicians refer to an event to make a point - Wikipedia helps me fact-check. Thanks, and keep it going!

My story I think is like one of millions. I use Wikipedia every day several times a day as a natural extension of my moment-to-moment thought process. I think of something I want to know more about, I go to my search engine and type in "wiki - subject" and in an instant I am rewarded with relevant information and insight.

I find in an instant almost for free what a few years ago, sometimes at great expense, took hours or weeks. I get comprehensive overviews. I get constructive direction for more in depth exploration. For simple factual material I get "simple factual material." For controversial topics I get relevant and civil debate. Think of a subject from the origins of pizza to the origins of the Universe and within seconds I am well informed.

It may seem a cliche, but for me it is profoundly real. With the Wikipedia I feel plugged into a universal, shared human mind. There is nothing mystical or mysterious about it. It isn't hard to visualize and understand. I think, other people think, and through the remarkable human achievement of electronic communications I am instantly connected to the organized thoughts of millions of other people dedicated to constructive cooperation through the exchange of information and knowledge.

The Wikipedia makes ideas like "we are all connected" a grounded reality. It makes me hopeful our global community, one individual at a time, will find other mass-cooperation approaches to solve some of our larger cross-cultural problems.

Maybe that is too much to hope for. But it's inspiring to have an example like the Wikipedia to remind me that what seemed an impossible dream just a decade ago is now an everyday reality integrated into the moment-to-moment fabric of my life.

I am a struggling FP in a very poor rural community in WV. I am the doctor nurse and social worker at my clinic and my volunteer husband is the receptionist, IT and billing clerk. We see lots of people w/o ins for a minimal fee. I go to Wikipedia for quick medical information because it is accurate, free and I don't have to look up passwords to get the info THANKS for being there.

Wikipedia excites a freedom of imagination from the tyranny of ignorance. It does this through inclusion rather than exclusion, description rather than prescription and the spirit of democracy rather than authority. It is the people's encyclopedia and the sum total of human progress: it transcends abstract boundaries such as nation, gender and race; engenders cooperation and its spirit of goodwill; and makes personal the impersonal. Wikipedia is not a new hash on an old idea, but the rational and inevitable birthing of a real, manifest, organic, composite and dynamic Truth.

It is a place where I can send my global customers to so that they can better understand many of the complex technology elements I work-on and develop for them. The information is reliable and generally well written, and has credibility so that my clients feel more comfortable with things they generally do not ever understand.

I always use Wikipedia for work in developing policy recomendations and procurement specifications for state government. It is a good place to begin research, or to confirm initial impressions of a technical term or an historic reference. The links lead to background information that helps to verify the actual content of the Wiki page, and the transparency fosters trust as well as obligation to accuracy when posting. Thanks for being!

It is so frustrating searching the Internet for information only to click on a link to a site that requires "signing up" to get the information. Of course, "signing up" will require placing a charge on a credit card or "committing to three of the following 12 offers" and then the information sought will probably not be found.

It is wonderful to have a site like Wikipedia where there are no hoops to jump through and information is easy to find. I am more than happy to commit to a monthly donation to keep this resource available.

I love Wikipedia, I us it all the time, when I want to look something up, or how to spell something, or what something is. I was recently in a sculpture class and a printmaking class and had artist research as homework for both and Wikipedia was my main source. What a wonderful benevolent task to undertake how great for mankind. All of you who make this possible are Awesome, keep up the good work. I see donating to Wikipedia as my "tithe" type thing or spiritual offering to the knowledge seekers on the planet earth. Peace.

A freely accessible encyclopedia written by volunteers? The idea sounded too crazy to work, but for finding out about things, Wikipedia is now as ubiquitous as Google is for searching. I use it most days, to learn about things - the latest vegetable to appear at the supermarket, or a historical character, or a technology subject, and it hasn't failed me yet. It's exciting that all this information is available to anyone, nearly anywhere. It can't help but benefit the learning of people the world over.

Wikipedia is always there with the answers for just about anything. But the most attractive element is how the information is checked, verified, and open to clarification and refinement by anyone who can substantiate their arguments. The knowledge base isn't perfect, but when millions contribute, it gets closer.

No story, just as a user of Wikipedia, I am astonished by the reliability of the information. In my field, Immunology, the content on line is spectacular. It is up to date, it is real, it is easy to digest, and it is accurate. When I read other issues that are NOT my special field of expertise, I am almost always amazed that the information is accurate, and free of political bias.

Good work; great service, well done

I started an MBA last year after spending a few years working in the world of marketing and advertising. Always reticent to spend hundreds of dollars on textbooks that will sit on my shelf collecting dust or be resold for a fraction of their original cost, I turned to Wikipedia for information. My life has been blessed.

In addition to being clearly accurate, it is updated more quickly than textbooks, and the logic of the connecting information has helped me pass my classes one-by-one.

Because Wikipedia saved me money on my textbooks, I am giving my textbook money to Wikipedia.

Thank you for Wikipedia.

Wikipedia touches my family's life everyday. My wife and I daily read atleast 2 pages of new content and this forms the basis of a lot of our conversations and future forays into art and culture. We both feel that Wikipedia has contributed as much to our education and development as had our 16 odd years of schooling. Its non-biased approach to sensitive issues helps us get a proper perspective time and again.

I once did a talk at our church on "The Wisdom of the Web," as an attempt to determine what a young person or anyone for that matter, might find on the web as a basis for how to run their life. It is astonishing how much rubbish is floating around the web universe, a huge amount of it very old rubbish, and a lot of it clearly composed by people with little regard for the truth. The amazing contribution that Wikipedia has brought to this process is a tendency toward fact, truth or reality. The process of "peer review" built into Wikidome, where every netizen is a peer, has proven to be a most worthwhile endeavor, and is one of the few influences affecting the Web that is taking content in the direction of truth as most informed contributors determine it to be.

Wikipedia is the "Hitchhiker's Guide" to my small part of the universe. It is as important a part of my computer as its power supply; my computer wouldn't be a computer without it.

But unlike that power supply, Wiki is not a cold, easily replaceable part. It is as close to a living soul and intelligence as can be for being a part of a machine. My computer, my main learning tool, needs the energy and essence supplied by the knowledge and wisdom of the countless individual persons who contribute -- those who are the resource contained within virtual covers of Wikipedia.

Those virtual covers are the door to a familiar and comfortable living room or study. Wiki is a world-sized library filled with persons who are at this very instant anxious to answer, explain, and discuss the very questions that I brought with me when I entered; much like my personal friends and colleagues would.

Also, like my personal friends, Wiki may not provide the exact answer, or even a close one. But Wiki never fails to spur me to create a better question in the absence of an answer that I had hoped to find. Asking the right questions is part of the essence of true learning

And that Wikipedia is always there to offer answers when needed may be why so many folks take it for granted. I have to confess that I had. While it is easy to recognize and admire the effort that goes into making the entries, it is even easier to completely overlook the colossal endeavor it is to keep those entries available in such a convenient manner. And, at the moment of such an epiphany, I regret being a person of modest financial means.

But I will encourage everyone within my little corner of the universe to support to this universal staple!

I started using Wikipedia years ago to go through and click on random articles. Now I use it in Microbiology and Genetics courses as a supplement to many readings. The fact that this is a non-profit and directly goes towards educating anyone on the planet for free gives me hope for a better future. It is projects like these that make the world a better place.

I am the mother of a beautiful 20 year old college girl. She was diagnosed at age 2 with neuroblastoma, a cancer of the developing nervous system. That was before the widespread use of the internet. I used to go to medical libraries and spend hours trying to find a little information about her disease. The terms used in the medical journals were beyond my scope of knowledge and I was frustrated in my ignorance and my total reliance on the medical staff who cared for her to give me the information. They were very good, but did not satisfy the missing part of my knowledge about what whas happening with my little girl.

Twelve years later, at age 14 my daughter was again diagnosed with cancer. Many childhood cancer survivors will get another primary malignancy later in life due to the treatments for the first cancer. This time she was diagnosed with a bone cancer called osteosarcoma. Our battle began again, only this time I was armed with a knowledge of her disease, causes, treatments, side effects, biological processes of the theraputic treatments as well as the pathways of the the disease. I became an expert in this disease in short order. With no medical background my learning curve was a steep one that was surmounted with wikipedia's help. Each article that I read would require me to look up nearly every term used. With the use of Wikipedia, I was remidiated quickly. Wikipedia and the internet has helped me gain a sense of control over the uncontrolable. It has helped me in making decisions regarding her treatment and helped me guide my child's medical teams towards her survival.

I thought I would just say, that my favorite Wikipedia memory occurred in 2006 when in a class a friend looked up some scientific definition- something like "synthetic lethality" - in order to answer a question. The professor said it was wrong, where did he get the answer, and he said wikipedia. Both student and professor changed raced to change the definition.

Our collective knowledge just keeps growing! Such that, everyday, to get a vague idea of a scientific concept, every PhD student goes online to Wikipedia to have a better sense of what they are studying.

Thanks Wikipedia! I get much more sleep because of you!

I first remember stumbling onto Wikipedia when researching the Battle of Waterloo for a high school project. Since then, it's incredible how much the site has grown into something that I use everyday--for a starting point of research, for answering a debate I have with friends, or for looking up details of a movie I want to see. And the fact that the site is free to use, free to edit, and free from advertisements keeps its integrity and its purpose so clear! It's not about money, it's about sharing information on a global, communal scale. So although my donation is small, my appreciation is colossal!

I'm a software/digital engineer from China.

I was laid off in last Feb. During the past half year there are many technical interviews, which came along with lot of things I didn't ever hear of. Wikipedia has been so helpful when I was preparing or reviewing those questions and concepts which I didn't get in my previous job or in my school.

Now I'm working as a software engineer again, Wikipedia continuously helps me in my daily work.

Good job Wikipedia!

Wikipedia is a daily constant in my life, serving as the starting point for understanding the context of what I'm hearing, reading or learning about. The depth and breadth rivals any other resource and the timeliness of updates is uncanny -- sometimes within minutes of a new event in a notable person's life, community or business. Honestly, for fun, nothing beats watching a historical movie like the Duchess, while wirelessly browsing Wikipedia to get the complete backstory on leading characters (whose significance in history not to mention the story would otherwise be lost to the average, non-history major viewer). I don't watch a historical movie at home anymore without Wikiepedia. Thank you! Learning is easy, relevant and fun!

Wikipedia represents the potential of humanity. It shows what, when we forget the little things that keep us apart, we can accomplish incredible things.

It is a triumph for logic and goodwill, and that makes it very dear.

From a personal perspective, I literally could not give you a number of times I've used this amazing resource, it has simply become part of my existence, completely integral to how I process information. It opens doors like nothing else I've ever encountered. No longer when I don't know something am I forced to sit in ignorance until I can access a library, or a truly complete (and current) traditional encyclopedia or to consult an expert. No, now I have a resource, now I can continue forward in endeavors beyond what I currently know and understand. Now I am free to learn, and that is quite literally the most amazing liberty I can think of.

I am a web designer/developer and find wikipedia to be a goldmine of quality links for enriching client sites with non-competitive relevant links. Times are tough for the design business but it would be tougher without this valuable resource.

All the design community should kick in what they can to help those who help us. I have also written a small amount for Wikipedia and use it for my own personal queries.

I'm a nurse working nights on a psych unit. The hospital has BLOCKED almost any site that is not specifically medical in nature, but, THANK GOD, has not blocked Wikipedia. Often I do look up medical and psych-related subjects on Wikipedia, but have to admit that in quiet times I look up things I am just personally interested in. THANK YOU for being there!

My kid is 2 years old now - and in another couple of years or so, she will be smart enough to start wiki-ing. Why will she do that? Well, I learnt my general knowledge from the Tell Me Why publication series - and for me, once my parents had bought them and placed them on the house shelf, it was always there and always free. I want Wikipedia to be the same for my child - pure, clean, informative, accurate and enjoyable. Even Google does not match up to wikipedia when it comes to meeting the thirst for knowledge of fresh new minds. I am not sure what kind of Earth we will leave for the next generation, but something as wonderful and vital as wikipedia should certainly somehow last unsullied into the future.

Secondly, as an adult, I would hate to see this one company's product go down the "sold to the pressures of greedy investors" drain and become the next big hotbed for political, moral and ethical scams and gossip. Ads start out as being a welcome refreshing element of context sensitivity and soon emerge as the only reason why a page that is supposed to be "white" has patches of all the colours of the rainbow. The lure of the added revenue is nearly impossible to fight for most human beings in business. It takes a HUGE amount of gut to lay yourself out on the line like this in public with no bells and whistles and emotion building music score behind... so even with my modest contribution (for now) - i hope it adds a drop or two to your ocean.

I came across Wikipedia while teaching classical Greek mythology to my 12 grade students. I was drawn by the way wikipedia organizes their information, visual, factual, and anecdotal--it's all there. I also teach students that wikipedia is the only online resource that allows different people to contribute, and, thus, I also teach them to check other sources to check for information accuracy. I appreciate all your work, web design, work ethic and promoting knowledge for the sake of knowledge (mental growth) and NOT for profit. That is the true spirit of education and knowledge.

I'm a lawyer and a recent PhD graduate. When Wikipedia first came out I was skeptical, thinking it would be a collection of unverified and possibly unverifiable information. As it turns out, Wikipedia volunteers manage the collection so well that when contributors do not note a verifiable resource for their entry, they are told to enter one within a reasonable period of time. When none is noted, Wikipedia enters a footnote, in the interim, indicating there is no citation or that one is needed. This lets the reader know that, as yet, there is no known source other than the author. Forewarned is forearmed. I know this because I have edited entries in Wikipedia and received (and complied) with the request for verified sources. I also know that many graduate students and professionals often go to Wikipedia to get a handle on their subject, if it is somewhat unfamiliar to them, so that they can construct a better search query - before jumping on to Google, for example, and having to pan through a million results (not efficient). So Wikipedia has created a valuable resource to help us manage the world wide web in our personal and professional lives. I tell my daughter in high school that Wikipedia is a good place to start. Thanks!

I am an academic, and what I find most distasteful about my profession is the confinement of knowledge within physical and figurative ivory towers, accessible only to those granted entry. Wikipedia penetrates those towers for the benefit of the general population and validates knowledge acquired outside of academic institutions. Hooray!

I'm a technology recruiter by profession

In my profession, I would need to communicate to various technical personnel to (a) qualify them for an opportunity and (b) be able to present them right way to my customer. To better understand what they're saying or possess, I will have to depend on Wikipedia for a quick glance on what they mean and does it apply to my customer's needs. I think, I've done a fairly good job of bridging this gap by a one-click into Wikipedia

Thankyou for a simple to detailed explanation..

Regardless of the issue at hand, our lives have been virtually transformed by the availability of answers on Wikipedia. In fact, this resource has, almost exclusively, become the first stop on the way to learning in any language, on any subject. This is exactly what freedom of information should be all about - learning without political objectives or external pressures. Learning for the sake of learning. I feel that Wikipedia has reintroduced me to the joy of intellectual curiosity.

My grandmother had to drop out of school in the 4th grade and work in a shoe factory... He son, my uncle Charles Owen became the youngest Chairman of the Department of Engineering at Ohio State. He was killed when I was only 2 years of age. I consider myself to be of very average intelligence but have a great curiosity for learning in about every area. I have tried to pass this eagerness to learn to my children and others. I am still working with little spare time. I appreciate the services that Wikipedia provides.

I have been an independent writer for 38 years. I live by the efficiency and accuracy of my research, and over the past several years Wikipedia has become the "first stop" on almost every research project I undertake. The breadth of entries is amazing and the accuracy of the information in articles has steadily improved to the point where I find few discrepancies anymore between Wikipedia articles and the most trusted professional resources. For me, Wikipedia has evolved beyond an experiment and become an essential tool.

Wikipedia embodies some of my most cherished values: I believe that open access to knowledge is an avenue to a more open society. It's not enough. We must cultivate an attentive and equanimous spirit. Yet, Wikipedia is a necessary condition for a more democratic and freer society. After I graduated from my doctoral program in the US and then got a position at a college, I never hesitated to encourage my students to go to wikipedia as a starting point of their inquiries. When I was a young student, checking specialized dictionaries, such as the Dictionary on Politics, a superb collection of articles edited by Norberto Bobbio and Niccola Matteucci, was very important to me: each article I read provided me with a basic grasp of fundamental concepts. Wikipedia is for me what used to be that Dictionary of Politics but ten times, one hundred times, one million times much more useful and important. I'd like to add that I have a debt with wikipedia that I plan to redeem. I am about to open an account and become one of its anonymous contributors. This is Renaissance for all of us. By participating in this project, we become involved in a wonderful transformation of the way we see and experience the world. This is what Douglas Rushkoff aptly captured in his oposcule “Open Source Democracy.” When I read his work, I said to myself, “I have to make this work become available to people who only speak Spanish.” Then I translated it and published it at archive.org and added a copyleft sign to my signature as a translator. As I said, it's time for me now to make a similar contribution to a wikipedia. I want to have the honour of being not only one of its advocates, promoters, supporters, but also become one of its anonymous, humble makers.

I have two children on the autism spectrum. I quickly realized the medical community does not have what my children need to survive and cope in this world. I began searching the internet, reading books and connecting with other parents willing to try anything to rescue thier children from this dreaded and pervasive disease. My time was spent caring for my kids which meant I couldn't pursue traditional education avenues for help. Wikipedia became my source of knowledge. I treaded the backs of many intellectual giants like stepping stones to cross a massive river. I now am considered on the other side. My children are recovered enough to be considered "normal" thanks to Wikipedia's community of help and knowledge that propelled me into life, health and happiness. 'Thank you's will never be enough. No dollar amount can repay the years that have been restored to me and my future generations.

Some now call me Dr. Kolb jokingly and many doctors are intimidated by my knowledge and understanding of the brain, the body, neurology, psychology and how our environment as well as genetics affects our lives. I have learned more from Wikipedia than I did from college.

Wikipedia is a truly indispensable part of my life. It's practical uses are myriad and well documented -- but less discussed is its singular ability to easily, simply fulfill a deep and abiding intellectual curiosity. Wikipedia quenches a thirst for knowledge, and fundamentally contributes in a very real way to my quality of life. Through Wikipedia, I rediscover fascinations -- with math, with chemistry, with history, with anything -- that rekindle the joy of learning, the feeling of wonder, I experienced so often at a slightly younger age. That is it's magic, and why it is worthy of our support: Wikipedia inspires us all to be better educated about the world around us, to understand life in just a bit more detail.

One day my daughter was given an antibiotic by our family doctor and she ended up being allergic. If not for the information that was readily available from Wikipedia we would of not reacted as fast to seek help for Steven Johnsons syndrome. Jimmy Whales you helped save my 4 year old daughters life. Thank you.

I found Jimmy's mission to improve access to information a critically important facet of our global society. As a clinical pharmacist, working as a health professional, I strive to meet similar expectations as they relate to empowering my patients through comprehensive understanding of their medications and disease. Wikipedia is often a resource that I direct my patients to when they need clarification on their condition(s).

I am a law librarian in a rural law library. Wikipedia helps to 'bring the world' to Woodland. It allows me to provide my inquiring patrons with information not available to us in any other way. The delightful, amazing and 'totally rad' footnotes and references at the end of each topic allow my inquirers to explore further and learn more, faster than ever before. I can only say 'Thank you' and keep donating. Thank you.

Wikipedia to me is a chance to learn about a huge variety of topics very quickly, for free, with high accuracy and low bias. We would live in a much more peaceful world if knowledge had always been so easy to acquire.

Thank you Wikipedia for being there as an ad-free collaborative online encyclopedia! I think freely available objective knowledge like you offer plays an important role in a democracy. Besides, it makes my life as a student that much easier! :-)

I am a corporate consultant and need examples of various research findings and references, all the time. Wikipedia has been a valuable resource of professional knowledge and historical business information. From my perspective, it's the single most important quick access to references, with reliable updates, I have found, anywhere.

I am an educator and recent university graduate. Although some Academia is inherently hostile to Wikipedia I stress to my students its importance as a source of general knowledge available to all. Knowledge is not the domain of profit and copyright. Wikipedia represents the democratization of knowledge free of borders, the state and the censor. Thank you to the writers, readers and Wikipedias staff for sustaining such a noble quest.

I use Wikipedia to research for my Doctor of Physical Therapy program, and have used it as long as it's been around for all classes leading up to it. I also use it for research and verification of all kinds of interests.

I love that there is actually something out there that is community-driven, community-shared, and community-edited and enforced.

I can count on the content, and I do. How convenient for me. For you.

I use Wikipedia many times a day. If it were a tangible book, it would be well thumbed by now. Happily, it is *not* a book, but an ever-changing ever-improving resource founded on principles of free-knowledge and copyleft.

Wikipedia is an astounding resource for technical people. Articles will appear summarizing knowledge I have gained over the course of many years (to which I contribute). Instead of sharing that knowledge the old-fasioned way, I am able to direct colleagues and students to the article. Moreover, as a Game Development professor at a small private college, I encourage my students to start their research journey at Wikipedia. Why not use more traditional databases? Because the subject domain of Game Development, particularly Game History is scattered, and Wikipedia is a powerful aggregating force.

Thank you, Wikipedia!

What can I say... I already donated to the Wikimedia Foundation this year, but the appeal was too much to resist. I've been using Wikipedia for years, even in this extremely isolated corner of the world. I live in the midst of the driest desert on Earth, a solitary enough place. Wikipedia has provided me with a sustained means of communication with the world, with endless information and novel knowledge. And to me, as a person, that's the most valuable thing one can have: Knowledge. Ascertained or not. It might be a rumor, or a legend, or a well-proven mathematical formula - it's all here. Wikipedia has brought me years of excitement. Although I've very rarely edited it, I've delighted myself in perusing the millions of volumes of information stored here, the epitome of Human Knowledge: be it art, ancient texts, taxonomy of fishes and insects, history, modern culture, films, music, laws of physics (or even Murphy's Law!), photography, politics, world news... Everything's covered. Absolutely everything. And if it's not, it shall be someday. As an individual that has grown and reached a worthwhile position in life through Knowledge, with a capital K, I appreciate Wikimedia's efforts as the most benefiting. You might not be of the same opinion - and it's to be expected! And that's another of Wikipedia's (and Wikimedia's) virtues: you're free to discuss and let anything become polemical, from a spider's legs to Napoleon. Never has had Humanity such a tool. I've always been skeptical of charities, seeing how resources and funds "disappear" in obscure items and situations. But not here. Not in Wikimedia. It has far surpassed typical encyclopedias, and even its original purpose! It now sports the closest there is to the "sum of human knowledge", be it through Wikipedia or other Wiki sites. If you're like me, and value the importance of Knowledge, science, and maybe even simple gossip, you'll never regret donating to the Wikimedia Foundation. Let us make Wikipedia the beyond-ultimate source for factual information!

Wikipedia helps me find answers to many pressing legal questions I encounter in law school. The fast-paced nature of my program doesn't allow for much in-depth study, and I've found Wikipedia helpful in quickly (and accurately!) helping me to locate answers to many of my questions. I honestly don't know how I'd get through law school without it. Moreover, I often find myself leisurely satiating my curiosity, exploring fun facts and just generally skipping around from page to page to increase my general knowledge. I think Wikipedia is a wonderful invention--and the most democratic dissemination of information in the world. I'm really amazed that the site has worked out so wonderfully; it continues to impress me with its level of breadth (and, again, accuracy)!

Wikipedia is one of those things that people build, where it is of such a scale that I cannot quite believe it has ever been built. These things, things like the Great Wall, things like the Pyramids, only seem believable if they have sprung into being fully formed. Of course, it isn't true. These things are built on the backs of hundreds or thousands of human lives. Wikipedia is built on the back of Pliny, and Diderot, and the Britannica, and when you try to describe it out loud, I don't quite believe any of it. It is a book that does not exist, but that half the world can see. It has no lead author, celebrates no one cause or ego. It is paid for in nothing but time, and grows by passion alone.

It's a thing of wonder, and that's why I support it.

I'm a Post-Grad in Computer Science and employed in IT services industry. Wikipedia has been my Oracle for the past 3 years of my career. It has provided me the most fundamental knowledge in the most simplest way possible. I'm yet to find a page that did not exist here on which I needed some info.

Inspired from Wikipedia I have introduced an internal wiki in my workplace and people have benefitted immensely from it.

Thank you Jimmy.

Long live wikipedia.

Last week I introduced my 79 year old mother to surfing the internet. No basic introduction to the web would be complete without showing her Wikipedia and the infinate possibilities for information, discovery and learning. Her eyes lit-up as though she was reading from scrolls in the ancient library at Alexandria. She shook her head with childlike amazement, swallowed hard and exclaimed, "That's the most incredible thing I've ever seen. Wow! I can't beleive this wonderful thing". She was in awe. She read about Saltzburg, Austria, her childhood home, she read about Shih-Tzu dogs, her beloved and recently passed Peppy Le-Pew, and she read about gardening and flowers, her one true love in retirement. She was liteally overwhelmend by the sheer volume of information and a thousand other things. Thank you, Wikipedia, thank very much for being there.

Wikipedia is more than an online reference site to me. Nine times out of ten, a Google search for whatever random concept or term I'm thinking about at the moment will have a Wikipedia page in the top five results. The professionalism, knowledge and dedication it takes to make this happen is testament to the awesome power of Wikipedia and its role as one of the cornerstones of the Internet.

I have spent many happy hours reading one page that led to many others, absorbing scientific concepts and learning more about this wondrous world. So thank you, for making knowledge free and accessible to people like me.

I just want to thank you all at Wikipedia - you provide an amazing service and I reference your site all of the time. It reminds me of when I was young and my brother and I had a complete set of encyclopedias in our home but it took a very short time for us to realize how quickly they became outdated. I have donated today because there seems to be no other non-biased resource that I can trust to just look up facts about random subjects. I wish I could donate more at this time to protect this valuable resource, and I sincerely hope my donation can in some small way help you maintain the integrity of the information you provide. Thank you!

Wikipedia means unlimited access to priceless resources. My wife and I have tossed our hat into the non-profit world and this amazing tool has been an integral reference. It's research made easy. I value the knowledge we've gained and find it alarmingly simple to engross myself in fact-filled links until the sun rises. Thank you for fast and reliable access to the world. The underprivileged and underrepresented thank you as well. May God bless your work.

I am an online teacher live in Indonesia, I have more than 10000 students. Everyday I am asked by my students hundreds of questions most of which in the form of "is it right that ...?". Amidst plethora of sites offering this and that information, this is actually the time we need a reliable source of information and knowledge. The standard imposed by wikipedia really helps me and my students to have enough comfort that what we're reading on wiki at least not far away from the truth (we can always read the sources cited if we're not sure of what is written).

This is very important, especially in a developing countres like us where certain subjects such as evolution, human origin, philosophy, and the likes are almost certainly viewed as heresy. But since wiki, I can always refer them to a link, and they in turn can tell their parents what they read and where they read it, so if their parents have an objection, they can always check it by themselves, and probably read the cited sources if they have problems with what they read.

On a personal note, this way is safer for myself.. As I can always blame on wiki if they accussed me of teaching heretic knowledge :))

As a high school teacher, it IS inspirational that Wikipedia exists free of editorial prejudice common to other sources of information. The benefit of careful citations, bias advisories and rapidly referenceable outside sources of information makes Wikipedia a truly essential global resource. I often use material from Wikipedia for my lessons in social studies and science, and have consistently recommended it's use to my students.

I'm a second year dental student at an Ivy League university. I'm constantly studying. Whenever I need clarification on a topic - from the pharmokinetics of a drug to the epidemiology of disease - I turn straight to Wikipedia. I know that I will always receive the most up-to-date knowledge in clear and accurate articles in the rapidly advancing knowledge of medicine.

I am really weary of being marketed to constantly. It's a relief and a pleasure to come to a place like Wikipedia that is free of advertising, and to know that it's a cooperative venture, where people donate their time and money for everyone to benefit from. I really believe in your vision. This is the way I would like to see the Internet work. Freedom from marketing and advertising (and their direct and indirect influences), with information available to all, thanks to our combined efforts and investments.

Not really a story - but a heartfelt appreciation for what you're doing.

Living in San Francisco and working in the Silicon Valley, it seems I take for granted evolving technology (and many other conveniences). Although I was well into my career before the Internet and email was introduced to the workplace, I feel as connected to technology as those who were born into the digital age. Reading about why other donors around the world support Wikipedia just now has once again reminded me how narrow my worldview can be day to day. It was inspiring to see the global educational lifeline Wikipedia has provided for those whose access to information has been limited. Thank you for making this happen.

Later in life, after raising 13 children, I began a non profit corp for Catholic Youth Ministry providing curricula and related products and helps. At age 58, I had to start from scratch to learn the computer. Wikipedia helped me learn the terminology for computers in order to follow technical instructions. Then Wikipedia helped me research and verify information to be passed on to youth in curricula I wrote. Later I was invited to collaborate with other writers in producing a series of Catholic school religion textbooks. Wikipedia was one of the key sources for research and definitions, making possible For me, living in a small town, far from libraries to research and write educational materials for the next generation. Thank you for Wikipedia, for your diligent efforts to verify all information and for inspiring so many experts out there to share their specialized knowledge to the world.

I'm so glad you give us the opportunity to express our appreciation for Wikipedia.

I'm 68 and have, in my life-time, seen access to seminal information move from multiple layers of blockades to instant availability. I remember doing research in High School and College where my data base was restricted to what was physically available. If I had a sophisticated question it took an amazingly long time to find what "might" be the answer.

Today, anything that peeks my interest can be immediately researched in depth and I almost always start with Wikipedia because of the breadth of the information found there.

It's like having a charming Easter Egg hunt every day.

Thank you, Jimmy Wales. Your great "idea" is a gift to us all.

Is there a single day in my life that I don't use Wikipedia? You guys deserve some of my hard earned cash for making my life easier every day.

My favorite Wikipedia story is bonding in a room packed with interns at the National Democratic Institute by teaching them how to play The Wikipedia Game - where you pick a page that is your goal, everyone clicks 'Random Article' at the same time, and has to race to navigate from that article to the goal article using only embedded links. No using the back button or CTRL+F! We laughed for so long over these games, and it was always amazing to go back through the paths we took to track the mental strategies we used to try and win.

Thanks to Wikipedia and everyone who has ever contributed to make it better!

I think Wikipedia is amazing because it catalyzes the spread of knowledge to anyone with an internet connection. It's like the library system -- you don't have to check out (or like) every book in the library, but it's so great that all those books are available.

To me, Wikipedia is a dissolving of some of the barrier that makes knowledge the sole domain of those who can pay for it. We couldn't afford an encyclopedia growing up (and there was no internet), and when we finally got one the access I had to knowledge was liberating and empowering.

Sometimes people will criticize Wikipedia for being un-authoritative, but they don't realize that the articles in any other encyclopedia are going to be filled with just as much bias and misconceptions. Wikipedia broaches the question of where we get our information from, how much we're willing to pay for that information, and what agendas are behind the information we're receiving.

I donated because I believe in making knowledge available to everyone, and I relish the fact that Wikipedia is one of very few places on the internet where I am not bombarded with advertisements.

I'm a Mexican artist and educator. Currently I reside in Vancouver where I'm working on a documentary project. Wikipedia has been an amazing asset throughout the production process. It is, in my opinion, the best example of what a collective open system can achieve. It's a pleasure to support one of the few sources of information that is not yet tainted by the conflicts of interest created by advertising-dependent mediums.

I am a Brit living in Serbia so I don't have access to my local reference library when ever I need information for either myself or my children's homework. They have had need to create presentations for their Georgraphy homework and, thanks to you guys have wowed their class (Copy and paste!) I also occasionally give litte presentations to the local language school on various themes about England - you are invaluable there. For my children the ability to get information in Serbian is also an extremely useful tool. All I can say is that you are our first port of call for any information - even to the point of choosing a dog and which breed would be most suitable! Thankyou may you be around for my great-great grandchildren!

I just find it amazing that knowledge can be shared and is accessible to all: no fees, no manipulation, no access controls, no restrictions, no censorship.... That is why I contribute every time with money and work, translating and adding articles. I think this should be supported by everyone.

An amazing website, which has time and again saved the day by providing correct factual information.

Recently, I had to provide a background report to my organization regarding certain software metrics like the McCabe index. I first searched on Wikipedia and had a complete guide on the subject, with detailed explanation and even an algorithm, which has helped me to counter certain arguments made by an external review team and solidify our position with my customer.

Wikipedia is amazing. It is everyone's first go to tool. When I was completing my degree in biological anthropology at Boston University, I was consistently surprised that citing wikipedia wasn't an acceptable means of demonstrating research, but it was still the place to start any academic or intellectual inquiry for everyone from the 85 year old professors, to the grad students, and obviously to the undergrads

I have since been deep in an ethnographic field research pursuit that has taken me to multi-million dollar board meetings, needle exchange public health clinics, the top of the state house up on beacon hill, and face to face with the reality of the disconnect between what people are and what they imagine themselves to be.

With some of my research informants, we have concluded that the definition of 'voters' are people who vote for who they wish they were, not for who they are.

Often this behavior ends up with them hurting themselves in the process. As in the case of tenants who vote down rent control on the theory that some day they will be landlords. It doesn't matter that mathematically there must always be more landlords than tenants, and that realistically the chance of becoming a landlord is heavily weighted against them. The majority believes they are going to win the lottery, even if they are not, and so they help protect those with the power to hurt them.

These people are fundamentally disconnected from reality, and more than unwilling to acknowledge it, unaware it is even there.

There fantasy played out creates their nightmare.

However, every now and again the person you wish you were, and the culture you wish you lived in are one where resources are treated with respect, made free and available to all equally and built one stick at a time by everyone to last by growing and changing with the world. When the fools who wish to live in that world vote you get Wikipedia.

Wikipedia provides the arena for the imaginative to imagine and the inquisitive to seek answers, indiscriminately, unselfishly, and with the maturity to admit when they are wrong.

I am proud to support an organization that is smart enough to be malleable and brave enough to be free.

Wikipedia represents much more than a well indexed and valuable resource of human knowledge. It is a demonstration of the creative power of humanity, decentralized but not disorganized. In addition to referencing the content multiple times daily, the idea of wikis has spread to my industry as a way of organizing all of the complex medical knowledge in the world. Who wouldn't want to see this succeed? And so I have contributed just a little bit to help.

I am a Family Physician in a small town in Eastern Washington. When I asked my patients what their source of drug information was, the majority answered "Wikipedia" Thank you for helping me practice quality medicine in rural America.

Having an engineer for a father, one who'd tear up every appliance before giving up and calling the customer support [and sometimes succeeding, to his credit], an engineer's curiosity was my inheritance. The only reason why I don't have much of my childhood toys is this curiosity.

Then one day dad bought home a PC. It cost $200 at that time [2002, I guess]. It, with its dial-up internet did not last long. The real stuff began when we bought a far better PC in 2004 [This one was for $800 that time]. Along with it came broadband internet, which finally allowed me to freely surf without counting the number of minutes that passed by.

That's when I found Google. Googling for anything was almost sure to yield a page from a funny site called Wikipedia. It would have no ads, no sign-ups, no membership. When I clicked on it, I got what I wanted.

Here was a place that told me something about everything. It was just brilliant. More so when I later came to know about the concept of a wiki, and sharing, and open source.

Wikipedia is a result of human potential at its best. It is a proof of what we can do, when we're trusted with power. It is one of the finest tributes to collective human potential.

To every kid in every city without access to books, or the means to get them, or the time, Wikipedia, you are a lifesaver. I can't keep track of the number of pages I read here everyday.

Wikipedia is a story that creates stories everywhere. It is a fire, which tends a spark, wherever in the world it may be.

I may just be a student now, but inside, I'm a lot more, thanks to you. If and when I do something to be proud of, Wikipedia will have contributed to that almost as much as my parents.

Wikipedia is just not an encyclopedia. It's changing lives. Everywhere.

I wish I could donate now. But it's just a matter of a few years through college, and I'll be able to start repaying Wikipedia some portion of the debt I owe it.

I also appeal to governments around the world to contribute 0.1% of their arms budget to Wikipedia.

Trust me, if and when Vulcans make the first contact, it will be Wikipedia, and not a Glock, that you'd flaunt to showcase human achievement.

I am a freelance composer and currently working toward a PhD in the Arts. As a researcher and instructor, Wikipedia has helped me to do my job/s quickly and efficiently. It's a fantastic teaching tool; if there's a question about facts, I have my students look it up right there during class time - so they get the feel for looking things up on their own, while we get the information we need right away.

I have also been active in correcting articles. Having the information available is one thing - being able to modify and correct articles is invaluable. This is dynamically evolving information - the way the internet was intended!

Wikipedia is one of the most important online resources for my kids. They use it instantly as a first resort when they have a need to undestand a term or dig into a subject. For the sake of kids such as mine I would love Wikipedia to remain what it is - independent, trustworthy source of up-to-date information.

I'm a translator, specialising in legal and financial work from Icelandic into English. And since I do not live in an English-speaking country, Wikipedia serves as a very good source of finding and checking on specialised terminology. Rightly or wrongly, I trust it more than most websites - even though I would probably not use terminology I find there without corroborating it elsewhere.

And of course, the mere idea of involving people in a common knowledge-sharing adventure, with no reward but personal satisfaction, is definitely heartening.

Wikipedia has grown to be one of the leading sources of knowledge for my inquiries. I believe Wikipedia has turned the internet to not just an amazing world of information, but an ACCESSIBLE universe of everything you've ever wanted to know. The idea that the collective will on average be as correct as any other encyclopedia is a testament to the empowering collective will and knowledge over the error-prone individual. Wikipedia is truly greater than the sum of it's parts. It is an idea: executed and flourishing.

I am a scholar, who was once highly critical of Wikipedia as a site where "anyone can say anything" and "truth is decided by a majority vote." However, due to the persistent commitment of knowledgeable users, the vigilance of dedicated volunteer administrators, and the enhancement of editing regulations, Wikipedia has so improved its credibility within academic circles that I am now not only a user, but an active endorser and supporter of both wiki technology and the Wikimedia Project.

I now see Wikipedia as I do NPR: a public news service that I have used, but have yet to pay for. Please accept my donation as a small token of my appreciation of the service that Wikipedia provides. Just as I am a proud listener-member of NPR, I am honored to call myself a Wikipedia user-member.

I am a librarian who consults Wikipedia every day. It's valuable to my work, and sometimes I read it just for fun. I am also an occasional contributor. For me, Wikipedia embodies everything good about the Digital Age. Whenever I need a dose of optimism about the future of humanity, all I need to do is browse Wikipedia.

In just a few days I'll have completed a degree in computer engineering. I can't imagine having done it without wikipedia around. Some people think that the information found on wikipedia isn't always as reliable as what could be found in a book. I say, "welcome to 2010", Wikipedia has become the new standard. Not only is most of its historical data accurate, but it's also full of "bleeding-edge" information that's not even in a single book yet. Wikipedia is definitely the first place anyone would look to start any reseach. Thanks Wiki, old friend.

I'm a believer in human potential, and I am enthused about the growing role Wikipedia is playing to enable it. It's certainly one of the go-to sites in my life these days. I'm actually awed by how well people are working together toward a common end, and how so many are contributing time, energy, skill and wisdom to move it forward.

Wikipedia is an invaluable resource to the freedom of information in these modern times. Wikipedia has been a model citizen of the internet, demonstrating ethical responsibility, commitment to users, commitment to accuracy and an overall good neighbor to the internet community. I especially admired Wikipedia, when recent media studies showed that among all popular internet websites, Wikipedia was rated as a non-intrusive entity demonstrating Wikipedias commitment to its user base. Its a relief knowing that not only can I trust Wikipedia in good faith to be a reliable and referancable source of information but that I also know that Wikipedia looks out for my internet privacy as well. When I saw that Wikipedia needed assistance to continue to furnish its wonderful product; I contributed without hesitation. Thank you Wikipedia!

Wikipedia changes the world every second of every minute of every day. This site means I can learn what I want, when I want, how I want, without having to sacrifice my cognitive capacity to advertisers. Jesus, some of my graduate-level university texts have advertisements in them! This ultimate, ad-free, collaborative, open and free source of knowledge means I don't have to buy a book or go to the library to access basic information that I need!! This site does not eliminate the library, it instead gives me more incentive to access library resources. It also gives me an opportunity to participate in actively drafting history. Wikipedia also provides creative commons licensing, which sometimes means I can obtain photographs or documents I would otherwise, potentially, have to pay for. Way to go Jimmy Wales, you asked and you received.

I am a university professor of engineering with interests in music and history. Next week, I am taking my students on a study tour of industrial sites in Germany and the Check Republic. We will visit the Porsche and BMW factories in Leipzig and the Toyota in Prague. We will attend concerts and opera and ballet performances. In organizing the tour, I needed to learn, inter alia, about the creation of the Porsche factory, architect Zaha Hadid who designed the BMW factory, the Toyota production system, Johann Sebastian Bach, about the bombing of Dresden and the Frauenkirche, about the history of the Czech Republic and much more about technology, history, and music. I was able to find out about all I needed thanks to the Wikipedia. Thanks to the Wikipedia could schedule visits and presentations easily. Thanks Wikipedia, keep up the good work.

I first learned about Wikipedia while in 2003, while filling the hours at one of my many co-op jobs as a student. I was absolutely amazed at the tremendous volume value of input that existed at that time, and I have learned a great deal from this website. To watch this website grow organically and without a profit motive exponentially over the years has been both exciting and heartwarming. Wikipedia must always continue in its original tradition. Thank you, Wikipedia! You have made the world a happier place.

I love the purity of the spirit that is wikipedia. In a world of crass commercialism, wikipedia is a beacon reminding hundreds of millions of people that there are folks out there who do things just because it's the right thing to do - not because they will get paid for it. The wikipedia organization is to be congratulated for giving those people the means to share their knowledge with the world - and for free.

I remember when Wikipedia first started and it was discredited by all academics I ran into. As a high school and college student in Wiki's infant stage, it was always viewed as a source not scholarly enough to cite. None of my teachers would except Wiki in a bibliography, even though every student I knew went there first for information. Then there was one paper when Wiki was the best and most coherent source I could find on a particular subject. I cited it and attached a note for my teacher, standing up for Wiki and its validity. I got an A. Slowly but surely, through all of our work, Wikipedia has become a credible source.

Wikipedia truly is an example of the possibilities of human potential. In a world where we seem so utterly disconnected, so ready to look for our differences rather than what we have in common, and so willing to "get ours" with complete disregard for others, Wikipedia and its vision of universally written, edited, and shared knowledge is an incredible example of all that is good and all that is possible. It uses technology to enhance the human experience: to connect people, to share knowledge, to build community. It uses technology as a tool for good, rather than a destructive force. It shows that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. It proves that each of us is better off when all of us work together. It makes it clear what we need is not more destruction, but more cooperation. That is why I support Wikipedia.

I regularly use Wikipedia to help me define new terms and concepts, even technical ones, in my work reading. Inevitably, the concept is already there, succinctly defined yet with all the history available as well. There are usually also links to other more in depth sources I would have never found on my own. It has helped me stay current and work smarter, all for free! Thank you Wikipedia!

I love Wikipedia because it is a community driven project to share knowledge and information. I believe access to education and knowledge is a basic human right, not a privilege. Wikipedia is a powerful movement that breaks down social barriers and empowers communities around the world.

I worked in the rural, northeastern region of Thailand teaching 3rd grade with little to no physical resources. With a slow or limited internet connection and a group of knowledge hungry 3rd graders, Wikipedia helped me gather the most amount of information in as little time as possible.

I'm a CS student. For me, the information contained within books is both probably outdated and hard / time - consuming to reach. I always seek information on the internet to help me in my assignments. Papers, interactive java applets, and, of course, wikipedia articles are my only sources.

Without wikipedia, I wouldn't be able to meet my assignment deadlines and I would've probably learnt half the stuff I know about computers. And this is not just a figure of speech; I often find myself browsing wikipedia articles on different algorithms, historical computers / projects and biographies.

Wikipedia is the savior of millions in the academic community.

I support Wikipedia because I can't imagine life without it! We are so lucky to have a place which is not just a gathering of ideas and information, but also discourse and dialogue. When I read an article on Wikipedia, I am getting not just the facts someone was kind enough to transcribe, but also alternate opinions, flags for bias, and room for debate. And, best of all for a nerd like me, when there's a typo I can make it disappear with a couple clicks. Wikipedia is truly the place where the people of the world can share their knowledge and passions, and all of us who benefit from it should support it.

I am a single working parent of two school kids living in he U.S. Wikipedia connects me and my kids with the world. Whether we want to know about formations of clouds or formations of rock bands, answers are a click or two away thanks to Wikipedia. I've been lucky enough to live in a place where I am free to express my views and have ready access to information. Wikipedia democratizes the worldwide web in a similar way. I'm proud to help in some small way keep ideas and information moving freely.

Wiki gives me a feeling of belonging to a world community of knowledge sharing. I use it frequently and should contribute to its expenses. A little from many can make a big difference. I would hate to see Wiki discontinued for lack of funds.

As a Librarian and information professional for 25 years, I witnessed and promoted the conception and evolution of this amazing entity called the Internet. Though the Net and its offspring such as Wikipedia challenged the role and need for reference specialists such as myself as it democratically empowered the many, we never felt threatened by it. Rather, we embraced it, demanded more of it, and it responded in spades. Because of this I am so much more capable, inquisitive, and resource-full than I could have imagined a mere 15 years ago! Among the thousands of sites I have bookmarked over the years, Wikipedia is certainly one of the most dog-eared. It is a brave and beautiful technology. We are all the better for its abiding presence.

In an era of consolidation of media sources by less-than-independent outlets, I can often rely on Wikipedia for fairly unbiased information. I value the simultaneous open nature of the site and the standards that help ensure the quality and accuracy of the articles. I have used Wikipedia, for example, in the planning of international trips to researching insects found in my back yard. Keep up the great work!

I am a university professor in philosophy. I work for one of the oldest universities in the world, the Jagiellonian University in Kakow. Wikipedia not only provides me and my students with reasonably credible and trustworthy information on all possible subjects but above all it is for us the source of a new vision of the global society. The very existence of the universal community of the intelligent and passionate peolpe, providing Wikipedia every day with new wave of graet contributions, often more precise and learned than professional payed authors are able to perform, teaches me that the world of reason either begins nor ends at the university. Nothing but Wikipedia challanges so strong the common view of Professors that the society of today sinks into ignorance and egoism. Wikipedia does not only give information but also hope. It is a new Enlightenment, the Enlightenment of the XXI Century. Thanks that you are what you are!

Thank you Wikipedia. When I don't know what a scientific, or political, or financial term means, you are there. When I want to how a medicine my doctor has prescribed works, you are there. When I want to understand more about a family member's illness, you are there. When I don't know the meaning of some techno-lingo phrase, you are there. When I want to know something about a famous person, you are there. Almost everytime I use my computer, I check references and ideas and definitions with you. You are not only informative, but you are passionate and reverent about everything that you speak about. You don't spin me. You don't assume I am an idiot. You are respectful, objective and always trying to improve yourself. You take my mind sailing through the mysteries of the universe. You are my launch pad. I love you. Thank you.

Nowhere else in the world can you find as good an overview of the life and work of Guy Davenport, the MacArthur Award essayist, draughtsman, painter, essayist, and author of distinguished postmodern fictions, as can be found at Wikipedia. Within a very short time of his death in 2005, a few knowledgeable people took a stem and turned it into a superb entry worth of the best encyclopedia. Certain myths and misperceptions kept creeping in to the entry, but gradually the demonstrable facts won out and the entry settled down.

Watching and participating in that process of revision, questioning, improvement, and debate gave me enormous respect for the Wikipedia approach.

As a consequence, Wikipedia is now the first place I go for fact checking. Rarely do I encounter factual errors in a Wikipedia article, though sometimes things are still clearly evolving and have not yet reached the level of clarity we all hope for.

Still, overall I trust Wikipedia to give me, at minimum, an excellent starting place when I need the answer to almost any question at all.

A stunning accomplishment!

Being a writer of learning material, Wikipedia means a world to me. All the biographies of famous and less famous people as well as other bits and pieces have made my work so much easier. Not to talk about the royalty free photos and pictures! Thank you, I hope you can keep on with your noncommercial work because you are irreplaceable.

I use Wikipedia, 'W', as a primary reference, all the time. Often, if I start with Google or Bing the first reference I see is in W.

I teach physics at a community college and know the quality and correctness of the physics and mathematical postings; not perfect but everyday better and better. This gives me confidence to explore topics not within my field of expertise and to recommend W's use to others.

In particular, I recommend W, as an backup resource, to my students to research additional explanations for concepts that they are having difficulty with. The diagrams, charts, graphs, photos, and animations are particularly very helpful when researching complex concepts.

It is a wonderful example of how humans can contribute to the world and make difference without having a monetary incentive to do so. I worked in a Bio Informatics lab at Syracuse University where we used mediawiki - to allow researchers collaborate across the world. It allowed us to accomplish our ideas by free tools your foundation provided. Thanks for your support.

During the 80's, I worked with a Guatemalan family in sanctuary in Vermont. The family had come to Vermont through the support of the sanctuary movement, set up to help refugees fleeing the horrors of paramilitary murders in places like Guatemala and El Salvador. Mariano's crime was trying to teach his fellow villagers Spanish, the dominant language of Guatemala. So powerful was the perceived threat to the status quo posed by this simple act of education, paramilitary squads came searching for Mariano, and hacked to death his mother-in-law when she would not reveal his whereabouts. With his wife and young child, Mariano was forced to flee Guatemala.

Knowledge has too long been the province of hegemonic power. When it comes to access to knowledge, the poor have always had to work against the odds, where they haven't been completely disenfranchised. Systems of power that commodify knowledge and secure its benefits for only those who can pay appear more innocuous than those systems of power that made Mariano a refugee. But they are hardly less brutal. The mission of Wikipedia to provide an alternative to such systems is nothing short of revolutionary. It is, perhaps, the one and only true revolution that remains.

I am really addicted to Wikipedia, I found that thans to this web portal my knowledge about world is better and better. I really appreciate that so many volunteers are involved in creating contents of Wikipedia. I think that it helps many creators and researchers on the world to find audience. Personally Wikipedia makes me some troubles because everyday I come back home later after reading some new artcles or old stories I found here. But there are many other benefits. I am great fan of open source world. Wikipedia helps me to find many open source projects and to explore there. Sharing knowledge and experience (Wikipedia cocreators and people connected with open source are very similar in this matter) caused me to be more friendly car driver and be less egoistic. I hope some day I will be told better man and when it happens I will be know that Wikipedia was involved.

Best wishes for everyone and let's make everybody better :)

I'm a designer, an educator, a parent. I used to go to my textbooks and my encyclopedia to find out about the world around me- the past and the present, maybe a hint of the future. Then I went to the internet, to the usual suspects, the search engines; until it seemed clear that the first info one would find, would often be the entity who could afford to pay for first position- not necessarily the best info.

And then I discovered Wikipedia. It's democratic, it's progressive. Its invaluable. Ideas, facts, personalities, places that one could never find even the slightest mention of in most places are there. Things that the people of the world feel are noteworthy are regularly under consideration for inclusion. The possibility that an individual could play a part in writing their own story or at least be accountable for fact checking- it's just great. I send my students there. They find what they need. They learn the proper structure for creating footnotes and bibliographies. My daughter even submitted an entry pretty recently. It was incomplete, so she's still got to work on it, but the fact that she and the other kids know that they can add to the internet encyclopedia, that they know what a wiki is, that they can be a part of telling a story of our world and our history, instead of just reading about it, that's just incredible, totally empowering. Thank you. There's a real sense of community and hopefulness in the broader understanding of the underlying concept of Wikipedia and how powerful it is because of the scope of the audience who uses it.

I suffer from a rare form of varicella zoster, called zoster sine herpete. Though there are many sites that offer info, there was nothing on preventative care/possibilities> it was not until I happened to read the page created on Wikipedia that I read about a study that discovered that three or more servings of FRUIT per day, could help prevent/reduce reoccurance of this seriously painful condition. I went on to read the study, which was well done, and showed that taking viatims or supplements didn't cut it, only real fruits. I cannot express the relief that at least I can TRY something (ok, something I should have been doing anyway, in a structured fashion) to boost my immune system to fight this horrible condition. Thank you Wikipedia and the wonderful author who posted this study!!! I am so grateful.

I just finished teaching a 4th year electrical engineering course in microcomputers at the local university, basically a one-time thing to support my alma mater. For technical things like microcomputers, I found Wikipedia to be a surprisingly well-written source of concise information. So other engineers/scientists/whoever out there are choosing to volunteer their time so that I can present useful information to my students without diving into a lot of textbooks. My thanks to those people who gave their time so that I can more efficiently give my time.

Sometimes at bedtime, for a few years now, we pick a subject of interest to our young children and look the subject up on Wikipedia. It almost never fails to interest and leads us to other subjects. We think it leads to a greater curiosity about the world and a way to find answers.

I am really grateful to the site for simplifying life, and for all the people who have taken the time to contribute and edit. As a student, I frequently check your site for a basic understanding of the subject matter either before or after i plow through the scholarly sources, which often are not written with the average reader in mind. As well as appreciating you as my encyclopedic source, your biographic resources are the best overview's I've found. I am happy to contribute to keep you free of capitalistic bias. Thank you again for YOUR creative contribution!

In a world where the majority live in poorer areas, it would be ultimately unfair to deny them the right of knowledge just because they cannot afford it.

Wikipedia brings this right to people anywhere and everywhere. Knowledge is not meant to be for the elite. It is a basic human right and no other project in the world today fits this agenda better than Wikipedia.

It has changed my approach to knowledge, as well as that of hundreds of millions.

Thank you for the thousands of hours I found myself lost on this portal, going from one page to the next in my hunger for knowledge.

As a software engineer, one learns that much of the game is vocabulary and understanding what the latest cool technology fashion is in play. Wikipedia is my primary source of information when confronted with a new paradigm or word in the technology soup. In my graduate studies, Wikipedia was invaluable to support the static content of textbooks.

As a child growing up in Madagascar, the kids version of the encyclopedia was a source of never-ending wonder to me. I am sure that my dad had spent a lot of money on it. I am happy that my children have the likes of Wikipedia and that my granddaughter will be able to use its ever-growing base of knowledge... a true living book to take one one on an ever-expanding universe of knowledge.

I started out as an engineer and was a great believer in articles which were peer reviewed prior to publication. When I first heard of Wikipedia a few years ago, I was outraged, incensed that someone would be so bold as to publish encyclopedic type articles on the internet that were not peer reviewed prior to posting. I have since seen the practically of your schema (compare number of subjects on Wikipedia versus those in any other encyclopedia) and the self policing of this great body of work. I realize that in the short term there may be some abuse but overall I love the concept and the realization of that concept. Keep it up guys.

I am a law librarian at a law firm and I use Wikipedia every day. When I first starting using it years ago I was very skeptical. But that's my job - I critically evaluate information for our attorneys and clients. Over the years I have learned to trust most of what I find on Wikipeia and that is the best compliment I can give you. I frequently find things on Wikipedia that are nowhere else or available on high priced research services. I am very critical and hard to please and you've passed the test. Thanks.

I'm a neurosurgery resident at Wake Forest. I use and trust Wikipedia as a bonnafide source for technical and scientific information. I utilize this insight on a daily basis in the lab and clinical setting. I often use references from Wikipedia to initiate on-line research for a given topic. Thank you for what you do and keeping it free for all!!

There is an Old Chinese Proverb,"Tell me and I'll forget; show me and I may remember; involve me and I'll understand." Wikipedia is my gateway to the world and I find it readily understandable and engaging.There is nothing else like it. Thank You Mr. Wales and all your volunteers.

I am a Microscopist for Harvard Medical School and I depend on Wikipedia for its in-depth explanation of subjects I encounter on a daily basis. It's what I believe the Internet was intended to be, a vast database of knowledge, not the commercial wasteland it has become. I hope everybody that uses Wikipedia donates what they can afford because I would hate to see this become a commercially sponsored site.

I'm grateful for Wikipedia. I live in a country with limited and expensive educational resources. Being as knowledge thirsty as I am, its a huge relief to know that I can always get the information I need from Wikipedia in the flash of a second. I hope to be a Reading Room facilitator in my country some day. I hope I will have a facility large enough for several computers with internet connection where many can come to educate themselves for free because where I am from, the internet is still exclusively elitist. I pray that someday, I can touch many lives the same way wikipedia has touched mine.

Thank you for Wikipedia.

I am a retired ancient art professor from the University of Georgia. I am continuing my research projects in my retirement. In the last few weeks, I have noticed that when I do an online search for images of art works, I constantly get sites that sell reproductions, not sites with images taken from the works themselves. Wikipedia has really helped, with its large database of images, many of which can be enlarged and zoomed in on, to show fine details.

Wikipedia is a very valuable source of information, the best modern encyclopedia available, in my opinion. I like Wikipedia's philosophy, to create a platform of knowledge for everyone, and that fact that it's a non-profit ad-free organisation.

I travel all over the USA as an avionics tech. You have been very dependable in your wide range of info. Since I use your resources often I contribute to your cause. You make an effort to eliminate personal biases and give proven and accurate information and I value honesty.

I´m a college professor and avid wikipedia user. It never ceases to amaze me how quickly very detailed scientific articles are corrected and expanded and kept at the forefront of current knowledge. It is an incredible resource, and the best weapon to level the playing field between the have´s and the have not´s. Jimmy Wales should recieve the Nobel Peace prize.

I am an electrical engineering PhD student and a generally curious guy. Wikipedia is crucial for both professional reference and satisfying my curiosity on the many, many subjects that people have generously donated their time to write about. I hope everyone will donate whatever they can to keep this invaluable resource free and open.

I have liked Wikipedia for a while now, but I recently found a new reason to like it. Wikipedia is one of the only websites that doesn't use cookies to profile its users' behavior/tastes/etc, like many sites have started doing. Thanks for respecting my privacy!

Wikipedia to me is a beacon of social collaboration that helps foster the betterment of humanity in an era of commercialism and consumerism gone mad.

Wikipedia and it's counterparts engender the very spirit of community and cooperation that were a significant cornerstone for the ascendancy of our species - a spirit that is being slowly eroded as we advance rapidly towards a precarious and uncertain future.

We can only hope that Wikipedia and similar initiatives will continue to empower future generations with knowledge that will help them unlock their potential while also continuing to promote the community, collaborative and socially responsible initiatives that will be necessary to overcome the many obstacles and threats that still lay before us.

Well done to the visionaries responsible for this initiative and to the tireless, faceless volunteers who give up their time in such a great cause - keep up the good fight - the world needs you!

The scientific community has really taken a shine to Wikipedia, and its articles on different plant or animal species are incredible. When I was a child, one of my favorite books was a large single volume encyclopedia of animals. Each entry had a color drawing and fairly detailed description, and I couldn't get enough. In this way, Wikipedia is preserving the spirit of a part of my childhood. It's amazing wealth of knowledge benefits me as an adult, and I can't even begin to imagine the impact it will have on children who, like myself, are enamored with learning about the world around them. You can't put a price on making that learning possible.

As a student, Wikipedia is the best source of information for me and the rest of the students in my class and in my school. Every student uses their computer for schoolwork, and I'm so glad to get to use Wikipedia on a daily basis to check up on facts, find more information and gain knowledge. Our teachers advise us to use Wikipedia, with caution, but definately use it! I can't begin to say thank you for the many times you have rescued me and so often made it easier for me to quickly find what I'm looking for, and so much more! Thank you. :)

After I heard the author, Isabel Wilkerson speak in person about her book "The Warmth of Other Suns", I wanted to learn more about her. I went home and opened my laptop and went to Wikipedia. I was shocked that only a paragraph and the smallest amount of information was written about her. I wanted everyone to know about this important piece of work she'd just done so I registered with Wikipedia, read about how to add content and typed up a sentence about her book, making sure to include a link so others could buy it directly. When I saw it popped up the next time I searched, I was amazed that I'd contributed something that felt like I'd helped to improve the base of knowledge about not only a person- but a subject matter that means a lot to so many others.

I use Wikipedia MUCH more frequently that I've ever used any encyclopedia. High quality information that is easy to locate, backed by a process and teams that try to keep it unbiased, even when the topic is controversial.

I have utilized Wikimedia resources throughout my education, the start of my business and for each snippet of unbiased information I seek. I find myself reading Wikipedia articles in my free time, and I generally conclude the reading of each news article with three to four related Wikipedia articles.

Knowledge that I have gained from Wikipedia far surpasses other single websites. I have used this knowledge in almost every area of my life.

I am grateful to have constant access to unbiased information on almost any subject I am curious about. One day, I hope that all of the world will have access to the same information that I utilize every day.

Wikipedia has helped me get tons of free and accurate information for years. I go to school online and work part-time as a ChaCha Guide. With school, I use Wiki to verify or get information for my discussion questions almost every single day. For ChaCha, customers text questions and we send them answers. With out this wealth of free information I would not be able to be a productive member of society! Going to school and paying my rent made a big donation impossible(especially with my first child on the way!). I hope this works out and I know my money is going to a good cause. CHEERS to everyone at Wikipedia, and thank you all for your ongoing fight for the freedom of information.

I've been using Wikipedia for years, and it has never failed me. The fact that it is, in its unparalleled depth and breadth, created and maintained by a self-emergent structure of volunteers and open to curation by all users never ceases to astonish me. Wikipedia is the crown jewel of the internet, proving that human beings can cooperate to a degree rarely imagined by our most giddy optimists.

I was fortunate enough to have parents who encouraged a tireless interest in the world. I never run out of curiosity, and I always want to understand the world around me. As I grow older, and begin to plan a family of my own, I'm excited about the enormous, free resource of Wikipedia, and how much I will be able to leverage it to encourage my children's curiosity. As a future homeschooler, Wikipedia is like an enormous virtual research library that can be employed in an instant. It's a resource that didn't exist in my childhood, and I am delighted with how it will enrich my own children's lives.

Wikipedia is typically my first stop for any snippet of information, from the population of my hometown, to the names of all the kings in England, to the chemical properties of sugar. I believe it represents a vastly important public resource, created and supported by that very same public, and I am proud to be one small part of that.

I'm an English teacher. My job is to spread knowledge and language and to give people the skills to communicate globally.

Wikipedia is invaluable to me and my students. Having the combined knowledge of millions at our fingertips lends a whole new dimension to my classes. It allows my students and I to explore any topic at the drop of a hat and to learn and grow outside the limits of musty old textbooks. Without Wikipedia, I am certain that I would not be the teacher I am today.

So on behalf of my students and myself; thank you, everyone.

I started using Wikipedia when it first became available in English, and have always used Wikipedia as a reliable source for information.

I am currently studying to become a chemical engineer and I almost always find basic concepts, and some times even in-dept articles, about the subjects I research.

Even one time when we were to write a essay in a subject we got a strict message not to use Wikipedia as a source for information. Our textbook, which we could use, listed Wikipedia as one of it's sources ...

Wikipedia has implemented itself to become the #1 place for knowledge and information on the internet, and is as good as many textbooks out there.

Best regards for future work

As a knowledge worker -- an engineer -- I can never memorize all the information needed to keep doing my job in the course of a week. Since I graduated, physical constants have changed, computer techniques have been invented, and human understanding of nature is evolving. It is remarkable just how useful -- and educational -- Wikipedia can be by exposing me to other fields and schools of thought that share these fundamentals.

I use and rely on Wikipedia for its extensive and unbiased information. It is so convenient to be able to search an encyclopedia online, and I love the idea of the public contributing and correcting the information. It's a wonderful service.

But Online systems are not free, many servers and an extensive communications network form the system. We are so fortunate that the workers themselves are volunteers - it's rather like a volunteer fire department. You're so happy to have the service, and so lucky not to have to pay the men and women what they are worth, that why in the world shouldn't be happy to contribute for the fire trucks? It's the same thing.

Thanks Wikipedia. I hope my donation in some small way helps you meet the goal you've set, that is necessary to maintain your systems.

Wikipedia as a tool streamlines the process of learning. It is, and should not be, the be all and end all of study, but it provides the most vital, instant, knowledge an individual could want. It is a first step, and all journeys begin must begin with one.

More than a useful, concise, informative system Wikipedia represents the new age mankind is starting to create through our expanding information networks. A world of co-operation. A world of sharing, a world of learning and a world where everyone is equally able to contribute and benefit from the service.

And this was all by choice.

Simply because we had the technology did not mean we would start coming together, deconstructing barriers and joining together in exploration, understanding and collaboration. But we did. And we still do.

Wikipedia is a clear sign to the world of the power of people to come together for everyone's benefit if we are given the chance.

Keep it free. Keep it ours.

I am a student and my major is economics at George Mason University. There is always a great demand for information in my course of study. Wikipedia is a great tool to have in my tool belt and it has served me well. For those out there that use the Wikipedia site please help to keep it alive by donating and tell your friends about it. Wikipedia is in my opinion one of the greatest element in maintainig civilization and if continued to be offered free to the world the economic values are endless.

When don't we use Wikipedia??? Our women's Bible Study group did a weekly study of Christian authors using Spiritual Classics as our guide. Inevitably, we'd be googling these authors for extra background info to present to our group. Wikipedia always came through with needed and detailed biographical tidbits to liven up our discussions. Also, researching diseases for symptoms and cures, we find Wikipedia being quite thorough, even though there are numerous medical sites out there. Our grandchildren use Wikipedia for general info on various topics, both here and at their home computer. Thank you! Stay well, stay alive!

a female patient of mine was receiving blood transfusion for low wbc and cbc for 8 month, I had only seen her once as I work in a charity clinic for people with out insurance. Her story did not add up. She was seeing a hemetology oncologist that did a bone marrow biopsy that showed no luekemia. but had a foot note of being copper deficent. I looked her over and she had dentures and was using a lot of high zinc denture paste. I then looked on your sight that zinc competes with copper absorbtion in the gut. * 8 months earlier she had had a gallbladder out and had lost 70 lbs before this operation due to nausea. so her dentures would not fit and at that time had started using much more adhesive this increased the problem .. I took her off the adhesive and added copper to diet and in two month she was 90% improved. The oncolgist notified me he would have never had found this. Thank you the article on copper defecincy. it saved a patients life.

I use wikipedia as a jumping off point for a variety of research. I'm a chemist involved in delivering molecules to and across the skin. Periodically I will encounter a new (to me) molecule, or a new use for a molecule I know in other contexts. I particularly appreciate that wikipedia has so many molecules represented, often with structural data. But I also appreciate being able to look up whatever topic might strike me at the moment, after hearing a radio show, or when my kids have a homework question. No resource is perfect or perfectly accurate, but wikipedia does an astoundingly good job. I like that the "wisdom of the crowd" is proved out every day on wikipedia. Thanks to all you folks do.

I am a long-active entrepreneur in the Internet industry. I'm currently the "RFC Series Editor" - the lead editor in the technical body that creates the standards that make up the Internet. I find Wikipedia invaluable in that work, and in my other businesses. It has fundamentally changed the way I work and learn. I believe it is a major contributor to the increase in the speed of knowledge formation for people worldwide - that is, how they learn to navigate and manage their work and lives. It, and you, are quite astonishing. Thank you Wikipedia.

Before Wikipedia, I would read news outside my area of expertice, but usually didn't understand it. I didn't have the time to read up or Google everything that was disscussed and parse through a dozen usually biased hits from newspapers or randon websites. Now I can quickly understand almost any news article in any field, be it politics, economics, science, you name it. I love the objectiveness of Wikipedia. Usually there is no slant. Wikipedia is really the only site I can rely on to get the skinny on anything without having to wade through the irrelvant side-rants on other sites search engines like Google return. I admit, its ironic, but thanks to this encyclopedia I am up on the latest news. Thanks!

I am 15 years old, and I understand when it is appropriate to use wikipedia. I don't think that wikipedia is amazing because it helps me finish my chem labs, or because it keeps me interested late at night, but because it spreads the knowledge around. It's anti-proprietary knowledge, and it's the best thing on the internet so far. GNU would (and probably is) be proud.

I believe that with Wikipedia, all of us can be a little (or I dare say) lot more aware of the world around us and its history. I like the fact that despite all these years and all the corrupting influences in the net, it is still unbiased, does not promote anything or anybody and manages to provide information without 'passion or prejudice', that it has zealous editors and moderators who quickly pounce on any lobbying/ self-serving articles and keep it clean. Its not perfect, but its influence on the world we live in is tremendous. I dare say its the biggest thing to happen in the noughties! so I contributed to help make it even better; and because I use it almost every day,I'm only helping myself...

Wikipedia has aided me learn everything from anthropological theory to zoological nomenclature, and an infinite realm of possibilities in between. Though it has its share of flaws, a future in which every person has access to free, unbiased knowledge is a utopia dreamt by philosophers. I first encountered the website in 2003, and I have helped edit pages on upcoming video games, analysis of world literature, and pointless political debates. I have great disdain for those who scoff at Wikipedia as non-scholarly and say, "Anyone can edit it." That is the point! If an article is incorrect and you have the knowledge to fix it, then do something besides complaining! Wikipedia is the future of information, and the future is now! Excelsior!

I use wikipedia a dozen or more times a day. It is an essential resource to my writing and teaching activities. And, as you say, it is universally available, for free, for anybody in the entire world.

Wikipedia is the focal point of the ongoing informational paradigm shift, the revolution from a world controlled by the few to a world free and open to everybody equally. I am proud to contribute to something that really, truly, makes a difference.

I am huge advocate of knowledge sharing and it’s potential. Wikipedia is the best tool for just that, knowledge sharing. It has restructured how we get our daily information. Without a question, there will always be skeptics that attack its credibility, however due to the established infrastructure of the site; the integrity of the information will be maintained. For those who still question it need to use the site and test the accuracy themselves AND also should watch the interview of Jimmy Wales on TED.com. Not only am I pro-Wikipedia for its powerful ever-expanding information delivery, but also because Mr. Wales seems to be genuine in his motive for the site; to bring a vast amount of knowledge to anyone on the planet.

Wikipedia flows against the ever-prevalent trend of proprietary knowledge, meaning knowledge kept and used by its holder not for the common good but his own benefit. Knowledge should not have a copyright but rather be free and accessible by all. The success of Wikipedia, with its millions of visitors and true treasure of knowledge is the proof that humans, indeed, do not live only to make money but also to share and do good to one another. I admit having been surprised in a delightful and deep way seeing the professional and abundant input by people all over the world making Wikipedia by far the most rich single source of information globally. For these reasons alone -and there are tons of other-, Wikipedia must be sustained and kept alive. I urge anybody reading this to donate whatever amount they won't feel as a loss -it will be enough.

Wikipedia means up-to-date expansive definitions that have the thorough vetting of multiple minds and perspectives. I love that Wikipedia is a place where knowledge, value, and community exist without interference from advertising and pay-to-play biased featuring. I believe that Wikipedia is one of the most worthwhile and inspiring models of planetary collective action in human history. My gratitude to all those that make it what it is.

Wikipedia is a crucial source of information for any scientist conducting inter-disciplinary work. Where else can one easily explore topics within physics, statistics, mathematics, information theory, and electrical engineering? Wikipedia provides a fundamental bridge between diverse fields of inquiry, and has definitely helped me during my pursuit of a PhD in neuroscience.

I've been using Wikipedia for as long as I could remember researching various topics and issues on the internet. What never ceases to amaze me most is how incredibly well this phenomenally vast repository of knowledge has been developed and disseminated over the years -- all without paying massive numbers of employees or charging users a dime. The idea that the single greatest body of knowledge under one virtual roof can be created, edited and made available for the masses all free of charge is one of the spectacular developments of our era.

Wikipedia is an incredible resource. It's open source, unbiased and has changed the way we look for information in today's world. I hope that it will always remain as it is today - free, without advertising, and run by good people who care. For a medical practitioner it's an invaluable reference for those hard-to-remember rare medical conditions and obscure signs and symptoms.

I am a public reference librarian at a busy regional library system. I am frequently asked questions regarding topics about which I am totally ignorant. Wikipedia has become a vital tool in my everyday work, allowing me to quickly educate myself about a particular topic so that I may perform more in-depth research in our books and databases. It is absolutely indispensable as a reference tool for professional researchers and students alike.

As a student, Wikipedia is an invaluable reference source for every possible subject. As a former volunteer and administrator, I know that Wikipedia is the sum of millions of hours of people like you and me. And as a member of the global community, I know that by sharing this information with the world, we can continue to work for a just society. That's why I give to Wikipedia.

When I first came across Wikipedia, I was simply looking for some information. I noticed a few typos and realized I could fix them right then and there. Imagine that, an encyclopedia that anyone could edit! My contributions grew from simple grammatical fixes to finding sources and finally to creating entire articles.

This is the sort of thing the world needs. Free flow of information is, of course, paramount, but that information is useless if it's edited by a select group of people before anyone else sees it. Wikipedia eliminates that bias by allowing anyone with the knowledge and the sources to back it up to make sure anyone reading an article gets the whole story. As long as Wikipedia exists, I'll keep helping to keep that idea alive.

I have always valued Wikipedia, but it wasn't until I made an entry myself, and saw the editing, redacting and relinking done that I appreciiated the level of effort being made to maintain the integrity and quality of the information on this Wikipedia - It is a tremendous, brilliant effort that I fully applaud.

Wikipedia means efficiency to me. Whenever I need to look up something, be it for studies, work or out of curiosity, the answer is just a click of a button away. Well structured, comprehensible, with cross-references and free of ads. And if I'm not satisfied with the answer found, I can simply track its sources. I love it!

I use Wikipedia almost daily. Granted it is usually for fairly banal argument settling smart phone references, but nearly daily nevertheless.

Much more than just that, for me, Wikipedia is the accomplishment of everything that the original cyberpunks promised it COULD be. An endless, expansive, altruistic, comprehensive, nearly trans-human conglomeration of human wisdom. Amazing. Even IF this were achieved through MASSIVE investment of capital, it would still register as an astonishing accomplishment. But now that it stands as proof that this new, non-profit-driven project development model not only works, but works astonishingly well, wikipedia also represents a possible tectonic cultural shift that could, just maybe, get us closer to a much richer and more altruistic world.

Reader, Writer, and Believer. The collection of all knowledge is a goal which I hope we can achieve. For the longest time I wondered who wrote all the scientific articles on wikipedia. All the enzymes, metabolites, physics, pathways, cycles and more detailed and simplified. This year I started editing pages on Helicases and Telomeres and I realized its people like me. People like you. We all contribute, we all benefit. Wikipedia.

I believe that inexpensive or free access to education and knowledge are things that can help our country in countless ways.

The brilliance of the Wikipedia system is that it allows volunteers (essentially) to monitor new content and changes and it ends up allowing the people themselves (us) to produce a high quality public good that we can all share!

I'm a technical editor at a multinational environmental engineering firm. I'm sitting on my couch right now editing a human health risk assessment and needed a quick explanation of Henry's Law Constant. Of course, I went to the Wiki. Always my first stop shop to help grow my brain. Keep up the masterful work, guys!

I use Wikipedia occasionally, to get information about this or that topic in a way that is quick and surprisingly reliable. But I donated because I like what Wikipedia means for us as a species. To me, it's nothing less than the demonstration that the good in humans *can* prevail. That's the world I believe in, and that's the world I'm excited about being a part of. So thanks, Wikipedia, for being a touchstone of my faith in the good of mankind!

Having grown up with World Book Encyclopedia volumes on our bookshelves, seeing the "Edit" link on the first "Wikipedia" article I read, was a revolution. By that time I was already following Open Source projects and using Open Source software like Linux and Mozilla, so I was very much a crowd-sourcing advocate. But to bring that same model to the realm of general knowledge, and with it, a "View History" link? That was a revelation. The "View History" link proclaimed "Don't just check our facts, but check our process." I offer my small donation as a thanks for both the revelation and the revolution. More than just a resource, Wikipedia's and the Wikimedia Foundation's efforts these past 10 years have been an example. May more institutions aspire to be as democratic, as open, and as humble. Thanks.

As a translator, I find it very useful that articles in Wikipedias in different languages are cross-linked. In this way, it often only takes a few seconds to see the translation of the name of an institution, person, saint, etc. Recently I was translating an essay on Papal Designation from Czech to English, full of Czech names of saints and popes, and Wikipedia did for me in a matter of minutes what would have taken me half a day looking up in the local library or browsing random sites in the Internet!

I am a dermatology professor in a near-Cairo university. About 5 years ago I was preparing a lecture for my students. Every time I made a search for my subject search results return fine material but I was unable to use them as they all required me to pay an amount of US dollars that nearly equal my monthly sallary. Then I found wikipedia and when I found thatt information is valuable and free I started to to search for a "catch" like:"for full article pay...I found no catch. since then I looked at wikipedia as my first, respectable source of knowledge starting from sofisicated science to the meaning of the lyrics of the songs that I liked in the senenties. Thanks for wikipedia and thank you for and feeling that allover the world there are people who need information but can not pay for it.

My story is that I am a University Professor at home with a limited access to an up to date data bank due to our extremely slow and inefficient library system. I rely largely on Wikipedia as a source of immediate and ample information on constantly arising queries to me and my students. Based on it we can further research into more detailed channels. I would not want this site to become paying for that is forbidding to me and many other people and opposes the ideology of the Internet.

As a naturalist I use Wikipedia frequently for quick access to detailed accurate information on wildlife around the world; the scientific integrity of the information is usually immediately apparent and I find I can almost always take it at face value. I have many times over been able to verify information I've found there. It is a continual source of amazement and inspiration to me.

The success of Wikipedia as the premier online encyclopedia represents the triumph of grassroots, "bottom up" volunteerism over authoritarian "top down" institutionalism. It's confirmation that people actually want to contribute their ideas and talents so that others can learn from their experience. I love it. Thank you for being an example of cooperation I can show to my kids.

Because of Wikipedia, I can read with much fuller understanding of the other sources I access. That is, I use Wikipedia as a reference source for information about terms or topics of interest, as they are mentioned in other documents that I happen to be reading. It is thus an essential component to efficient study -- an efficiency that I could only dream of, before the Internet made real-time cross-source navigation such a convenient and essential aspect of the research process.

In any case, I am delighted at what Wikipedia makes possible and that I can use it! Thank you.

I'm old enough to have lived (almost) at the Bronx Reference Center Library in the 1950s. They even had a Record Room, which is how I discovered that classical music was more than Ravel's "Bolero".

I'm crazy enough to think that music is more real than so-called "reality," and yet still crazy enough to be interested and curious about many, many things -- both "cool" things like music, and heartbreaking things like governments and the future of the planet.

Who'da thunk that some inspired I-community out there would become a reliable source for at least something about almost anything? So I'm going to sleep loving the voice and songwriting of Rokia Traore for months now, when I realize I know nothing much about her. Boom: Wikipedia not only fills me in, but sheds needed light on related music from Africa, part of the same relatively new but ongoing love affair. And external links too. An ADD grandpa's temporary paradise.

It's not world peace, but it is a working model for the kind of world I need and want. Thanks, Jimmy and associated scoundrels. I'm unemployed, but you probably can see why I made a small donation anyway.

I teach English to international English Language Learners in a public elementary school. We use Wikipedia almost every day to get fast, easy to understand information about many of the things these kids want to learn. They are insatiably curious, and Wikipedia is my first choice go-to for reliable information. I'm also a doctoral student, and several of my professors, who do not allow Wikipedia to be used as an academic reference, admit that they use it for background information and comprehensible information on a variety of complex ideas. When I recently told my statistics professor that I used it to help me understand a particularly difficult topic, he praised Wikipedia as a good source.

I met my husband, a resident of New Jersey, two-and-a-half years ago, coincidentally while I was in Canada studying for the New York Bar. Our "dates" often began after I spent the day in class and at the library, and consisted of long-distance conversations with my then-suitor. He had plenty of comments on my studies of the day gleaned from Wikipedia on criminal law; Wikipedia on Estates; Wikipedia (and his own knowledge) on securities law. I was charmed. We've since (very happily) married, we're in this crazy economy together, and we use wikipedia to do house repairs now.

I've been using Wikipedia since 2006. I've always loved it, first as a nifty toy/tool, and now, more or less, as an authoritative source. I realize that anyone can provide information on Wikipedia, and at first this truth reduced a small measure of respect for the credibility of information that the site presents. However, as a recent college graduate, I realize that simply because information is published and cited, doesn't keep it from being biased-- or even true-- 100 percent of the time. Filtering information's credibility is the job of the reader. Wikipedia makes this filtering process as easy as any electronically or physically published work. I love the ability wikipedia has to satiate the curiosity that I have, from a fleeting question about a childhood cartoon, to an in-depth interest in scientific theory, or italian renaissance art. Information is available, ignorance is no longer permissible, and our world just may expand exponentially because of this website. To the administrators of Wikipedia: thank you for your ground-breaking work.

My life is about others, I cant help but want the best for everyone. I believe in community and I think that kind of love is irresistible. Wikipedia has been able to provide free education to all for years now and I believe its only right to give back. As a college student getting ready to enter the world of business I find that the global community is strong and thriving and I think a very important piece of that can be contributed to those like Wikipedia.

My personal battle is education and I want the world to be given access to the best tools possible. With things out there like Wikipedia a new opportunity arises; We can now learn outside of school. I believe the next step is acknowledgment and I hope to create a system to allow acknowledgment to everyone not only those who have had official education.

Thank you for helping us!

As President of our local chapter of PFLAG, I have used Wikipedia many times to research issues that come up on our hot-line phone from people that really need help.

Thank you Jimmy!

Wikipedia and the entire Wikimedia foundation means a lot to me. The concept that anyone with access to the internet can learn about virtually any subject they wish is astounding. The core principles of Wikipedia are, in my opinion, not only the principles of Wikipedia and its sister projects, but of the internet itself. The idea that anyone can share their knowledge with anyone else with an interest in the subject is incredible.

Additionally, the efforts that the foundation are making to distribute this information to people without internet access, through projects such as OLPC and others, is simply awesome.

When people are better informed, they can make better decisions. When they make better decisions, the world gets better. In short, the Wikimedia Foundation informs the world, and improves the world.

Thank you for your efforts.

Wikipedia has helped me work my way through Paramedic school and has been a huge help in the field working on an ambulance. When I come across a medication that I have never seen before, I can quickly access information about it using wikipedia, allowing me to more effectively and efficiently treat my patients and prevent potentially lethal drug interactions. Without wikipedia, I would have to try to sift through search results or contact a doctor to ask. By having such a vast body of knowledge at my fingertips, it leaves me free to worry about other things, instead of trying to decipher labels.

I got to know and started using wikipedia from the time I was in the USA, No 3709 Collier Road, Randallstown, MD 21133. God bless you friends. I am an ordained Baptist pastor with passion for learning. wikipedia has been a blessing to me more than any other website. Back home in Nigeria I have used Wikipedia for my University assignments coming out with distinctions. Next to my Bible, I have used Wikipedia for both spiritual and purely scientic research. I was trained a biochemist before the Lord's call. I will surely make my donation to the advancement of this site. Love you all.

The most amazing repository of information - continually updated.The unique feature of making it publicly accessible for discussion and correction ensures that the information is as close as one can get to being free of bias.

I am a Registered Nurse consultant in a care home and I find Wikipedia an invaluable source of information from diagnosis signs and symptoms, standards of care, ICD 9 billing codes, medication uses and side effects. It makes my job a lot easier to have at my fingertips all of the resources available at Wikipedia. I also have 2 children that are away serving missions for our church in both England and France. I use Wikipedia to learn about the people and areas where they are serving. I have 7 children total and Wikipedia is always one of our favorite web resources for school work. I love everything about it. Thank you for making this wealth of information available free to the world!

As a Library Science graduate student, I did my Thesis on Wikipedia, arguing that resistance to Wikipedia was counterproductive, disingenuous, and self-defeating to the profession, and that ignoring Wikipedia as a resource was to ignore the very best source of quick information anywhere. This was in 2007, and I think that time has borne me out. As an information professional, Wikipedia is often a place I look first when I need to figure out where to look for more comprehensive, authoritative information. I don't cite it, but I sure use it a lot!

The web has changed all of our lives profoundly and in ways that we could never have imagined, much less foreseen. I'm 72 years old and even though I began programming at Duke University in 1958, did early work with DARPA, worked with CERN in the late 60's through mid '70's, every day I am amazed at the research I can do and the knowledge that is available to me on the web and in particular on Wikipedia. When I Google a subject, the first thing I look for is what Wikipedia has to say. If you don't have the references that I can check - you say so - but more often than not you do have them. You are just an incredibly valuable resource. Thank you.

As a community college teacher, Wikipedia is invaluable to me. Wikipedia makes me a far better teacher than I otherwise would be. I have used it to learn, I have used it to teach, and now I give assignments with it. Thanks for creating something that gives me so much faith in the ability of regular people to provide a common resource more valuable than anything produced from a company. I cannot think of a resource on the internet that is more valuable.

I'm 17 years old and have been using Wikipedia since I was 12. As a highschool student I don't have too much money to throw around, but I know my five dollar donation will nonetheless contribute to what I see as one of the most important projects of this decade. As the world globalizes and the internet spreads, sites like Wikipedia are what will prove to be the most invaluable resources available in the 21st century.

In the early 1950s my parents were professors at the University of Tucuman in North West Argentina. When we children got to the age of 10 we were allowed to sit at the dinner table as our parents entertained fellow academics from the University. Animated discussions would often arise that usually led my father to dash into his study to retrieve some reference work from his big library in order to settle some point in the debate. Now, whether I'm with friends or family and a discussion arises whilst we're at the table, anything that needs some explanation or clarification gets immediately typed into the Google search engine on a nearby notebook connected to Internet and Wikipedia at once emerges as the first point of reference. Oh! How my father and his fellow professors would have loved to have had this phenomenal tool at their fingertips! And it keeps getting better and better as more and more of us take part in refining the quality of the information held available for the world to consult. It has become so important a first source of information that I cannot imagine a world without its ubiquitous presence. I am deeply grateful.

Wikipedia may not always be 100% accurate, but studies [citation needed] have shown that pretty much no source of information is.

This difference with Wikipedia is that if you happen to know it isn't accurate, you can fix it.

Practically speaking, though, the more open framework offered by Wikipedia allows individuals to provide information on much more up-to-date topics that other similarly formated sources of information, and is definitely more definitive than many of the results that can be found by using internet search engines.

I work in a field where the technology is not only constantly changing, but frequently is associated with some relatively old an obscure technologies that I've never heard of, and I've found Wikipedia is a valuable source to quickly get up to speed and find out specific information I may need to do more in-depth research in.

It may not be 100% accurate, but right now, it's still better than anything else I've used for getting basic information.

We are a small nonprofit, professional membership association that researches, edits, and publishes on a variety of fast-breaking topics on terrorism, intelligence, espionage, and cyber security issues, and Wikipedia serves as a superbly maintained and updated reference for us, unequaled elsewhere on the Internet or in the world of print. I fear that too many Internet users do not realize it is a run by a private foundation that maintains it at considerable cost, nor appreciate the incredible demands required to keep this living encyclopedia the current, honest, unbiased reference work it is. Where would people turn if they did not have an online, free source such as "the Wiki"?

As an academic I encourage my students to use Wikipedia as a starting point. I use it that way too. I also value being able to use links on my blog - democracy street - direct and as a portal for further sources. I have also submitted about 5 articles- on my step-father Jack Hargreaves and on my mentor Denys Raynor and on my favourite urban green spaces, Handsworth Park and Black Patch Park. I enjoy and value the iterative approach to knowledge that is the essence of Wikipedia. I also value the tough but mostly fair regulatory process that allows Wikipedia to maintain articles involving polarised and contested narratives. There's no such thing as neutral history but this must be one of the ways to head in the direction of that enigmatic thing we call 'truth'.

The modern internet has been shaped by Wikipedia in ways no-one could have expected. Ten years ago, if someone wanted to learn, even topically, about a new subject, it may have taken them several hours to find the information, and it would be disorganized and unsorted. Now, Wikipedia is searched millions of times a day for casual interest, conversational dialogue, historical and political coverage, and is, in short, the best and largest single-source repository of moderated information on the internet. The world has changed, and Wikipedia is an undeniable and unshakable pillar of the information age.

Wikipedia has been my constant friend through college and until today. Purely academic research is rare in my country, the Philippines, and the research materials even more uncommon. While one cannot fault a lack of focus on science (as my country is relatively poor), one can protest against the difficulty of acquiring information that could very well lead to changes to our world.

There was not a week that I did not check something on Wikipedia. Always handy, and presented in a format that makes it easy to glean information for quick reference, yet with the potential for much more extensive presentation, I favored Wikipedia for all my questions -- academic and otherwise.

As a person with varied interests and a mind that tends to cling to curiosities, Wikipedia is at the very least a double blessing for me. I could quite literally be hampered in my work if a strong question comes to mind. Better to look it up quickly and be done with it than to suffer curiosity's prodding or even -- at times -- piercing claws.

The greatest help I ever got from Wikipedia was when I was writing my undergraduate thesis. I was the lead proponent in a study on the aspects and development of a Machine Translation system for Ilocano (a Philippine language) and English. There were, quite literally, no available sources for Ilocano linguistics in the context of Natural Language Processing. The only related materials available were dictionaries for Ilocano and English. Neither were there books dealing with the core of NLP. In the end, Wikipedia was what helped us make it through the undertaking, and now our study has become the foundation for further NLP studies in our university.

Going beyond how it was useful (and still proves to be, to this day), Wikipedia is an ideal. It is the actualization of a concept that transcends geopolitical boundaries and human strife. It is a leading means of sharing and retrieving information, regardless of one's location, identity, or other traits.

What can I say? Wikipedia means hope, integrity, sanity, everything to me. It's that simple.

I lived through and witnessed all the various evolutionary stages of the Internet and its users. From an early pond of students, academics and computer geeks hacking their 2400bps modems in the early 90s...to the modern Internet ocean that is primarily dominated by ads and commercial interests, entertainment and gossip, biased info or false truths, and search engines that make it very difficult to separate unbiased and valuable information from the top-ranking commercial results.

Wikipedia is one of the few sites that turn the web into an enlightening and immensely useful and helpful resource. I can only hope it will stay this way. Keep up the good work!

Of course I use wikipedia often and find it a marvel. But my wikipedia story is this: My best friend has a 17 yr old son who is brilliant, creative, and is (what more could we want for our kids?) his own person. What he has asked for for his 18th birthday next week is donations to wikipedia. Brilliant idea from a brilliant kid to support a brilliant movement.

Wikipedia helps me learn about the world! As a young college student, its articles are invaluable, not for easy citations for papers, but as aid in gaining understanding of concepts that would otherwise be out of my reach. Writers like Freud and Foucault are accessible on Wikipedia, without being watered down.

There are two reasons I admire Wikipedia.

There's the "what" -- the mass of information that is well sourced and reliable. Wikipedia is now my preferred source for a quick look up of almost anything. It may not be the final authority, but its the place to check first.

More important (to me) than the "what" there's the "how" -- the remarkable success of crowd-sourcing serious articles to anonymous authors.

I'd have bet that wouldn't work. . . that it has worked makes Wikipedia's triumph much more than its substance, its an important and (to me) completely unexpected lesson in how people can work collaboratively, even when in dispute, anonymous, and physically distant.

Wikipedia means a free and unfettered access to information in an accessible format. It is a universal pooling of systematised knowledge. For me, as a journalist and a South African, it has proven to be a powerful force with huge potential in creating a free and open society.

From the very beginning, I thought Wikipedia could change the world. Sure, there was a lot of unverified & false info. at the beginning. But revolutions usually are messy at first.

But now it has become the oracle of our times.

I am Palestinian of origin and could never find fair and balanced histories of the issues that plague that part of the world. Seems like each side had their version and that was that. But Wikipedia gave both sides' views in one spot. THIS is what will change the world.

When different peoples know of and learn about the mythos and narratives of the so called 'other', it will be easier to make peace.

I am always amazed at how current the information on Wikipedia is. My wife and I were watching an episode of Celebrity Apprentice about a year ago when I decided to Google one of the celebrities. The first hit was Wikipedia and when I clicked on it I had access to a ton of information on the celebrity INCLUDING the information that the person was just voted off IN THE EPISODE WE WERE WATCHING! It was a spoiler to some extent. . .the show must have aired back East about an hour or 2 earlier and there the information was--already updated on Wikipedia!

Wikipedia is a wonderful resource. Personally, I love to wander from link to link on random journeys of discovery. Tonight I wanted to refresh myself on the origin of the Chinese dish Chop Suey. That led me to Chow Mein and how it is different on the East and West Coasts. And that led me to the Chow Mein sandwich popular in parts of New England. As a journalist, I often rely on Wikipedia. If I Google a subject, the Wikipedia entry is usually the first thing I will read. Sure, some entries can be questionable, like a single-sourced bio of a minor celebrity or historical figure. But I know that, say, a a major Civil War battle is going to be solid because an army of scholars and enthusiasts take great care to make sure those entries are accurate. And if there is a serious dispute, those entries are flagged. With those safeguards, I've come to trust Wikipedia. If I could, I would donate more than I have. It's worth it. Wikipedia is what the Internet should be about: A wealth of knowledge at your fingertips.

My students at the University of Northern Iowa and I use Wikipedia daily to access information quickly. Naturally, being an academic I am concerned about the documentation of sources. But a broad spectrum of the information available on Wikipedia is meticulously cited and contributed by persons obviously concerned with accuracy. I should have made a contribution long ago, but better late than never.

Wikipedia's foundation happened right around the same time I graduated from High School. Therefore, for all of my pre-college education, I did not have the luxury of using its functions for research. Of course, the internet was around, but it was disorganized and the only way to find information was by using a search engine or articles database. There was no central source of education written by many contributors and edited by many hands. As usual, interpretation of found information is dependent on the inquisitor's intelligence, but the procedure to find it relies on the technology and tools on hand.

I believe that all knowledge should be free and easily accessible. For the many people who are interested in the pursuit of knowledge, it should not be difficult to attain. Many people take this for granted. I do not. I wake up each day amazed at many things in the world, and enjoy studying them and reading about them. I have and always had too many questions all at once, and tools like Wikipedia and the internet make starting a quest for the answers as easy as typing a couple of words in a search query and pressing enter. No one should have to spend time looking for a way to find answers to their questions, let alone the answers themselves.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that Wikipedia is a means to an end, it is not the end but it sure as heck makes it a lot easier to find the end. Either way, I am just about as amazed by the things that cause my questions as the things that help answer them. Thank you Wikipedia!!!

As purveyors of Organic foods and wines we are used to a customer base that demands as much information as possible about the products they select. We have found Wikipedia to be, not only an incredible wealth of information, but also the one source that everyone agrees upon and accepts as our point of reference. Thank you.

Moved to Bali where termites eat books and books are difficult to buy...big contrast to the UK where there is free access to libraries. I have my own design business and often need visual references of animals and plants plus I have 11 year old twin boys who ask LOTS of questions...basically because of Wikipedia I moved to live on a beach and to work closely with my craftspeople in this fascinating place and my boys can get educated too.

I am a retired prof. of chemistry and I'm not active professionally, but I find Wikipedia to be of great use as I pursue readings and study in many areas including history, science, and music. I have followed your development from the start. I was initially concerned that the open manner of contributing would lead to the promulgation of much misinformation. However, I have come to appreciate the sort of self-correcting nature of Wikipedia as the revisions become more and more authoritative. Still I am happy that you now use some degree of oversight to keep opinions and facts from intruding on each other.

Having been an educator, I very much appreciate that students can start research projects in many fields by looking in Wikipedia. In many cases links in the articles can lead the reader to published authoritative sources. I know this first hand from discussions with my grandchildren.

Please keep up the good work in maintaining high standards of scholarliness and thank you for your devotion to disseminating knowledge.

I use wikipedia almost every day to do research of all kinds, both into the subjects I'm working on (history of childbirth, 19th century British and American literature) but to follow up on people and issues that come up as I read the news of the day. It's extraordinary to have access immediately to such a huge encyclopedia, with images as well. I feel confident about using material written by wikipedia's contributors. I have read entries about subjects I know well, for example "home birth," and found them to be accurate and balanced. Thanks to all for a wonderful service!

I am a naturally curious person and Wikipedia facilitates this curiosity. There are certain subjects that particularly interest me such as organic chemistry, astronomy/cosmology and classical music. The way Wikipedia presents information makes the access of these topics very easy but it also opens my eyes to many other subjects that with standard reference books (encyclopedias)I would probably not bother with. I commend the work you do at Wikipedia and agree strongly with your non-commercial policy. Keep up the good work.

I'm a 22 year old, 2 tour combat veteran, an Infantryman with the 1st Cavalry Division. I enjoy the information I find on wikipedia and as a soldier I know that is power and when it's only as far as a click away it's a rare commodity.

Wikipedia is as invaluable a resource as there is on the internet today. As a kid I used to thumb endlessly through my parents' World Book encyclopedia set, many times, without even a specific direction.

This has translated quite easily later in life into entire mornings and afternoons I can and have spent here - one of my "Wikipedia days" - often looking up one thing specifically, then branching off on a journey of 25 other related subjects, without even realizing it, with 6 browser tabs open at a time. Then at some point I realize, wow, 7 hours have just gone by. ^_^

It's just a great idea from its foundation.. a compendium of information on subjects ranging almost entirely across the world's history, submitted by users, fact checked and verified by users, verified, effortlessly self-referencing, and enjoyed by all.

In the toolbox that is the internet, Wikipedia would at least be the phillips-head screwdriver.

Btw, I just looked up the correct spelling of "phillips," via a quick Wikipedia side-search. ^_^

I'm more than happy to donate $20 for its immeasurable and continued use in my daily life. Thanks Wikipedia.

As a person of intense curiosity and creative impulse, I've always wondered why am I like this? As a child I was bothered by my difference from others around me and at the time I was convinced that there was something wrong with me.

For a long time I did not understand why I was like I was; a person with a passion for sciences, philosophy, arts, music and practically everything was interesting to me. It was a endless exploration of how, why, when, and if things worked and operated.

Only during my late teens did I begin to understand all the manifold subjects and interests that I had.

That understanding came from the evermore popular internet and it's potential for storing and sharing information.

Searching the internet for infomation was somewhat an art or a skill in itself during the 1995-2001 when all you had was words or a loose image in your head.

When Wikipedia started gathering momentum and with that more articles, finding information came that much more efficient and productive.

Now I know why I am like I am. I am an INTP according to the Jungian personality type topology. My tendency towards learning multiple skills and memorising massed ammounts of knowledge has a name: Polymath. My ethical and political values also have a definition: Liberal Nationalist.

I would most likely still be plagued by self doubt and feel that there is something wrong with me if it was not for knowledge.

Wikipedia brought and gave that knowled to me and for that it has proven how vital and indispensable knowledge and understanding is.

Thank you for helping me understand myself and the world that I live in.

Wikipedia is a very valuable tool for me as a translator of medical and pharmaceutical materials from Japanese into English. When I need a little background information to make sure I am understanding a sentence correctly, Wikipaedia is always the first place I turn to. The hyperlinks are great: I can quickly jump to a more general article to get a wider view of the subject, or zero in on the specific content I need to understand. No translator can know as much as

As I translator I need to jump from one specialist field to another, often combining more than one field in the same document. Furhtermore, Japanese sentences are often much less precise than English ones (because the author assumes that a specialist reader will know what he means without having it spelled out precisely), so I often need to choose between several possible interpretations based on background knowledge. Wikipedia usually fills in the gaps in my background knowledge so quickly that my workflow is not seriously interrupted. Someimes, it actually speeds up my work because I can proceed more confidently. Finally, even when it is not essential to my translation work, it is always satisfying to learn new things as I work and to understand the context of the detailed information I am translating. Bravo Wikipedia! You have become a trusted colleague and advisor. I feel gratitude to all the contributors and editors, and I am pleased to have an opportunity to contribute financially to your future success.

I do research, well, on just about everything. With more search engines trying to 'steer' the reader to specific sites and 'sell' an idea or product along with the information, I find I rely more and more heavily on the 'pure' info supplied by Wikipedia. I especially like all the URL links for further investigation and am always assured that the information supplied is: 1) easy to access 2) as accurate and up to date as information can be these days 3) free of time-wasting pop-ups, ads and 'filtering' and 4) provides esoteric, quantitative, qualitative and difficult-to-find information on a wealth of subjects not found anywhere else. My heart-felt thanks to Jimmy Wales for his vision, to all at Wikipedia, and to all the contributors who make this possible.

I am an English teacher, currently teaching 6th grade. I have introduced Wikipedia to my students, encouraging them to explore the world through this amazing portal, this "Encyclopedia Galactica!" We've even discussed the possibility that, one day, if/when extraterrestrials finally connect with us, hopefully they'll post their knowledge on Wikipedia too!

And I've showed them the Pitot House entry, and the fact that third graders began it. They were quite impressed, and not a few of them aspire to be part of the Wikipedia community of contributors--now, and as they continue to grow and learn throughout life.

You inspire us all! Thank you.

I have been using Wikipedia since high school. It has been a great resource for expanding my general knowledge of the world, and as it is well maintained by a responsible group of individuals it provides an accurate and readily available source for knowledge. It has been helpful in providing background and sources for many papers and projects and has been an invaluable and supportive resource in my education. I thank Wikipedia's founders and its employees for maintaining their commitment to this great creation. I wish Wikipedia further success and I only hope it grows bigger and stronger in the future. As my friends and I always say when we get good grades back from teachers and professors, "Viva La Wiki!"

I have spent two thirds of my life in another continent and in a country which political system (overthrown now) is considered by historians to have been one of the most extreme known dictatorships. Citizens were inprisoned for years if they were suspected of reading or of owning the wrong books. I grew up in a house where masterpieces of literature were hidden in cardboxes under beds and we risked our lifes to protect these books. Wikipedia is my homepage now.

Not only is Wikipedia one of the first places I turn in starting to gather information on a topic - it has also become the model of how I communicate on issues. I work in an industry that often is the center of controversy, and I have concluded that Wikipedia offers a model of collaboration that allows those with different viewpoints to agree on what the full, and often interesting, story is behind controversial situations.

The ability to learn more within a tenth of the time required to visit reference libraries. And it means that as our perceptions of history change, our Wikipedia stays right along with us. Never in the course of human events have so many give freely of their time to create such a masterpiece of technology, from which so many have benefited. Thanks!

As an academic teaching graduate level university courses, I find Wikipedia to be not only an important source of knowledge for me and classes but also one of the most valuable lessons for everyone about the potential of the voluntary spirit, humanity for humanity,sharing for the sake of sharing. I sincerely applaud Jimmy Wales for his imaginative innovation in allowing people everywhere the opportunity to create a peer-to-peer way to voluntarily learn from each other without prejudice and beyond the ever-increasing sphere of proprietary claims on knowledge. Bravo.

Wikipedia is quite possibly the most important site on the internet, and it is completely volunteer driven. It shows to me that if you give people both freedom AND responsibility, they can be trusted. Those of you who offer up the complaint that Wikipedia is "less accurate" or "more biased" than print or official texts on subjects are obviously not aware of the sorry state of public school textbooks. I have never found information to be more accurate, fair, or neutral to ideology and belief than that which I find on Wikipedia. If, like me, you turn to this immense source of data whenever you have a question, do your part and give a little.

I first started using Wikipedia on a regular basis when I was a new teacher and needed immediate access to information on an almost unlimited array of subjects for my inquisitive students. High school science the Wikipedia way ...  Now, Wikipedia is so much a part of my everyday knowledge gathering, life in general in fact, that I sometimes forget what life was like without it. I love it and am eternally grateful for the knowledge base, the forum for ideas, and the community driven improvement of information. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

I studied about Wikipedia in college and found the way it grew very fascinating. It's full of stuff! Even my grandma can read the wikipedia in her native language that is not English. A perfect example of a social web that is legitimate and that people trust. I contributed to a few articles myself on Wikipedia and helped clean some others. I even found some great papers through wikipedia! Grateful to the people with the idea and the contributors.

Wikipedia is an invaluable resource for both myself and my personal use, as well as my professional use and that of my students. It is usually the first port of call for any research required (and often the last). It is a great tool for education, for cross-cultural learning, and for bridging the digital divide.

I'm a graduate student in electrical engineering at Stanford University. Wikipedia has helped me a countless number of times in expanding my knowledge of electrical engineering, computer science, mathematics, physics, and chemistry. Besides this, it provides a ton of knowledge on a variety of different fields, ranging from sciences to the fine arts to the absurd. There isn't a cheaper resource available to students like me on the internet, and I'm beyond grateful for the number of times it's helped me. To those who may believe Wikipedia to be an inaccurate source of information, I must say that beyond fields that are under political or personal influences and agendas, Wikipedia has provided reliable, solid information on a variety of advanced topics. Even on topics that are regularly influenced by opinion, I've known Wikipedia takes a strongly neutral stance, owing to the dedicated editors that monitor its pages.

As a person who logs into Wikipedia first thing when he needs information, I feel it’s a moral duty to keep this wealth of information there, and as an engineer who gains money and affords to pay I feel it’s a responsibility to support this pool of knowledge so it’s still there for the students and for our sons and daughters.

With the same justified attitude that makes us pay for our food, we have to consider how paying for knowledge can be. Food is the meal for our bodies and we need that to survive, but knowledge is the meal for our brains and we need that to live. Among the rest of the creatures, only the human beings need meals for their brains.

Still, the issue is different when it comes to sharing the human knowledge, because the modern world in which we live now is a result of this sharing, and it wouldn’t have been if everyone needed to re-invent his own wheel in a way or another.

Unlike other products, the value of knowledge is priceless and the donation is a humble way to show appreciation, because what we pay for price-tagged products is what keeps the economy up, but donations -even small ones- is what keeps the world revolving in the right direction.

As long as we are capable, we should give the world a push in the right direction whenever we see a chance to do so, at least because we happened to be on board.

Wikipedia to me is one place where I am sure my money is going to the right hands.

Are you kidding?! At play in the fields of human knowledge! I use Wikipedia every day, usually multiple times, to learn, to clarify or enlarge, and sometimes to submit to serendipity. I'm a 60-year old woman, have an undergraduate degree in Latin, work as a property manager, and think that Wikipedia is a Giant Leap Forward. Thanks!

I am Native American. I grew up with prejudice and misunderstanding about my people and culture. People either saw us as stuck in the 1850's (a group of college students in New Jersey were suprised I knew how to use a microwave) or noble savages with the universe figured out. Wikipedia has allowed me to contribute and create entries that help others to understand me and my people, providing information from those that know, live it, experience it, not those that heard of.

I teach chemistry (Organic) and I always consult Wikipedia. I have found the information to be very reliable. Many students believe that wikipedia is not to be trusted. I can tell you that in scientific areas (chemistry/botany) in which I'm interested the facts are right on. I often type in topics before lecture to get ideas on natural products to include in my presentations.

To me, Wikipedia is a political project. It is all about knowledge autonomy. As governments acoss the world are introducing ever more meticulous control measures on internet activity and daily "real" life, the importance of decentralized knowledge sharing spaces such as Wikipedia, is becoming more obvious with each passing day.

Applying the academic principles of transparency and peer review in the broad encyclopedia context is the single most powerful feature of Wikipedia. This is effectively a decentralization of power, and it creates a truly democratic and living space on the internet.

Now that you can access Wikipedia freely from cell phones etc, life has changed for the better. It's like having the hitch-hiker's guide to the galaxy in your pocket!

In the winter of 2008 my wife and I lived in China. We had 8 months without employment while we waited for some bureaucratic procedures to work their way through the system. We made the most of opportunities to travel throughout the country, and I spent a lot of time on my computer researching supporting information for my travelogue which I emailed to NZ periodically. I guess I was a bit naive to expect that the communist government there wouldn't really have any overt impact on our day-to-day lives. I was very wrong about that, and one of the ways that showed up was that the Wikipedia site was blocked to users on the net. The day I visited the museum in Dandong commemorating the Chinese participation in the Korean war and read their 'official' version of that chapter of history, I could see why. I was shocked and deeply disturbed to learn that they teach today's schoolchildren the same propaganda. For me Wikipedia became a symbol of freedom, and the truth. It has always been a very useful and reliable source of information, but the value of access to the honest truth is priceless.

As an academic researcher and instructor of introductory research methods, I use it frequently. The one discussion I have every year with my students is what is a more reliable source of information: Wikipedia or a peer reviewed published journal articles. Invariably, most students think a peer reviewed published journal article will automatically be more accurate and reliable. And for various reasons, I point out that this is not necessarily the case. They generally fail to realize that Wikipedia in many ways is like the ultimate peer reviewed publication. Usually, a lively discussion ensues. It means to me that knowledge is not meant to be nurtured and shared by a select few, but by the world.

I am a first year medical student. I used Wikipedia throughout my undergraduate education to look up biological theories, biochemical pathways, organic molecules and current methods in biotechnology. It often served as a jumping off point in a winding road of knowledge acquistion. Now that I'm in med school, I use Wikipedia daily. To prepare for my tri-weekly Gross Anatomy labs, I search for each structure on Wiki to find its anatomical orientation and clinical relevance. It's open source Gray's Anatomy images are wonderful, as are the text entries. When I need to quickly know about the pathology of a disease or the function of a specific hormone, I turn to Wikipedia first. Thank you. My contribution isn't much, but I hope it helps. Wikipedia is shaping my colleagues and me as physicians and we hope it remains able to continue doing it well.

My work involves a wide variety of technical subjects in mathematics, complex systems, statistical analysis, public policy, and more. Wikipedia provides rapid entry to new subject matter, quick definitions of obscure terminology, and multiple perspectives on complex subjects. It saves me a great deal of time getting oriented and searching for more information from other sources. Thanks for providing this useful tool.

Wikipedia means never having to worry about the information I get being systematically controlled by a corporation that owns it, with it's own political slant and agenda.

Sure, there are many many people and corporations around the world that try to influence stories, links and articles on WIkipedia, but people come together and correct those entries. If Wikipedia was owned by a single entity with it's own news agenda, it could stop that correction.

In a world of FOX News to even NPR, it's nice to know that at least one place on the planet attempts to, over time, be the resource of human knowledge without an agenda other than the spreading of that knowledge.

We may not like what certain articles or links say, but damn if we shouldn't promote someones right to say it... IF it's not blatantly falsehood.

Civics, and the questioning of our government, is the foundation of our country, and Wikipedia is the ultimate manifestation of what the founding fathers would have wanted in the distribution and correction of information of a nation that fostered the free press.

Otherwise the Internet is just lights and wires in a box.

It means moving my students from the low standard of memorization to the higher standards of criticizing, comparing, synthesizing and creating their own interpretations.

I pastor a small church, and I don't much like sermons, so we use mostly dialogue as a way of encountering meaningful questions about real life. Wikipedia is a valuable research tool that keeps me up to speed on a variety of topics, thereby making possible for us to have interesting conversations. Recently, we have talked about nucleogenesis and stellar birth, the Cambrian Explosion, and the biochemistry of cell metabolism. Wikipedia is a great source for info on all these topics.

Eric S. Raymond once said of the "bazaar" method of code development that with enough eyes, all bugs are shallow. While something of a platitude, it still contains a kernel of wisdom.

Wikipedia applies the bazaar model in a radical way to information in general. Anyone can come edit an article here. As a result, anyone reading is potentially a new contributor as well. It may be something as minor as fixing a misplaced comma, or something as major as contributing an entirely new section.

You never know where the next piece will come from. You *do* know that with as many eyes are on Wikipedia, its strengths and weaknesses will be laid bare rather quickly, at least in most cases.

And that's what makes Wikipedia so valuable to me. I can come here and dive-bomb through any number of articles, and be exposed to an incredible amount of material that is informative, and generally has no other motive or agenda other than to inform.

I can spend hours reading about Bretton-Woods and the gold standard, code breakers in World War II, the finer points of obscure corners of economics, the ethnic composition of Puerto Rico and is rich history, or who knows what!

Each of these topics I rattled off are things I spent a fair bit of time reading about here. I can find much of the same stuff with a web search, but I don't know what agenda it might have behind it. When I do a web search and I see a Wikipedia link near the top, it's my first stop more often than not.

Wikipedia is a blessing. I formulate diabetic dessert mixes and the ingredients that are available for my use changes weekly. Wikipedia is a perfect place to begin initial research on a hunch, idea or an obscure reference in chemistry world. Being able to find data that is unclouded by advertising and spin is as refreshing as it is helpful. Thank you seems inadequate. But still, thank you.

Just briefly, I'm a specialist translator in cardiology and dermatology, and I constantly need to get a rapid and reliable overview (plus details!)of concepts within these fields. Sometimes I cross check but, based on my knowledge, I've never encountered anything misleading. Wiki is one of my permanently open pages when I'm working. And even when I'm not :-)

I work at a center within the National Institutes of Health where we are developing medicines for rare and neglected diseases.

Wikipedia, surprisingly, contains a lot of information on diseases, approved and investigational drugs, and biological targets.

In particular, wiki templates have captured relationships between diseases, drugs and biological targets.

We have been mining these relationships that the Wikipedia community has been generating. This work has helped us learn more about potential ways in which existing approved or investigational drugs may be 'repurposed' to help treat symptoms or underlying causes of rare and neglected diseases.

Aside from scientific use, wikipedia is a blast for me in terms of its entertainment and educational value.

Keep it up!!! You got my $ for this worthwhile effort.

Wikipedia is testimony to the fact that quality information and knowledge can come without a price-tag normally associated with such matters. And that way it's quite priceless. Its also testimony to the fact that when properly managed, there is hope that humans from diverse backgrounds can create a living, dynamic and growing monolith, one word at a time.

In a world that is clouded by bias and misinformation, wikipedia has been a shining light in my pursuit for knowledge and truth. I hope that my drop in the bucket can not only keep this light alive, but illuminate the world of knowledge for others.

The only thing I never had to learn from Wikipedia was the need to support this kind of effort. Every time I have a question, there I can find a deep and generally accessible explanation out of somebody else's commitment to advancing knowledge. Wikipedia is the kind of thing that makes me think of a bright, Star Trek-like futurism.

Keep up the good work, and keep your excellent content ad-free, organic and meritocratically curated.

I have been a regular user of Wikipedia for the past five or so years. Most often I will Google something I need information about and usually will visit the Wikipedia link first before visiting other links. Recently however I found myself with a job interview for a position in Radiology with a large hospital near my home. This position was related to my former role in Information Technology field for the past ten years but was a management role where I would own a medical imaging system known as a PACS (Picture Archiving and Communications System.) Not being at all familiar with PACS I needed relevant information and fast to help me prepare for my interview. A Google search for "PACS" produced many links as expected but the Wikipedia link provided was near the top. I was able to get all of the information I needed to help me feel confident with my interviewing skills. Despite my potential employer knowing I did not have first hand experience with PACS they were impressed with the knowledge I was able to present. Needless to say I got the job! Wikipedia is a great example of forward thinking people. It captures the power of the human race. The human brain is still the most powerful computer anywhere. Why not harness that power into a website? I truly believe Wikipedia does that.

I was one of the editors of first edition of The American Heritage Dictionary. For five years I laboriously, but happily, researched the meanings of words using the only tools available -- printed reference works and citations (words in context). Along the way I experienced the odd veneration in which lexicographers are held while observing first-hand our fallibility. Eventually I worked for an online information service designed for librarians and learned how rigorous the best of their tradition is about the quality of information. The saying goes, you can have information fast, cheap, or accurate -- pick any two. The remarkable thing to me is that, to the extent I am able to cross check information I take from the Wikipedia, it almost always satisfies all three criteria. A former harmless drudge -- still harmless but no longer needing to drudge -- I tip my hat to every contributor to the Wikipedia and to its founder. It is a shame many of my former dictionary colleagues did not live to see what you've accomplished.

wikipedia saved my life, i had two medication that i got at the ER and the doctor didn't tell me anything about them, i looked it up on wiki and found out that the pills are never to be taken together

This is not so much a story as it is a thank you. I am one of those people who are constantly learning new skills, or who start a project with no idea how to accomplish it. Wikipedia is my go to source for every topic I need information on. It amazes me that the information comes from people all over the world and is so accurate. I've never seen someone post information that is considered spam or a joke. Wikipedia is a resounding success. Thank you Mr. Wales, for giving us this resource and not commercializing a single page.

As a young person who has a degree in materials engineering and is in the process of getting a law degree, wikipedia has proven to be an invaluable repository of knowledge that gives me background information on the wide variety of topics I have encountered throughout school. The information is accurate, well-cited, and easily found.

I use wikipedia not only for academics, but for entertainment. I often spend hours lost on wikipedia jumping from one article to the next, whether it be about T.V. episodes, the Peloponesian war, nutrition, or about law and engineering, it's a lot of fun.

Thank you wikipedia!

I am a strong believer in free and open use of technology for the betterment of the world. With a majority of IT forces, corporations, and governments striving to clamp down on freedoms, Wikipedia represents a rare and wonderful exception. I want this around for my kids. It's my duty as a follower of Jesus to work to make this world a better place, and doing a small part for Wikipedia in return for the almost daily use it provides me is barely even giving back. At least it's a start. I hope many do their part and share.

The Wikimedia Foundation is one of the few existing institutions on Earth that I can stand behind, whose mission is congruent with my hopes and ambitions for the human species. Power through knowledge, dedication to eachother, teamwork to meet our mutual needs, and passion to breach the horizon. For these reasons, I desperately want Wikipedia to succeed, and I will always be there to give.

As an enterprise IT architect, I embed hyperlinks links in my work to entries in Wikipedia so that my readers can easily with a few clicks of their mice refresh their memories of a term or learn a new concept. I am continually surprised at the wide scope and excellent quality of the information available in Wikipedia not just in Information Technology but in a very wide range of disciplines. I always cross check multiple sources and have always found Wikipedia to be extremely reliable and accurate. Moreover, it is kept surprisingly current with the most up-to-date information available online. I have found it an extremely valuable research tool.

I have been using Wikipedia since my high school days and I am now a 25 year old medical student. I am currently studying for my United States Medical Licensing Exam(Step 1) and I have to say throughout my medical school years I have used Wikipedia as a source of studying more than my medical textbooks. On a daily basis, I come across terminology or pathologies that I am not aware of or do not remember so I quickly look them up on Wikipedia and all my problems are solved. I consider this website one of my closest friends because it's always there for me and has never let me down. Wikipedia is one of the few sources in my life that has helped or benefited me the most. I know I will continue to use it for the preparation of my exam, throughout medical school, and for the rest of my life. I am a student currently taking out loans and do not have an income, but I felt something in my heart when I read about the donation to Wikipedia and just knew I had to contribute. I'm glad I did and knowing I could help out just a little to keep such an amazing and helpful human knowledge database alive is rewarding. I am a proud member of the Wikipedia family and salute all of my fellow Wikipedia users and donors. Thank you for the best invention on the planet, Mr. Jimmy Wales.

The idea that there is a voluntary group that puts together a wealth of information for people to use, without advertising, sponsorship from biased parties, or asking for a fee to use, is very appealing to me, and one which I feel is worth making a contribution to. Thanks to Mr. Wales and the efforts of so many nameless contributors for making this dream a reality.

I have been using wikipedia avidly since quite a few years back. It has helped me educate myself primary in physics among other things, allowing me to acquire the knowledge required to start my business. Thanks to wikipedia I was able to learn about optics, coding, thermodynamics, electronic engineering, and mechanics and then go from there to further expand my understanding of the universe. What school left out, wikipedia helped me fill in for. The end result is a start-up business based off of a 1 terapixel camera invention with a patent filed. Thank you Wikipedia!

I'm building a website that compares and reviews health supplements. Since they are not prescription drugs, health supplements can be sold with limited proof of effectiveness and safety. But by using Wikipedia's huge database of helpful information on supplement ingredients, my web visitors can see for themselves if a supplement meets their own standards for safety and effectiveness. Thank you Wikipedia - and THANK YOU Jimmy Wales!

I teach for a public school in Northern New Mexico and use Wikipedia as a resource for my students. The entry on Harriet Tubman was extensive and very informative. I will share it with my middle school students. Thank you for all you do for the sake of knowledge available free to all who have access to the Internet. I made a donation today because I belive strongly in what you do. Keep up the good work!

I love technology. I create technology, consume technology, analyze technology, invest in technology. There are so many things I think were inevitably bound to happen in the techno-social sphere - search engines, social networks - but Wikipedia doesn't strike me as one of those inevitabilities. It's not a given at all to me that a community model was the path-of-least-resistance for an Internet encyclopedia, and the fact that Wikipedia did nonetheless come together gives me comfort in our ability as people to rally around a constructive cause.

I first discovered Wikipedia in high school, spent uncountably many hours on it during college, and now that I've begun earning a paycheck, I'm happy to count myself a first-time donor.

Every day half a dozen questions or speculations occur to me about people, phenomena, dates and places, almost all of which--IF I can only remember them later when I get to the computer--can be answered or resolved via Wikipedia. Wikipedia is a reliable one-stop answer machine, a first responder to my many question emergencies. In addition, there's an odd comfort in knowing the information I find may be a song sung many voices, or a bread that's been kneaded by many hands. The singular voice of Authority is missing in a Wikipedia entry and instead one senses quiet democratic possibility within the data. When visiting Wikipedia one is not lonely.

As a college student I had professors telling me that I should not use Wikipedia for my research projects because "anyone can post whatever they like in there".

Now as a college professor some of my peers still say the same, yet I tell them (and all my students), "go to Wikipedia, I dare you to find a more clear, concise, complete, well organized, researched and documented information anywhere else". Kudos to you! I wish I could give more!

The idea of an all-encompassing Encyclopedia was first suggest by Isaac Asimov in his "Foundation" series. Wikipedia is the closest thing in human history to it, and much more. Unlike Asimov's encyclopedia, Wikipedia is open to versions in all human languages, presenting an amazing tool for documenting, maintaining, and revitalizing lesser known languages which otherwise could be gobbled up by predatory global languages. As a speaker of the smallest world language with its own fully fledged university system, Estonian, I find the tools offered by Wikipedia (Vikipeedia in Estonian) extremely important in preserving lesser-known languages. And its a lot of fun!

Wikipedia stands as an example of an organisation truly striving to make this world a better place. I appreciate the simplicity, transparency and effectiveness with which it achieves this - by enabling sharing of knowledge. Can't think of better way of achieving this. Thanks.

Wikipedia means I am able to look up free, reliable information at the drop of a hat. When I was at the Elton John concert and wanted to look up information about his childhood and how many albums he's done, I could switch my Blackberry search to Wikipedia and immediately get all that information and more. It meant when I was arguing with my coworker how many countries have nuclear weapons, there was an itemized table ready on Wikipedia with references and links to other pages with additional information. It means that millions of people are scouring these sites, and by their own good will, point out when something is wrong and are constantly trying to make the site better. It's about comprehensive information at the fingertips of my little sisters who are still learning about the world. It's about believing everyone should have access to everything, and the information is becoming available one page at a time. I've been using this site for seven years, and I hope to be using it for many more - in its free, no ads environment.

What Wikipedia has become is what I thought the Web was meant to be, back in 1993! The web as a whole evolved in several other, great, ways - but the subset of it used for hypertext upkeeping and growth of human knowledge that is mostly represented by Wikipedia keeps, for me, its original spirit and goal alive!

It means having a way to teach my 7 years young daughter that people do care and share not only physical things (The Earth) but mental things (Knowledge) as well, and that she should never feel bad or afraid about expressing herself. Thank You.

I love the fact that wikipedia is easily accessible and that it allows me to explore further than my initial issue was.

I love the fact that it points me to articles and books. It really has opened the landscape of how people can enrich their knowledge.

I also appreciate the fact that Wikipedia does not offer a biased representation of controversial topics, or figures.

I just wanted to say: Thank you!!!

The success of Wikipedia is what led to my current job! After reading Wikinomics and being inspired by the idea of crowd-sourcing information, the non-profit that I work for (the Lucy Burns Institute) started niche wikis exploring aspects of the political process in the United States, Ballotpedia and Judgepedia, using the MediaWiki platform. I continue to work for the success of these wikis several years later and am still in love with the idea of a site that anyone can contribute to in order to further knowledge.

I find that wikipedia is one of best resources on the internet. It helps me find original literature and definitions of many mathematical and scientific principles, such as fractional differentiation, diffusion models, Lie algebras, K-trajectories, and other principles. Its like the base point, upon which I can build upon which I can start understanding. Frequently, the articles that I visit are changed for the better over time and I'm proud to support such an effort to support dissemination of knowledge that helps better mine and the rest of mankind's everyday life.

I love the detail of Wikipedia, the reliability, the numerous images, and the links. I like the disambiguation feature. I love that information is so easily accessible, international, up-to-date and down-to-earth -- as opposed to my book encyclopedia, which weighs a ton, is stashed away, mostly focuses on American topics, and is outdated and selective. My son sometimes uses the French Wikipeda for homework, and I have often used the German one. It's great to have all types of knowledge (formal or informal) at one's fingertips.

WP is my go to source for in depth knowledge about nearly every topic imaginable. It has proven to be of tremendous value to me whenever I am driven to investigate a new or old idea/resource/problem or issue. It is as much a part of my personal growth as is my formal education. The fact that it is constantly under scrutiny and subject to revision makes it unique and alive. It is representative I believe of the most basic human impulse of helping fellow members of the species/community to survive and thrive.

I live in a rural cabin, quite a few miles from the nearest library. I maintain a website for a non-profit organization from my cabin. I also tutor students from time to time and need a good starting place for helping them to research a topic. Often I need some accurate information or research for my husband, who writes short stories. I can get all these immediately on Wikipedia.

Some say you can't count on its accuracy, but usually, if that's the case, one sees a note that information is missing or needs work. And for sure, no printed version of any current encyclopedia available, even if I could afford it, could be as up-to-date as Wikipedia is. Nor were those venerable encyclopedia I used in years past always accurate. It just took longer to find that out! At the very least, Wikipedia always gives me the directions I need for further research.

I am really grateful to the site for simplifying life, and for all the people who have taken the tie to contribute and edit. As a student, I often check your site for a basic understanding of the subject matter either before or after i plow through the scholarly sources, which often are not written with the average reader in mind. As well as appreciating you as my encyclopedic source, your biographic resources are the best overview's I've found. I am happy to contribute to keep you free of capitalistic bias. Thank you again for YOUR creative contribution!

As a professor I often require students to read peer-reviewed papers that often have terms which have long been forgotten; the reward for the frequent reviewing and limited rote-memory techniques employed in our education system. Because of this, I encourage opening a tab to Wikipedia to aid in understanding the paper. I also encourage "clicking the blue links" to further expand understanding. Miss a word--lose a lot!! As such, I am profoundly thankful to Wikipedia for helping me help others.

For years I have been using Wikipedia as one of the main sources I use whenever I need to access information about the world that surrounds me.

I conceive it as the best contemporary example of what collaboration based on a volunteer basis can yield. I admire all those people who devote time and energy to make information and knowledge available to others. The result is a great resource which is available to millions of people, in their own languages, for free.

As a volunteer myself who has done minor contributions so far, I am aware that the process does not always run smoothly. It is complicated to coordinate such an enormous collective effort. And even more, when one wants to remain faithful and commited to the principles that founded the project –openness, free availability, free accesibility, independence, collective and free participation–. In that sense, Wikipedia is important not only because it is (we are) managing to build itself and grow, out of a previously non–existing model. It is also important because it is showing the way (one possible way) to many other people who will embark in similar collective, open projects in the future.

Wikipedia makes us stronger, more powerful, more independent, freer, as global society, as global citizens. I contributed and will do again in the future.

Thank you all and keep up the good work!

This last thanksgiving two of my kids, one in graduate school at Stanford, one graduating from Georgetown, and my high school sophomore were all around the dinner table and we were talking about what we were thankful for (and the difference between my husband and my experiences studying and the access to information), and we ended up talking about the miracle of wikipedia, the democratic,  extremely high quality, depth and breadth of it, and how it is the very first place my smart kids go for information... and i resolved to use it too. It makes my heart happy that it exists. I wish the collaborative, generous and superb energy that underlies its creation and implementation could inform more of our human endeavors. Wikipedia's existence gives me faith that there is more than greed, profit motive and selfishness in the world. Thank you for making access to information and knowledge available and giving people everywhere the possibility of sharing their knowledge and best selves.

I am an 8th grade science teacher. Like most teachers, I tell my kids not to reference Wikipedia as a source. But unlike most teachers, I encourage students to utilize the information found on this site. I think Wiki is a great jumping off point...a place to begin their search for answers. When I was young, in the time before the internet, I was often told not to trust information that was found in print. Verifying information has always been important and working with Wiki is no different. Thanks to all the volunteers that have made this site possible.

I have been teaching for the last 35 years from k-9 grade in the inner city, rural areas, and very poor economic parts of the USA. Your encyclopedia has given me the background knowledge to understand may topic I have had teach my students about. I has given my students some where to go when a teacher gives an assignment to students that do not have encyclopedia or computer in their home and do the projects in school and the public library. One particule 8th Grade Honors teacher has her students do a special project every quarter of the school year about Presidents of the United States and their families along with political parties, inventiors in America, and founding of the 50 states. Most of my students have reading disabilities, speak English as a second language, and do not have access to computers after or before school hours. This encyclopedia help these students pass their advanced/honors classes.

I fell in love with Wikipedia in college. After hearing my political science teacher mention "Fenno's Paradox" I decided to research it on Wikipedia. To my surprise there was no article on this subject. So I took the leap and created my very first and only Wikipedia article.

My simple article was a fledgling, and was immediately flagged as not having a source. After checking my article for a week, I forgot about it and ignored it like all good parents do.

Years later I have returned to my article to see that it has flourished with many revisions. In this moment my heart was touched. Wikipedia had shown me special; My poor initial work was polished and made presentable by others. This is a representation of the true uniqueness that Wikipedia embodies.

Thank you for providing such an amazing space for ideas. I wish that Wikipedia forever has a strong place on the internet.

I am a Cuban/American who arrived in this Country in 1960. From that moment on I knew I had to find a job to help my parents. A month later I found a job as a clerk in a cargo company. I would take the buss everyday and bring a dictionary to find words and their interpretations in an effort to improve my English.

When I retired at age 68, I knew I had the opportunity of fulfilling my dream of attaining a deeper knowledge of the English lnaguage and find the wisdom to interpret such knowledge. Then, I visited Wikipedia for the first time.

I have been using Wikipedia almost on a daily basis. I was very much interested in learning about the history of this country, the civil war, our founding Fathers and the Constitution of the United States. I also needed to learn about our Government, politicians’ background, whom they were before entering the political arena, whom they are now, and their goals and objectives. Wikipedia provides me the answers to these important issues

When I need to learn about health issues, diagnosis and the interpretation of certain terminology I go to Wikipedia. My husband hand an MRI done on his shoulder and he was diagnosed having a rotator cuff tear in the supraspinatus muscle. Since we had no idea where it was, Wikipedia had a full explanation of that muscle with a picture, about the surgery, post surgery pain and the time needed for a full recovery.

Wikipedia is a valuable tool to find vital information to obtain parallel on many issues.

Wikipedia has inspired a new generation of infectious sharing via the internet. In a positive, reliable, and beneficial way; 'wiki' now represents a source of ideas and knowledge that far surpasses any other website, system, or Encyclopaedia in the world. I am currently the operations manager for one of the first non-state run museums in China, and I can say that the heart and logic behind Wikipedia has inspired us and helped us to develop as an organisation and as a place for the public sharing of knowledge. Thank you Wikipedia

Thank you for creating Wikipedia under free and open license and promoting the access to collaborative and comprehensive knowledge for everyone. The success and growth of Wikipedia is evidence to me of the overwhelming benevolent nature of the human race. Many early critics claimed that the open editing and authorship policy of Wikipedia would be too vulnerable to malicious acts of defacement, deliberate dissemination of false information, use of the site to promote controversial and one-sided viewpoints, and suffer from the relatively uninformed with a "dangerous level of knowledge" drowning out the experts and accurate information. I feel that without a doubt Wikipedia has demonstrated this is not true, and the collaborative efforts and pooled knowledge across all produces high quality publication with accuracy, growing depth, and a breadth beyond anything obtained yet in human history.

I read at least one Wikipedia article a day, but I have yet to edit or create one. I have however started using Wikimedia's software for the open development of documentation for computational biology software I have published as part of my research at Cornell University. The Wikimedia system is powerful and yet amazingly simple, something software developers such as myself strive to achieve yet it can be quite difficult to do so.

Thanks again for all your hard work. I hope to begin contributing to Wikipedia's growing body of knowledge in the areas which I have expertise soon, and continually throughout my career.

I am a university theatre professor on sabbatical writing an acting book on Playing the Clowns of Shakespeare. I have multiple books that I use as sources but because the Renaissance- Shakespeare's writing period- is built on a myriad of classical and neoclassical dramatists and humanist philosophers and writers I would often need to simply date and clarify individuals and information. Wikipedia has saved me hours of time and set me off on some very interesting tangents that have improved my work. As a teacher I ask my students to go beyond Wikipedia but it is a wonderful place to start to focus their journey. Thanks.

For several years I was skeptical of Wikipedia. It seemed at the time that it was set up for celebrities and such. As I continued to be sent to Wikipedia from other queries, I found this to be the most respected and the most qualifiable site on the web. I work in highly regarded areas of intelligence for the US Army and Law Enforcement; Wikipedia is what I turn to first for research and if I have a desire to get it right. I respect the fact that your site doesn't commercially fund itself, as it is very important to me to get it right without being worried about whether or not there is another source "slanting" my information. I love your site. I love your cause. I believe in it and I'm trying to show that I back it; even in a small way. Thank-you...  and don't stop what your doing...   and keeping it real.

To me, Wikipedia means an un-biased source of reasonably reliable political, medical and miscellaneous information. I find it invaluable. It actually made a life and death difference in our lives when my husband was diagnosised with kidney failure and it led me to other links and an eventual kidney transplant for him.

Wikipedia has been a driving factor for my online education throughout the better part of my life. It has always been a source for the most efficient collection of knowledge that spans the breadth of the entire human knowledge base.

Wikipedia introduced me to the ideas of Open Source software, and the idea of practicing Open frameworks in many areas of life. To me, Wikipedia is more than a big internet encyclopedia, it is a chance to unify the world in a pursuit of knowledge, to give the same opportunity to a child in Bangladesh as a child in Silicon Valley.

To me, this is the single most important thing that we can focus on as a species, education. Due to this, I am proudly a supporter of Wikipedia, and only hope I can continue to be a helpful contributor to it's continued success for the rest of my life.

Being a foreign student in the U.S, I found that lots of social norms and historical contexts present hug obstacles to my study and my life here. The classmates were nice to explain things to me, but you cannot bother them all the time. It was from Wikipedia I found all the information I need AND moreover, it was my help to adjust to the new life in the U.S.

Now I am working and I still rely on Wiki a lot to learn new knowledge. It is a user-friendly website and it presents information in a very concise way. Me and my friends (some of them are still students with very tight budget) all donated to wiki. I also take the time to write this story down to let you know that please keep up with the good work- although you don't get feedback from the users, you are changing people's life everyday!

As a career print journalist, I remember the day Wikipedia came into my knowledge. I was deeply skeptical of its contents, of its ability to self-police the facts found on its pages, but would pop in now and then just to see whether Wiki's information coincided with facts I knew to be true. As the months and years went by, I began to use it more and more, particularly making use of the citations at the bottom of an entry to further my own research. After leaving the profession during the downsizing of newsrooms a couple of years ago, I, with my partner, began my own writers website, dedicated to the support and help, without ads, of those journalists who have become freelancers in the wake of the corporate decimation of the newsrooms and the print media. I became a true believer in Wikipedia over the years, and now am an advocate of the value of knowledge freed from advertising. There is almost no other source of information that is not dependent on biased sources of cash. In this day and age of division and partisanship, Wikipedia has moved into the realm of NPR and PBS in my book: A place to look for balance and truth, if it can be found. A place to find the widest array of facts and arcana available, at the stroke of a key. A place that provides the dedicated researcher with the freedom to pursue intuitive learning as never before. Free-floating ideas can take concrete form because Wikipedia gives the researcher enough fodder to connect and knit disparate thoughts. Few dead-ends block the curious mind, allowing for far more organic and creative thinking. Oh, imagine what would have happened had Einstein had the gift of Wikipedia. We'd have been living in other star systems by now. In another hundred years we will be, and Wikipedia will be partially responsible. It was my privilege to donate a small amount to support your ongoing work.

I don't have a single story about Wikipedia or anything that stands out but Wikipedia has become a intregal part of my daily habits and search for information. Wikipedia has been the answer to most of my questions over the last few years. Whether it is a term or concept at work I need more information on or a spur of the moment question in a social setting such as who played guitar on a particular album or curiousity on the "real facts" after watching a movie or sorting the titles in a book series I have downloaded -- Wikipedia has replaced almost every other site I used to go to in order to answer questions. At work we are trying to create a wiki to organize the knowledge and best known methods of my company. I also use the Wiki for World of Warcraft regularly as well as the Wheel of Time Wiki in order to keep track of the many characters in Robert Jordan's books. Over the years I have seen most information that I used to get on other sites migrate to Wikipedia or a specialized wiki. Wikipedia is the first and increasingly the best place to find information for me and most of the people I know. I trust most of the information I find and if I am unsure, I look up the history and discussions on the people who are contributing to a topic. I see Wikipedia as one of the top 10 reasons for having the internet. It has revolutionized how we get, categorize, manage, and contribute to the information stores of the world. I cannot imagine going back to the days before Wikipedia.

In an age where we all joke about losing 'faith in humanity', Wikipedia is something that helps us regain it. Think about it: volunteers writing articles, creating an online library and online world-wide encyclopedia for no monetary benefit. That is something people do. Might be a stretch, but that is humanity. Not an all every-man-for-themselves, but an actual global community sharing information. A world separated by time zones, language and beliefs reunited in something as simple as shared knowledge. An article might just be an article, and editing/creating/updating an article might seem like nothing at all. But neither is a grain of sand by itself. When you put it together with the millions of others who edit, share, write, update and utilize this knowledge, you have the largest

From the parents that want to know about baby formulas for their child, to the child that wants help with a school project (while sneaking in to check info on their favorite cartoon or TV show star), to the student learning about other parts of the world, the teacher checking sources and materials, professors supplementing their knowledge, working people making sure they have the right product, you name it. The list goes on. And if exists, it’s in Wikipedia. If it isn’t, check back in a few days. You might be surprised.

That's what Wikipedia means to me. Thanks to everyone; from those that created it, build it up, use it, helped it grow, and those that continue to help it grow, thanks.

I use Wikipedia about 20 times on an average day. It is the absolute best site to learn, discover, browse, and ultimately contribute to in order to increase knowledge amongst all people. There is no better site on the internet that is as widely used as an outlet to inform others and learn at the same time. It is truly a sincerely honest group effort in every sense of the term that provides an elite form of education that ultimately makes the world a better place. A smarter world is a better world...

P.S.

I graduated college Magna Cum Laude with a BBA in Finance and I cited Wikipedia to some extent in nearly EVERY PAPER I EVER WROTE.

THANK YOU!!!! KEEP DOING WHAT YOU ARE DOING!!! I HOPE MY CONTRIBUTION ENABLES THIS SITE TO CONTINUE INDEFINITELY!

Wikipedia has proven to be an invaluable and incredibly powerful educational resource in my life and the lives of my peers. I am astonished by the potential of a project of such scope, which brings a large portion of the sum total of all written knowledge into the reach of almost every literate human being. As an educator, I share Wikipedia weekly with my students to answer simple questions on subjects outside of my personal expertise and experience.

Professional: In the field I am working, the boundaries between basic sciences are almost non-existent. However, I have formation only in physics. When I need to understand the concept behind a technical term used in an other field, like biology or chemistry, the wikipedia is a very good starting point that often saves a lot of time. Personal: My favorite hobby is to hunt articles using the random button. It is hard for me to grasp the size of this planet, the amount of people that live in it, and the amount of time it has been here just looking at the figures. They are just numbers afterall, it is for me the stories and explanations that count. I especially like learning about other cuktures, it always amazes me when I learn something I call "normal" is just a regional habit.

I was in high school when Wikipedia began coming to prominence. I would do a general search for random topics, and this new site called "Wikipedia" would always be in the first three results. Needless to say, I began using it as my go-to source for an initial summary and basic information. Over time, it has become more refined, and my quantum mechanics professor at Cornell University even said that Wikipedia had a better summary than our textbook for a particular topic.

I set my browser's quick-search box to be Wikipedia by default, since anytime I use a web search engine, I usually add "wiki" to ensure this site is the first result. It truly is amazing to me that something of this scale has been pulled off, and is probably one of the best examples of international camaraderie on the internet. Thank you

In 1996, because of my wife's illness, I moved from New York, the paradise of research for writers and public speakers, to Buffalo, to be near family. The great resources were no longer available. When I was "fretting" about my loss I was introduced to Wikipedia. It has been a constant source of information, data, inspiration and relief from frustration of not having the libraries of New York available to me. Thanks Jimmy Wales. Your concept was brilliant and Wikipedia a great gift to all of us who care about knowledge.

My mother and her brother used to sing around the piano w/ the rest of the family and every week I visit my mother (98)and her brother (94 yrs old) and I sing some of the old songs. He asks me to find them so I can learn to sing them and this helps my mother remember the songs so the 3 of us can sing. Many of these songs are over 100 yrs old, so Wikipedia has been the only means to help my mother & uncle have their songs again. I thank you so much and appreciate this help more than words can say. My mother's face of pure happiness and delight when she is singing is priceless.

I am currently a graduate student getting my masters in applied physics. When I was assigned research projects in high-school, I was specifically instructed not to use Wikipedia as it was not a "credible" source of information. However, as I progressed through my education and eventually started to conduct my own scientific research I discovered that Wikipedia more often than not had the answers and information I needed. The reason for this became more and more apparent as my research skills improved over the years. Every reliable source of information in any field is credible because it is peer reviewed and because it is a collaboration from many minds that have reached similar conclusions. There is no source of information with a larger pool of minds to review it than Wikipedia and it is precisely for this reason that it has become such a vital and abundant source of information. I consider myself lucky to have this resource available and rarely a day goes by now that I don't come to this site seeking the answer to a question. The idea of a website where anyone in the world can make their knowledge available to everyone else for free is fantastic and a big step forward in the constant pursuit of understanding the world around us and everything that exists in it.

Having used Wikipedia from my teenage years, it fed into my conception of open access to information as foundational to any democratic civil society. It is both an emblem of, and an forum for, knowledge as a collective endeavor. It is the sort of institution needed to build transparent social structures predicated on cooperation and commonly held resources.

I have always been an encyclopedia person. Mom, who had no money, somehow figured out a way to buy World Book Encyclopedia for us and then when we children were older, she financed getting Encyclopedia Britannica. I then used what was available in college and city libraries. Eventually online references started to become available with the purchase of a subscription. Then Wikipedia came along. Knowledge is precious. It gives you context for everything you do. It lets you make more informed decisions. And the fact that this information is constantly evolving and improving in a collaborative or interdependent fashion is wonderful. It should be that way. It will allow for the most accurate information to be available. The more accurate information is, the more valuable it is. The more easily accessible it is, the more it will be accessed. Wikipedia gets all this and I am so grateful that it exists. Thank you so very much Mr. Wales.

I use Wikipedia daily in my work as an astrophysics technician. When I need to know about an obscure subject quickly and accurately without paying to subscribe or registering an account or leaving information leading to a flood of e-ads, I always choose Wikipedia. The information is accurate and concise in almost every case I have seen and if it isn't complete they let you know. Along with Google, this site defines the very best aspects of the WWW. Thank you Wikipedia!

In my family there is a diversity of scientific insterests. My wife has a masters degree in biology and I have one in engineering. We both find Wiki as the first place to look for just about any topic one can imagine from Veterinary Herbalist to CubeSat researcher satellites. The quality of the documents are excellent and the cross references are a great resource.

THanks for your efforts

I can't express how valuable wikipedia has been to me. I believe strongly that all human knowledge and information should be free to all human beings. Wikipedia has allowed me to easily look up anything thats interested me and has given me the ability to learn and grow as an individual in my own private time. Its allowed me to continue on the journey to find myself, through knowledge. I think that knowing that there is a living, feeling world out there that is rich with history is invaluable. Thank you for providing such a wonderful resource!

I am a self-taught graphic artist and web designer. When I started down this road, the path looked like it would never end. I was working two jobs, and it wasn't easy fighting for knowledge in the time I had to myself.

During this time, I found terms and language that I had never encountered, and I needed a way to access comprehensive explanations quickly. Wikipedia has extensive documentation on all of the computer, design and web technologies that a beginner needs to grasp how the digital world works. It was all right there for me, for free, every day.

Over the years I've educated myself from the silicon in microchips to the anomalies of quantum mechanics. I've advanced my mind in the latest technologies while tempering my spirit with ancient wisdom. I know that I am a better person for it.

Thank you Wikipedia. You've been a friend, and oddly enough, a mentor. I suppose I shouldn't be thanking Wikipedia, but the awesome human beings who have shared their passion for life to me by revealing what they know about the world. Without your selfless effort, this wonderful tool would not be available to us.

I believe that Wikipedia embodies our natural, inalienable right to free our minds and educate ourselves. We can choose, at any time, to shine a light into the unknown corners of our consciousness. I hope it will continue to create a future of understanding for the sake of uplifting the human condition.

I've used Wikipedia since basically, as long as I can remember. At least half my life. Wikipedia has not just been a site that I've visited occasionally for references. Since I have been introduced to it, Wikipedia has been an integral part of my seeing, feeling, and interpreting the world. I've witnessed Wikipedia being regarded by my middle school teachers as little more than an anecdotal barometric reading of the online popular opinion, to a more honest rendering of the world, comparable if not exceeding the integrity of Encyclopedia Britannica.

From being the source of the seeds of my research, to the polishing of popular culture repertoire; from my late night, inebriate internet staggerings, to my sober, technical referencing, Wikipedia has been a huge part of my life.

Obviously of great practical importance to me, Wikipedia also fulfills my ideas of how knowledge should be created, disseminated and shared. I cannot fully express how meaningful and promising the whole project has been, is, and will continue to be.

Although i am no philanthropist, nor do i have the means to be one, i hope my small contribution will assist in Wikipedia's mission. In the future, i hope to contribute more monetary and non-monetary resources to Wikipedia.

Wikipedia and community: do not stray from your initial objectives.

I don't use Wikipedia often, but I started getting search results that led me to the site many years ago and, since then, it has become my trusted source of information when questions arise.

Interestingly enough, until tonight I had never stopped to think that there is no advertisement on the site, and the thought of Wikipedia ceasing to exist hit me with a dose of anxiety. It's amazing how we can take things for granted and never think they could one day be gone.

I know many people who use the site as much as, or more, than I do and trust the fund raising goals will be reached.

In a world of CEOs, CFOs, and founders' insane pride and greed, I have to bow to the excellence of a man who only appears as the creator of such admirable work when he humbly posts a message appealing to us, users, to make donations in order to keep this a free and available service for all of us.

Keep up the awesome work and Happy Holidays!

I use Wikipedia every day. If I need a quick answer or a detailed explanation, it seems there is always a Wikipedia entry on the subject. I grew up with encyclopedias in the house - my father's 1937 World Book was almost a daily resource starting when I was seven years old. My parents made the monthly payments for a 1961 Americana set when I was 11. It didn't have as many pictures as the World Book, but went into greater detail and filled in the history of the past 20+ years.

Years later, shortly after my daughter was born, I began making payments on a 1977 Collier's. I resumed my frequent use of an encyclopedia and showed her and her younger sister how use it to find answers to almost any question and to help them in school. At that time, I was a parts manager who used an IBM 370 terminal (with a 300 baud modem!) to manage my auto parts inventory - it was a vast improvement over the old card system and using the phone to track down an urgently needed part. Although Microsoft and Apple were very young companies at that time, I remember thinking then that someday everyone would have some kind of small computer to make their work easier. A few years later, we had a Commodore 64, followed by a Macintosh Plus, and still later, a clone 286, which led to many other DOS and Windows computers over the years. My daughters use computers daily in their work and think nothing of it, even though I am still somewhat amazed by the progress made in personal computers over the past 30+ years.

I wish I could give a bigger donation, but being retired means I have to be selective in deciding what worthy causes I can support. Wikipedia is one of those causes and I hope you can keep it free of commercials, just like my old 1937 World Book!

Wikipedia is my home page. When a question hits me, I just open my access to internet and get to Wikipedia for an answer. And I'm always satisfied with the service it gives me, whenever I need answers, doing a research or simply surfing on it. The best about all of this is that it's FREE to the public! I don't want to start paying for collective Knowledge!

The "Sum of Knowledge" should be innate from birth for every human being, but yet we the population still have to pay for education.

I've donated because I believe in a world with free knowledge, and Wikipedia is its direct synonym.

I don't want to lose the one of the greatest invention of humankind.

As a schoolteacher, I am always researching information for myself and my students. A few years ago, many of my colleagues would tell their students they were not allowed to use Wikipedia as a source because it was never accurate. Being as stubborn as many of my students :) I decided to cross-check the information that I found on here with other sources. I could not understand why other teachers were so reticent about using your site as I felt as though I gleaned factual, concise information.

Therefore, Wikipedia has become one of my first-choice go-to websites when my students ask me a question to which I do not automatically know the answer. Not only am I a teacher, but a life-long learner and I love learning new things from your website...every day!

I am translating and trancribing my interview with my mother who is now deceased. She was born in Poland and had lived through the terrors of World War II. I found myself turning to Wikipedia for spellings and locations of the towns and villages where she had been. I found that the information contained in Wikipedia was consistent with her first hand accounts so I am very pleased with the accuracy of your information. Most of all, I was excited to find the entry on Chanza, the village where she was born, and even a picture. I regret that I did not find this picture while she was alive.

I pretty much use Wikipedia on a daily basis. From looking up musicians/actors to reading about genomes, rockets and anything else my mind can think of or dream up. I also use it to prove my girlfriend wrong from time to time when we have disputes about our own knowledge! Honestly, without it, I don't know where I would turn to to find out information on so many topics that I have questions about every day. Literally, there is almost nothing I can look up that Wikipedia doesn't have information on. I can't believe it's a free service with no advertising. I could never figure out how this was possible until I read the script from Jimmy Wales stating how Wikipedia is composed of volunteers. Truly amazing work. My donation to help keep this marvel going is certainly money well spent. Not only does it benefit me to keep using Wikipedia, but also benefits the millions of other who use this site as well. I'm glad I can be a part of something so amazing.

I never knew what Wikipedia was at first. It was some website with some unknown purpose to my knowledge, and I shoved it aside as a useless resource, that could not help me. Soon, I found links regarding Wikipedia, and I was intrigued. What was this mysterious website which appeared frequently in search results, yielding a full article of glorious cited information on the topic at mind? After that, I used, and continue to use, the Wikipedia Encyclopedia. From information on bands, to summary's on my favorite books. Wikipedia was there to help out, and I was thrilled to contribute to this (almost) limitless fountain of knowledge compiled by earnest volunteers.

So this year, in lieu of the giving holidays, I want to thank Wikipedia again, for being there for me when I needed to know something, even if at random. My donation may be small, but It goes with hopes that others would understand its importance in helping them, and do the same. Thanks, Jimmy Wales, and a big thank you especially to the Wikimedia foundation as a whole. Knowledge is a gift. Why not share it for free in an environment clear of bothersome advertising?

I am a senior in good health. I deliver meals to seniors that are not. Many of the questions that I get on my rounds I can answer with the help of Wikipedia. Especially when it comes to health and medicines, wikipedia.org has become my trusted reference source. Sorting out the difference between scams and valid claims is vital in aquiring food supplements and/or OTC medicines. So, in the name of countless Seniors and myself; THANK YOU!

I always look to Wikipedia when I have a question on any subject. Wikipedia helps me form better questions on a topic, and really acts as a launching pad for more detailed research. I appreciate that Wikipedia is very specific on their write-ups. I rarely see any opinion in these write ups, and if I do, they seem to be balanced with facts on the subject. A resource like this must remain free from commercialism and accessible by everyone with a question. When knowledge is packaged by a shell of commercial interest, you have to question the source, which is very often completely unreliable. The news media is a prime example of this. The best check on unreliable information is a community of academics and subject matter experts who are dedicated to the truth; not a group of marketing analysts. I think Wikipedia is the perfect model for future endeavors of information access through the internet. Finally, it is important that Wikipedia can remain free from commercial coercion. Wikipedia champions intellectual integrity in the midst of current commercial and social forces that attempts to sensor Fact by attempting to alter fact, promoting baseless theories, and espousing irrational ideologies. Intellectual Freedom and Intellectual Integrity are one in the same. For these reasons, I am proud to contribute to Wikipedia endeavor.

Some of us older folks remember when, if we thirsted for knowledge on a subject, we took a trip to the library and pored through books trying to satisfy our curiosity. If the library was far away or the weather was inclement, we may have been left to wonder for a long, long time.

What does it take nowadays to literally wade in knowledge on any subject you can think of? Likely a very short walk to the computer, a few keystrokes and there it is, spread out in front of you in the twinkling of an eye!

Did the past generation take the library for granted? For the most part, yes. Do we take the computer and the web for granted? Certainly most of us do. Do we take Wikipedia for granted? I don't yet. I still donate when Mr. Wales asks. I still think about what a unique experiment it is--and it's working! I like to feel I'm a part of it, and a part of history!

I'm certainly not implying that the library is obsolete, it's an important institution in our society. The internet and Wikipedia however, are a small step for man, a giant leap for mankind!

I listen to reports of terrorism, constant war, and debilitating greed and hatred, and I find myself doubting the innate goodness of humanity. But I look to Wikipedia for a random piece of trivia or to learn more about a phenomenon, and I am reminded that the wealth of information available on Wikipedia starts with someone who decides to share. Its growth is then fueled by the curious and honed by the particular. Wikipedia gives me hope - hope that humanity can come together for good - simply because we choose to share.

As Instructional Technology Coordinator for an adult ESL program, I help to orient my students to navigating the Internet. They are hard workers, caring and attentive parents, and concerned neighbors - they are both new and well-established community members who need to leverage the power of information to make a better life for themselves and their family, which improves our country, one person, one family, at a time. My students know the information is out there, but so much of the Internet is difficult to grasp. Wikipedia is different. The design and organization is accessible, and the idea of a wiki helps me to show a concrete example of the democratic process at work. I'm proud that Wikipedia is an American innovation that demonstrates a universal need for information, participation, and accountability. And now Wikipedia has grown into a worldwide endeavor. It's a success story that we all can share.

In 2005 at the age of 70, I enrolled full time in college. My first hurdle was to survive orientation. My "peers" were 50 years younger. Life became easier when my grandson told me about Wikipedia. The links to all sorts of information along with additional references to pursue increased the depth of my understanding exponentially and helped me maintain a place on the Dean's list. I am happy to contribute what I am able to see that others may have the opportunity to enrich their lives with knowledge.

I will finish my Ph.D. in early 2011. I went back to school to get an advanced degree, and while open source information has been discouraged by many professors, I have always found Wikipedia to be a reliable and useful place to begin researching a topic. No source of information is absolute, but with very few exceptions, the information contained on Wikipedia is reliable and trustworthy. I tried to make an editorial suggestion once but could not figure out how to submit the change or a recommended suggestion? Perhaps this is something that can be made easier in the future.

Also, as a former 8-12 mathematics teacher in Texas, and I have pointed students towards Wikipedia many times. Of course, I have always told them to cite this reference and to investigate what they garner from open source, freely available media. I contributed because I believe in the vision to which your organization strives, sharing knowledge together.

I am Operations Director for the iSchool Initiative. We are a non-profit, student led organization based out of Kennesaw State University in GA. Our mission is to promote awareness and increase implementation of cutting edge technology in classrooms. To show our support, we are strongly encouraging all of our members to donate at least $20 to Wikipedia.

Wikipedia represents the future of information. And we say so. We encourage students to use Wikipedia throughout their education, no matter how young. When a student get their information from Wikipedia (or related area such as Wikimedia) he or she is gathering information from a globe of knowledge. This globe not only contains more information than any encyclopedia, but is open to the sways of culture, politics, economics, art and even emotion. Some professors may say it's "not reliable". We say, long live Wikipedia!

Wikipedia has changed my life in many ways. In business I use it for research and getting ideas. It has help me numerous times and have quoted Wikipedia in my presentations to strengthen my point. And before Wikipedia, my knowledge of my heritage and my country was basically zero. With Wiki, I now know where I come from, the history of my Country. my ancestors migrated to this country and never had a sense of belonging. Now thats different. It has also improved my knowledge in health. Being a heart and High Blood Pressure patient, i refer to Wikipedia for a better understanding of this diseases. Wikipedia is part of my life and I can safely say has improved the way i live. That is why I have decided to contribute monthly. Because I would like it to be around for my kids. Well done and keep up the good work guys!

My family and I moved to the US from Taiwan when I was 12, I didn't speak a lick of English then. I crave knowledge, and I hate feeling left out when having conversation with people, and I have no idea what they are talking about.

Frequently, people would be talking about a book, music or a tv show that came out when I wasn't living in the US. People would be laughing and seem to know everything about it, and I just feel left out. I wanted to participate in the conversation, and have the common knowledge of my peers. So, I looked up things that I don't know every time i hear them. It's been helping so much having wikipedia's help!

The first time I used wikipedia was when I was studying abroad in Paris, and I had to do a presentation for a world religion class. It was very helpful to be able to turn to Wikipedia for a general idea and a quick boost on the knowledge on the subject.

yay for wikipedia. knowledge is power!

I am a single mother in full time college working toward completing a doctorate degree in Osteopathic Medicine. I have many thesis and essay papers that are required by my program. The internet is an overwhelming ocean of information. I use Wikipedia to help me with my starting point on research projects and topics that I need in order to complete my school work as well as research I need to assist future patients. The reference section under each topic is immensely important in helping me find the documentation I need. I love this site and hope to be a contributing writer some day. Thank you for your making your vision come true and sharing it with the world.

I just graduated from undergrad in California and have been moving around the country since May. Wikipedia is a site that my friends and I use everyday. Whether I am researching an obscure gene or transcription factor, the conformation of an organic molecule, or joking around about the affects of drinking apple cider vinegar on gout, I look to wiki.

Thank you wikipedia, for giving us good information, free, fast, and with amazing accuracy. Without you, I would know a lot less.

Post college, in this economy, my donation amount means more to me than the numeric sign appears. If my friends and I can afford a beer or two we should definitely be able to afford to support a site we use daily. Please never stop being wonderful.

It used to be that every project started in a library. Everything we do requires building upon previous knowledge. The better the library you had access to, the better the project could be. Now, with the internet, we have access to more knowledge than we can possibly digest and the problem lies in finding a way to wade through all the junk. In the early days of the internet, its creators probably didn't foresee it being overrun by spam and porn and commercial interests, the dream was to redefine how knowledge was accessed and stored. Wikipedia, more than any other organization, represents that dream. I believe it is the single most valuable resource on the internet.

After an unimaginable amount of hours searching on wikipedia’s seemingly endless database, it never really occurred to me that the reason wiki is my go to and works so well is the lack of cluttering and flashing advertisements that you would think are needed to keep such an amazing site running. This fact alone must subsequently mean that the founders have really done something special and merit the recognition as well as opportunity to keep growing.

As vice president of research of materials research company, I am frequently presented with technical, scientific and even historical questions all of which seem to be answered in seconds on this wonderful resource your call wikipedea.

With this tool anyone with an interest can learn almost any subject to a level only before achieved through years of expensive post secondary education.

Congratulations wikiteam!

Keep it up!

I am very, very impressed w/ any organization that can create & maintain any value-added service for the greater good of humanity in a totally transparent way. Plus, you accept no advertising on your site. I am truly impressed. I wish I could give more.

I use Wikipedia constantly as my first-choice in preliminary research. Please continue to maintain the remarkably high standards that Wikipedia represents to the entire world. I am very grateful Wikipedia is an American company.

My adopted daughter is from Kazakhstan. After completing three graduate degrees with honors, she has a good job in Moscow. But my heart cries for the beautiful young people of KZ. Please pray that I may know how to assist more young Kazahstanis from the poverty that engulfs so many people in Asia.

Blessings to you and your Staff during this mystical season; Christmas!

Wikipedia is well on its way to becoming the dream-come-true of collectivity. Public health and medical agencies, financial institutions, major companies, scientists, and governments all across the world have tried and failed to produce the miracle that is Wikipedia: an easily accessible gateway with nominal red tape that houses knowledge and information on an all-encompassing basis.

Wikipedia succeeds where others have failed because the strings that hamper similar ventures do not exist on Wikipedia. It does not rely on a select group of individuals to maintain and organize its colossal level and scope of information; rather, it depends on individuals, each of whom may make a contribution in whatever quantity he or she chooses.

And indeed, Wikipedia's scope is as broad as the globe itself. Anyone can add their gifts and skills to the ever-improving pool of knowledge. It currently contains articles in no less than thirty-five languages: people from anywhere in the world can add their knowledge. People of any demographic - PhD's in theoretical chemistry and physics; dedicated high school history students; young children with knowledge of video games; pop culture buffs; language experts with understanding of grammar and writing skills - can use their gifts, broad knowledge, or factual tidbits to improve Wikipedia to any degree they wish.

Wikipedia is a noble experiment. It seeks to do what has been a goal for ages: to make knowledge universal. Though there are imperfections - vandalism, uncited sources, and poorly written articles on little-known topics - Wikipedia stands as a monument to the ability of the everyman to work independently, on whatever time and conditions he or she wishes, and create something greater.

I have used Wikipedia in the past week to read about graphene, the subject of the Nobel Prize in Chemistry this year; to do research for a novel I intend to write; to read up on early blues musicians; and just yesterday, to brush up on Newton's Method for finding the root of a function, which pertains to my impending calculus final exam.

Not all of these articles were well written. Some had run-on sentences and punctuation errors that would make any grammarian sick. One did not cite any sources. Another was a stub, with only nominal information. The point, however, is not the contents of Wikipedia are imperfect - the fact that articles exist, that they contain anything at all, is in and of itself a wonderful thing. It is a continuous goal and an immense undertaking. It cannot be achieved without continuous, consistent effort.

I did not make a donation to Wikipedia because of the articles I read that are well written, filled with knowledge, and cite excellent sources; rather, because there is still so much that we do not know, so many articles that must be filled.

The more we learn about our universe, the more we realize how incomplete our picture truly is. I donated to Wikipedia because I believe in this complete picture, in this fantasy of complete and comprehensive knowledge that is rapidly becoming a reality.

I homeschool my three children and we use Wikipedia every day. We thoroughly rely on it as a regular part of our curriculum. I just love that there are photographs to accompany the topic, links for every term mentioned, and the style of organization of the information. Thank you all for your hard work; it's a job exceptionally well done!

Wikipedia's ideals of sharing knowledge with the world deeply resonate with my views on what makes the world go round. Improved education and knowledge should lead to new businesses and new technologies as we all build on an ever increasing pool of accumulated know-how. I believe wikipedia has a real impact in the world, and the very fact that [need citation] is widespread should encourage people to hone their critical thinking skills, another great lesson which I try to impart to my son. Congratulations to the wikipedia team for almost 10 years of incredibly meaningful work.

As a university student, I am ever indebted to wikipedia for the role it plays in my education. (While I still have to cite official "academic" sources in my papers) I use wikipedia for everything from giving me an accurate overview of a subject so I know what areas I want to further my research in, to quick fact checks before I add something in my paper, to learning how to issues are tied together (through clicking in-text links. which is so helpful as Peace and Conflict Studies major. Learning how conflicts are tied together is key.) I also use it in class when a prof. refers to a theory/philosopher/event I am not familiar with. Wikipedia has revolutionized the way college students research and learn and has opened an entire world of information to us that would otherwise be out of reach. (or rather too full of jargon and time consuming to manage.)

I became a monthly donor because $15 a month is a lot less than I pay for my tuition, yet wikipedia has contributed just as much to my education and understanding of the world as my university.

it is my first time at using it, and beeing born in a backward Country, because I am I woman I did not get an education, my knowledge is very limited and my bocavulary is very poor, in English and Spanish, but I have an incredible emotional intelligence. I know. but I do not have the ability to express my ideas in words, and most people think of me as been stupid.It hurts me. because I know that I am even smater than they will ever be.I have the ability to see, what others can't. the unseen world. intuition, telepathy, vibrations, i have gotten out of my body, I have dreams that guide me, that show mw truth,my power of observation is so strong, but I have to keep it to myself, because spirituality can not be put in words you either have or not, my brother is a Psychiatrist and when I speak about it, he makes a disaproving silence, and does my son who is also a very cerebral person, he is a neuro scients. I wish people would accept me the way I am. It is natural for me, to be the way I am. I am not crazy. I have ahigher level of Spirituality. thats all, by the way the word that I was searching for was Altruism. I had a block, like for 3 years I could not remember it. Because that's the way I lived my life, and now that I am old and alone I am going to a process of re-evaluating my life, my past, and contemplating my future. THANK UOU SO MUCH FOR THE SERVICE THAT YOU ARE PROVIDING. THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO IMPROVE MYSELF. I AM VERY GRATEFUL. I SAW YOUR PICTURE AND IT MOVED ME, THE EYES ARE THE WINDOW OF THE SOUL, AND YOU ARE A BEAUTIFUL HUMAN BEEING, YOUR MOTHER MUST FEEL SO PROUD OF YOU! THE BASE OF LIFE IS LOVE, RESPECT AND GRSTITITUED.

For me, Wikipedia is the most important website on the whole internet. It's almost too good to be true.

When I first heard about, and visited, Wikipedia some years ago, I never thought that it would work. I thought, that with anyone being able to edit the information on this free encyclopedia, how could you ever be able to trust its articles?

Though, I must say that I have seriously been proven wrong. As a games writer, I use Wikipedia a lot to look up facts when writing my articles. And, as an ordinary person always thirsting for more knowledge about this interesting world, I use Wikipedia daily for learning more about this Earth and its many aspects.

Of course an encyclopedia containing the collected knowledge of the people of this world is to be trusted. There may be small misses; but in the end it's a concept so amazing I still really can't grasp it fully.

I'm a big Wikipedia fan. It's fun, it's interesting, and most of all - it makes people opening their minds through knowledge.

Thank you so much.

As a representative for a cyber security networking equipment manufacturer to the DoD agencies and as a 50 something pursuing a Masters in Cyber Security and Info Assurance, Wiki has been a trusted source of reading to broaden my knowledge base and especially to dive deeper by using references. The references are what are so valuable to me when I'm researching a topic. Thank you Wiki Team. I truly appreciate all the work you do.

With technology and science evolving as fast as they do, keeping up to date with textbooks and reference materials is a challenge. While not obsolete, Wikipedia has made it easier to access the core information that I am looking for with links to appropriate references if I need them. As a current medical student, I am on Wikipedia almost on a daily basis. It is both comprehensive and succinct, two very important aspects that get you the information you need, fast.

Wikipedia has revolutionized the way I've gotten through school, the amount of textbooks I need to purchase, and in general has made my education both faster and more complete. I sincerely thank the efforts of everyone at Wikipedia. Your dream of providing knowledge has helped me on the path to achieve my own dreams of becoming a physician. What more needs to be said?

I just wanted to drop a note to say thank you; wish I could have afforded to give more. I very rarely donate to NPOs. Sadly, it is partially due to my lack of faith in human nature as well as the constant nagging of NP orgs. begging for money. Mainly it's just that I want to help ALL my favs and can't afford to so, I just don't do any. That's fair; right? However, when I first started using Wikipedia about 4 or 5 yrs ago, I was attending on-line college classes. At that time no way in h**l were we permitted to use anything from the site for our research and/or subsequent references and/or citations. Since that time this wonderful beyond words project has slowly become somewhat credible with a few college professors who are realizing the value and depth of information available. There have been many occasions in which I would not have been able to complete an assignment without it. Even if an article is unable to provide qualified acceptable reference, citation material; the links to where the information was harvested will lead you to what you need. There have also been times when I have suffered from a complete brain-block and a simple search from Wikipedia will undoubtedly spur my creativity. I find myself here quite often for subjects ranging from the above mentioned research papers to simple definitions and everything in between. Keep up the great work. I have enjoyed watching the amazing growth of this awesome site that provides a wealth of resources matching no other; and find Wiki to be an invaluable part of my on line experience. Happy Holidays PS: The irony that although Wikipedia is an all in one dictionary/encyclopedia/atlas reference resource and quickly becoming a household term; the actual word "Wikipedia" is not recognized by spell checkers is to me sarcastically humorous.

This is the first year I am donating to Wikipedia. Sure, I've seen the banners year after year, but somehow this time it made me think. How much information I get from the Wiki, I probably access something every day, sometimes multiple times a day. I felt I had to give back something...

If you stop and think of all the money you spend on useless stuff, you'll see that do better, and spend it wisely. You can donate to Wikipedia and keep knowledge free for everyone.

I cannot believe that over 550 milion people took time to create a Facebook account, but only 400 milion access Wikipedia. Makes you wonder where the world is going...

We have a natural curiosity, and desire to understand "what makes thinks tick", and with time maybe things will change, we will change our priorities and understand that knowledge makes us better. I just hope that when we get there, we still have that free Wikipedia to turn to :-)

If there's one thing Wikipedia has taught me, it's that learning is a cumulative effort; rarely does it come in revelatory bursts that make us jump out of the bathtub and cry, "Eureka!" More often, we erect the Athenian halls of wisdom through the piecemeal process of answering those small, seemingly insignificant questions that avail themselves to us throughout each day.

Growing up in a small town in upstate New York, it wasn't always easy to find the answers to my questions. And while my family had a computer, the Internet still represented a vast frontier I did not yet have the skills to efficiently explore. Looking back, I'm sure there were many questions I had that went unanswered, a tragedy because each question that comes to mind represents an opportunity to learn, which is one of the most self-affirming and life-enriching practices one can undertake.

However, with the advent of Wikipedia in 2001, many of my questions began to find answers. In high school, many an hour flew by in a whirlwind of clicks that could start with a topic as lighthearted as comic books yet end with something as dense as Kant's categorical imperative. That's part of the magic of Wikipedia: not just the miracle of its growth and clarity, but also its illumination of the fact that all knowledge is connected. Like a bite of Turkish Delight, each click of a hyperlink to another topic both quenches and encourages the thirst for knowledge. Thus, perhaps Wikipedia's greatest gift is not just knowledge, but the inculcation of an affinity for learning.

For the sake of brevity, let me conclude with this: I love Wikipedia and I love learning. Luckily, for me, the two are inextricably bound. And for that, I thank you.

I appreciate Wikipedia not bowing to commercialization, kudos for this clever way to appeal to a broad audience. I use Wikipedia to sate my curiosity on a variety of topics and characters. I have found it reliable and quite extensive in its thoughtful treatment of a whole range of topics. I work in the health care industry and was once an academic professional. I would miss Wikipedia as a source were it to bow to monetary pressures. Keep up the Good work!

My wife is changing careers and she often asks me to help her out with her college class studies. I don't know anything about nursing! So, I wiki. She makes up flash cards. I grab them and start grilling her. As she fires off answers, my eyes glaze over. Then, I wiki, and the haze disappears. And then WE wiki, and together we fix mistakes we find in her study notes, tie up loose ends, and put the finishing touches on concepts--or laugh at how off the mark her instructor turned out to be. It's a great place to learn, and a great way to check the accuracy of the material the college is using to teach.

About 10 yrs back, one of my friends used to ridicule me comparing with other friends who could give a 5-10 min speech about almost everything.

This provoked me to learn more every opportunity I get. Back then, I had very little access to internet. Books & magazines are the only source of information.

I don't quite remember when I started using Wikipedia. I guess it was probably around 2003-2004. I was one of those people who thought Wikipedia can't be a success, because it could have a lot of wrong information & misrepresentations as well. I was wrong.

Now my life has changed so much that I am always connected to web and especially Wikipedia - be it my desktop browser or my iphone app.

Wikipedia has changed my life so much that I end up searching and reading about every new term I come across in Wikipedia.

Wikipedia has had so much influence on me that some of my friends started calling the once knowledge-less me as "Wikipedia" now.

Thanks for keeping it free!!!

This charity is one of those most readily worthy of your donations this holiday season. Here's part of the reason why:

I am a student at the University of Chicago, and I've used Wikipedia over the years as frequently as any other person I know. I have never once edited an article, but I have used data from the website for every purpose from sating my own curiosity to quickly accessing scientific data on compounds I was asked to work with for my chemistry major. In fact, most people I know won't agree to have a friendly argument over a topic if we can't use Wikipedia as a source. It’s a symbol for what we, the Internet accessing peoples the world over, know and more specifically what we know well.

In truth though, the extent to which information is organized, and indeed better organized than in other resources, is fundamentally part of the boon Wikipedia provides. Other contributors have talked about the astounding quantity of information on Wikipedia, and perhaps some have remarked on its quality, but its sheer accessibility is why it is explicitly more valuable to me than other informational resources which may be said to have the same content, or even more detailed content on the same subject. That I can speedread a Wikipedia article on a compound, or a well known historical figure, and be ready to ask questions and argue about it effectively from that in realtime in a discussion section is a capacity which no other resource, or combination of resource, provides with the same degree of efficacy, and all of the ones that come close cost money. Indeed even in instances where speed isn't as necessary, the fact that any related Wikipedia articles are embedded in the text as a hyperlink allows me to Wiki something I am totally ignorant of, and self educate by reading the related articles until I can understand the article in question. As was previously mentioned, it is free. This means it the best piece of equipment for quick, general reference out there, which is accessible to literally anyone who can get online, making it also incredibly fair. With respect to its information theory, Wikipedia is a masterpiece.

People who read this might look on the above with concern. One might wonder if I show enough care for the accuracy of the information I consume. Of course there is the counterargument which basically says that Wikipedia is in fact very correct, one cannot escape the detail that it is a body of knowledge created by its users, and therefore fundamentally subject to their bias and potentially even their errors. In fact, I have been constantly warned (particularly in highschool) by instructors to be suspicious of what I hear and read, especially on Wikipedia. This, conjoined with my consistent use of Wikipedia, has caused me to become VERY aware of the potential non-verity of what I am reading. I have always perused and inspected the listed references on Wikipedia pages, but this behavior has trained me to use and be critical of the bibliographies of sources considered (sometimes quite wrongly) to be much less impugnable than Wikipedia. In general, Wikipedia reminded me constantly, and should remind us all, that all knowledge is a debate, and moreover that even when the noisiest opinions seem to have won that debate, the most correct answer stems from a rational inspection of the opinions themselves.

Like I said, it’s among the worthiest charitable contributions you might make this holiday season. Now you know why I feel that way.

A large part of the success of science in advancing civilization is they way information is contributed, reviewed for reliability, and distributed. I see Wikipedia as bringing these same methods of science into the world of us "normal" people, internet style. A peer-reviewed, properly referenced knowledge base about anything and everything, freely distributed among interested parties. It's a wonder that it ever could happen. It's a miracle that it's for free.

Half a century ago, as a freshman wasting many hours in the library stacks, I dreamed of an encyclopedia which would encompass ("en-circle", "en-cycle") all the world's knowledge to make it easy to study. I imagined one series of volumes in a uniform binding, hundreds of thousands of volumes. Wikipedia will be the realization of that dream, with one major improvement -- hyperlinks. Wikipeddia enables me to continue my studies buck-naked at my desk, at little cost.

Wikipedia is a life-preserver -- it enables me to learn about my health problems and medications, so I can communicate with my physicians more intelligently.

Wikipedia saves money -- it enables me to learn about various technologies, so I can communicate with salesmen more effectively.

(It also enables me to document my neighborhood, my alma mater, etc., but that's another story.)

I think of this donation as a fee for service. Thank you very much.

Anytime I enter a search for a literary figure, I find the richest trove of material I have ever seen. I have been a college English instructor, and assigned research papers when I knew students had to be virtually shown where the various library sections were. Now they could stun me with the richness of their resources. But most of all, for me, it is contact with my long-ago dreamt of world. It was one in which the connections with great minds did not end with college at any level. It was also one in which, a good reason to study the best of everything was to share that realm of life with many, many wonderful people. Without Wiki-pedia and its concept, would that last be true? I haven't found it so; education past graduate school, outside of a particular elite, does not find welcome, stimulating discussions on shared great topics,to be commonplace, sad to say. I'm just discovering Wiki-pedia, and it makes me feel that the long-ago dream of learning about the great minds and places of this world as a release to joyful experience and creative endeavor--is still alive and vital. Thank you, Wiki-pedia, for this, and for all the people who make this dream a reality.

I have been using this website since I was 10 years old, and have had the pleasure of watching it grow and develop into one of the great treasure troves of knowledge of the modern world. Wikipedia has assisted the foundation of my high school and college research, helped flesh out my interests in the arts, and has made me a more learned person. The internet is the great hallmark of my generation, and I believe that Wikipedia has helped make it so

I'm a graduate student in mathematics and Wikipedia is an indispensable tool to learn about any new concepts I don't know. Also it is good for references after one has already read the corresponding Wikipedia article. I believe Wikipedia is the best learning tool that has ever been created. I have never contributed by writing an article but would like to start contributing as soon as possible. Please keep up the good work!

Wikipedia is where I turn first for anything that I don't have a grasp or understanding of. Sometimes I need to understand product specs so I don't get fooled by marketing puff. Other times I hear a new term that surely has not made it into the dictionary. Whether my needs are superficial or deep, Wikipedia is both drinking fountain and fire hose. When I need authenticated sources, I go to Wikipedia and dig into the footnote links to get citable sources. So corroboration is only a click away. (Thank you for pushing the community to provide authentication.)

I'm truly blown away by what this community has created. It's shows the power of crowdsourcing in action to hone and refine information as well and at far greater efficiency than would be possible with a small cloister of experts.

The result? Wikipedia is a treasure to humanity. Put to its highest and best use, it's a treasure to the planet.

It bespeaks the elegance that exists only on the far side of complexity. Arriving there cannot be achieved through mere simplification. Rigorous distillation is required to vet and continually refine results. Truth is pure and may be unachievable, but it is the worthy ideal made possible through this brilliant experiment.

Asimov would be proud. Let us hope that this real-world "Foundation" can prevent the need intended by the fictional one. ...But don't forget to backup your data, you know, just in case. ;-)

In June my wife had radical brain surgery at Mayo Clinic. Wiki was critical in our being able to research the tumors and procedure so we could talk intelligently to her doctors. Now she is virtually blind from the surgery and Wiki helps us learn about this as well. Thanks!!

My husband and I and our two children live overseas. We don't have access to public libraries with English media. Learning is very important to our family. If our children, ages 5 and 2, ask us a question about something, we see it as an opportunity to teach them about our world and how things work. When we don't have the answer, we always go to wikipedia to find the answer. We love looking things up as a family and learning something new together. Wikipedia makes it possible for us all to be lifelong learners. Thank you, Wikipedia, for making this possible for us, even in Eastern Europe.

It is the most beautiful website I have come across. The concept of hundreds of thousands of people working constructively to share and grow a body of knowledge using their own time and money boggled my mind but I have now come to realize the immense resources we have to solve the world's biggest challenges and move us forward towards a better connected humanity.

I was born and grew up in China, where the government control the education and media. I was instilled by partial thoughts and opinions. It is not until I accessed Wikipedia that could I learn how to think objectively and fairly. I believe Wikipedia has deeply changed the way my generation in China think.

Wikipedia as a huge non-profit encyclopedia, is also the first thing I would refer to whatever I don't understand. Although I believe Wikipedia has a way to reach a higher level, I do support the development of the public knowledge of the whole world. As a matter of fact, the ad-free encyclopedia is one of the best things survive on the Internet.

I have been using Wikipedia for almost 7 years now and it has been a great resource for me.

A few years ago, I was a struggling Engineering student, trying to balance my life, budget, school, and everything in between. Working full-time and going to school leaves very little time for library trips. I turned to Wikipedia to help me research and gain understand in topics I encountered in my daily life and school. Often I would find myself researching something and before I knew it, I had 10 tabs open with sub-topics I discovered within the original article. This helped my realize just how connected our knowledge is and how important Wikipedia is to ALL OF US. I hope everyone finds it in their heart to donate to Wikipedia. I owe it more than I could ever repay. Thank you so much.

When I was young there was an industry based on the sale of encyclopedia. Every kid used them as a source for reports made in school. They were expensive to buy and went out of date fairly quickly. Wikipedia is the 21st century version of these volumes but it is absolutely free. Information is up to date and errors or false information can be challenged and removed through an established process. I love the breadth and depth of the information in Wikipedia- far better than the old-fashioned book versions. I love the fact that the internet provides instantaneous access to information of all kinds, and Wikipedia is usually my go to source on most topics. Knowledge is power and Wikipedia provides that power to the world in an amazing way. I can't say no to a resource and organization that offers me so much.

My story is no different than that of probably a million other college students. As the night progresses and the hours spent studying stack up, some quick reliable information is needed. While Wikipedia commonly comes under criticism because of its open source nature, I have found that this has invariably led to valuable information which more often than not has been the difference between a half hour of fruitless web search and an efficient minute spent on the site.

The things I am casually reading about or researching online naturally awaken questions as I go.... To be able to simply type in the word or phrase that peaks curiosity and receive a world of information as short or extensive as I want to get into is just such a GIFT. Easy access to Wikipedia opens worlds to me that otherwise would not get explored due to time and even forgetfulness to follow up later when I would be able to get to another resource. We are all given just so much time...and to be able to utilize that time so effectively and seize the opportunity to grow and learn so easily with Wikipedia is just invaluable. THANK YOU for your passion and sacrifice to impact and help improve the world community in such a practical and powerful way.

There's so much that I could say, but I'll keep this one short and sweet. I don't normally donate to anything, no matter how much I genuinely care about the issue or cause. It's not because I'm not generous - I'm always ready to give of my time to volunteer at homeless shelters, and the like - but the choices are overwhelming. "Don't you care about poor kids in impoverished nations?" says the ubiquitous street canvasser. Well, sure I do, but what if I'm already giving to an organization that, if not exactly focused on kids specifically, is nonetheless complimentary in the work it accomplishes. If I give to the general "Save Africa" campaign, have I still not covered all my bases if I don't give to "Save Africa's Kids" as well?

Such are the deliberations of a bleeding heart. Or maybe I'm just chronically indecisive. Let's just blame it on my natural orientation toward empathy, compassion and action, it sounds better. But when I read Jimmy Wales' eloquent appeal for donations, it wasn't just that it was well written - although my hat is off to him for such a concise, beautifully written appeal - it was the inescapably compelling notion that "every person on earth could share in the free and total access to all human knowledge." Forget about all the times I've enjoyed the use Wikipedia myself. This founding principle of Wikipedia is just brilliant in its far reaching scope and humanity. Thank you, to the whole Wikipedia team.

Much of the geeky technical stuff on Wikipedia is of very high quality, often at the level of being eligible for formal reading material in university courses. In the ever fewer places where it is not, I can immediately improve upon it myself without having to write everything from scratch. Wikipedia is often a very useful source of overview information on science and technology, and after I give it some screening, I often end up recommending specific articles to my students as a good and accurate source of information.

As my students who benefit from the content are mostly living on a very tight budget, consider this my small way of saying "thank you" on their behalf. I only wish I could afford to donate more.

I have used Wikipedia at various times and its ease of use via my mobile phone makes it a premier tool to source for information. I made my small donation based on such usage of this commendable global volunteer-maintained encyclopedia and in the hope that this worthy endeavour continues to gather credibility in the future.

Life without Wikipedia would mean a substantial impoverishment for me. It has become a highly valued asset, which I am very grateful for. To think that almost all of this is done by volunteers, who do it just because they like to share their knowledge. Being a surgical pathologist I use it both professionally and in my private life. I have experienced that the level of expertise has grown in the years. Now and then I contribute some correction or improvement. After my pension I will be able to do much more, which I am looking forward to. Wikipedia is a new dimension in a communal effort towards more insight and knowledge, which are shared here gladly with anyone who wants to use it.

My Father immigrated from Croatia to the United States with $22.00 in his pocket. He worked day and night to give me the fortunate life that was lucky and blessed enough to have. I cant thank Wikipedia enough for their hard work day in and day out along with their determination to keep this site litter free of advertisement. Keep up the great work!!!

I'm a college student. I don't have a lot of money. But I am willing to donate some money because Wikipedia has been incredibly important to my education. Being that I major in three widely variant topics (Biology, Spanish and Philosophy with minors in Chemistry and Theology), I can't afford to have reference books for every single one of these topics of study. Wikipedia provides a reliable source of information that I can use to quickly review a topic, check a fact here or there, and find resources to go deeper into a topic. Though I have only a summer income, I am willing to give to Wikipedia. This reminds me on the Library project that was begun when our nation began except it is accessible to the whole world. Thanks for everything, Wikipedia!

I am a university professor. I strongly support Wikipedia and recommend it to my students, contrary to many other colleagues. Knowledge does not belong to the few and should not be appropriated exclusively by the few elite. We live in the Age of Information and Communication, not the old age of keeping knowledge a secret, twisting it by the few who promote their own interest or some ethnocentric view... Wikipedia is being checked by humanity as a whole not by the few serving the merchant society. Wikipedia is one dimension of the Utopian society we have always dreamed of. It's up to each of us to keep it working. Donate... Just a few dollars, just the price of a hamburger!... or more, if you can easily afford.

When I first saw Jimmy Wales appeal for donations I thought, certainly he must have enough money, why should I donate. Then today I needed to look something up and where did I end up-Wikipedia. Then I started to think back when I was a kid when there was no Internet and how my Parents scrimped and saved to purchase a set of Encyclopedias and how much they cost. I remember how lucky we were to be able to have our own set at home for school projects and assignments. How I didnt have to wait in line at the school library for for book J-K :) Today with the advent of the Internet my kids use Wikipedia. Why shouldn't I donate so my kids can have an encyclopedia at home? Its what my parents did, its the least I can do as a parent.

I am a college English teacher and I use Wikipedia all the time in the classroom for multiple purposes. One, I like to point out that all professor, even those who claim it's not trustworthy, use it all the time. Two, I point out your style guide as a way of demonstrating that style guides aren't just something I invented to torture them but are in fact used to create intelligibility. Three, and most importantly, when appropriate I ask students to create Wikipedia pages. What better way to demonstrate that knowledge is something we all participate in making.

Wikipedia helps me access the infinite knowledge we as people contain. It is the single most important reason that the internet exists; constructive collaboration at it's finest. It helps me understand the world and pass it on to the next generation. Thank you for sharing your knowledge, all.

I love Wikipedia because I have an inquiring mind. Anyone who has ever read a dictionary for the fun of it must adore Wikipedia as I do, for the ease of flitting like a butterfly from flower to flower of knowledge. Whatever bit of knowledge I desire, for research or on a whim, relevant or irrelevant,I know I'll find at least a clue on Wikipedia.

Wikipedia means the World to me. What I have learned on this site is incredibly immense, to say the least. What you have done here Jimmy, is one of the most selfless acts I have ever come across. You should receive a Pulitzer Prize for your humanitarian efforts regarding the development and maintenance of Wikipedia. It means so much, to so many people, and has helped millions in incomprehensible ways. I only wish I could have donated more than I did. Since I lost my Technical job to the "New Silicon Valley", Bangalor, India as so many hard working American's have, my future and my family's future are at stake. I wish to express and urge to everyone in the entire World who has ever benefited from Wikipedia, to donate as much as they responsibly can. God bless you and everyone else involved with Wikipedia

I was diagnosed HIV+ 25 years ago. With the internet and Wikipedia, I am able to obtain knowledge about my condition immediately and thoroughly. The extent to which this has reduced panic and anxiety in my life cannot be measured, other than to say thank you to all who share their knowledge.

My grandparents were itinerant school teachers all their lives in what we called ‘country’ or ‘one-room’ schools. This time was the early 20th Century, and in addition to all the good they did, this opened another world for me. Their classes closed down for picking the crops and so I went to these schools because mine were closed. His name was Emery and her name was Ethel. She rode a mule to her first job to live with a family and teach as she was the best student in the 8th grade. She was still subbing when she was 80. She actually had Emery as one of her first husbands and I’m fairly sure it was on an Indian Reservation. There is much more I could tell of these wonderful people but I’m not sure how much space I’m allowed. They had seven sons who went through WWII. The one named Walden (yes, as in the book) was shot down over France and died there. My granddad was a beautiful Choctaw-Chickasaw, and all the boys were beautiful too. Emery came to OK on the Trail of Tears but he was too young to remember much of it. I must stop or I’ll go on and on. Thank You to my most wonderful Grandparents who thought it was great if I wanted to read at the dinner table!

One example: I just got an email about my sister having some antibodies identified that could mean she has one of 2 diseases I'd never heard about. I immediately went to Wikipedia to look up the information.

Information and education are keys to power, prosperity, and progress. My doctorate degree is in education, and my perception is that the majority of educational institutions (from pre-school to PHD programs) are failing to properly educate the population, so people need an accurate, unbiased source of information to facilitate their education and complement their experience. The primary source of such information seems to be Wikipedia. I was told that my pastor (who got his PHD from Cambridge University almost two decades ago) used to read encyclopedias when he was a child, but reading encyclopedias today would not be as helpful as it was 50 years ago due to the information explosion. In addition, media bias has rendered the media as not much more than a source of opinions. The accurate, comprehensive, unbiased information in Wikipedia has been a blessing to me and to many others.

Wikipedia is fulfilling the great promise of the internet. It's as simple as that. I am lucky the be a member of the generation that, literally, was born in a world on the cusp of an informational revolution the implications of which still are not clear. I have seen the growth and flowering of the personal computer and the internet into a world where information is instantly and reliably available in the palm of our hands. It is just damn amazing, and I think that Wikipedia is the best example of the good the internet can do.

I've been a user of Wikipedia since 2005. Back then, it was regarded as a "loose" source of information, a jumping off point or novelty site at best. Throughout my college years I watched it grow into an ever more reliable source of knowledge and a fantastic resource; a revolutionary new way of sharing information.

I think something we all admire about Wikipedia is the idea that such a broad base of knowledge, something completely reserved for the wealthy and privileged so recently in our human history, can now be shared freely across the world. That is something, I feel, worth donating towards.

Thank you to Jimmy Wales and everyone out there who has helped to bring this amazing piece of the future to us!

Wikipedia has undoubtedly expanded my knowledge of the world in both broad and microcosmic terms. Where else can you find such reliable information on subjects ranging from the history of Tsarist Russia to the potential uses of Helium-3? This service, and the lengths to which it has gone to remain free for all, demonstrates modern humanity at its best. The sharing of knowledge will not only save us all, it will lift us higher than we could ever dream. I, for one, thank everyone at Wikipedia for their dedication.

I've found information - good, great information - on Wikipedia for years. Personal, professional inquiries all lead to thoughtfully contributed and organized content. My kids' school work relies heavily on Wiki. It is one of the best resources in history!

back in the nineties I had to convince my father, then over 60, to buy his first computer. In a few months he became an expert researching all kind of stuff in the internet. One day, he was already very ill (months later he died of cancer) it was he who told me about wikipedia for the first time. It was a dream coming true, a immense living source of knowledge. over the years wikipedia became my most important researchin tool (I'm a journalist). And I stilI feel emotionally attached to wikipedia.

Five years before Wikipedia was launched I got my first public Internet home page ready in spring of '96. I was 26, bulletproof and had a motto "Knowledge should be free." Those were the last days of innocence in World Wide Web. Watching JenniCam was rapidly gaining popularity. Digital had just launched AltaVista, the mother of Internet search. Compaq was soon to be the second largest (and the best, IMHO) computer maker in the world. Even big BBSes were drying out. So was mine. I soon acknowledged the urge of WWW and installed my first preview release of Netscape Navigator (successor of Mosaic).

For the last five years I have blogged on somewhat steady pace, average of one weekly posting. Mostly just for the fun of learning new things in world and life while strongly living the second life in my dreams. Wikipedia has supported me in the search of knowledge. I have learnt things beyond my imagination and have been happy to often use links into Wikipedia, in hope readers will appreciate the reliable information.

As we can see from the history of Internet so far, nothing stays the same. Let's enjoy the amazing ride. For all of you guys at Wikipedia I send my best by saying "Live long and prosper!"

I came to the United States by way of Yemen 10 years ago. It wasn't easy adjusting to the new culture. Over the years, I've learned many things, and the first step was usually a search on Wikipedia. I learned how computers work, how to tie a windsor knot and many other things. My mother was in the hospital, and everytime the doctors talked about medications she should take and the dosage, I always researched it and wasn't afraid of what to expect next.

Wikipedia is a valuable tool that is available to anyone in the world for free, and I am proud to support it any way that I can.

I don't even remember when I first discovered Wikipedia but I do distinctly remember being mesmerized by the ease of use, the vastness of the information and the wonderful spirit of Wikipedia's goal.

I'm an Officer in the Navy and while onboard ship our internet access rivals a 28.8 modem at best. Additionally, many popular sites are blocked due to security or data usage considerations. Thankfully, Wikipedia was not blocked and offered me hours of enjoyed on long duty days.

Thank you for making the world a better place.

We hear how our schools and children are not measuring up to some parts of the world.There are rumors that TV has made more stupid. Our politicians and corporations continually make inane decisions.

Wikipedia is reassurance that there is hope. As long as something like Wikipedia can exist supported by those who use it.....we will be able to expand knowledge to everyone. And that gives us the power to control our destinies.

I use Wikipedia often. This morning the song in Disney's old children's "Sing Along Songs" VHS tape song about practicing scales and arpeggio's (not sure about spelling) kept running in my head.... what is a aprpeggio? I was in the process of looking it up,when I remembered I had a little money this month for donating. It was only $10, but then that is a lot of money for me.

Last week I reviewed how to do permutations. I'm returning to school to do math so I am in the process of waking up that part of my brain.

Thank you Wikipedia.

P.S. I have some personal knowledge about tse-tse flies and medical history of sleeping sickness to offer. My grandfather figured out the tse-tse fly life cycle in forties and is is published in the Harvard School of Tropical Medicine, 1946 or so. Anyway I found a source and want need to get a copy of the journal article so I can do a good job of adding to Wikipedia. Currently Wikipedia focuses on the sleeping sickness parasite and is not thorough about the fly life cycle itself.

To me, Wikipedia is more than a helpful tool in finishing a paper or studying for a test. It is more than a mere website with a high visitor count. To me, Wikipedia is a gift; in its essence it delivers perhaps the most powerful message to the online community... that a website can exist out of love of human knowledge and not of profit. I have learned much from this fine website, and it is with pleasure that I make my donation today.

Wikipedia is usually the first place on the Web that I go for information, and, increasingly, the links to other sites are proving to be useful. In computer science, molecular biology, history and popular culture Wikipedia is superb.

Two stories: 1) A few years ago I was looking at the entry for Charlemagne for my son, and found a date I thought I was wrong. It was late at night California time. I posted a very timid note questioning the date.  It was fixed within hours.  Amazing. 2) On another occasion I complained that there was not entry for "The Battle of the Winter Palace" during the Russian Revolution. I received a long and carefully written response from an Oxford-trained historian that, indeed, there wasn't a battle - that it was an invention of the Soviet state, but that I could go ahead an create such an entry if I wanted. I may do so someday, observing that it was an invented story that impacted us children of the cold war.

These are two of my experiences with the Wikipedia "process":

Wikipedia is a beautiful gate to the humankind knowledge. For me, Wikipedia is the means for education every day. Nowadays I face new fields of activities where I need quickly to learn a lot of different processes and terms I've never heard before. Besides, it turns out that some things you think you've known always are more comlex and complicated. And Wikipedia helps me to overcome difficulties without going to a library and brousing through plenty of books. I think 5 or 10 dollars a year is not a big amount. But if all of 380 million people donate it, Wikipedia can continue bringing light to the farest corners of the world.

I lead a pretty busy life as a scientist working in renewable energy. The high rate of information generation, the need to process that information quickly, and the realization that decisions require inputs from multiple disciplines is a fact of life. I use Wiipedia as my first stop for gathering background information on just about everything. I particularly like it's emphasis on avoiding bias. There is no other site I trust as much. There is a lot of garbage on the web. Wikipedia is what the web was supposed to be like.

I first stumbled across Wikipedia by accident a few years ago and since then I have seen it -- and used it -- ever more frequently. Currently, virtually every day I use Wikipedia multiple times, whether looking up material on a person of some note or topics ranging from the decay series of uranium to deep ecology or peak oil. As a scientist and educated, generally knowledgeable citizen, I have been impressed with the overall quality, accuracy, fairness, and thoroughness of its information. I have to say I am also deeply moved by the spirit of selfless cooperation and collaboration that motivate it. At a time when divisiveness and strife seem to be casting growing shadows across the world, this spirit of working together, without seeking personal gain or fame, to spread knowledge and enlightenment really means a lot to me. Perhaps it would come as no surprise that I'm a former Peace Corps Volunteer (Honduras, 1985-88).

Wikipedia helps me connect one thing to the next. I'm in the middle of getting a PhD ih the Philosophy of Education. When I come across a concept or term I don't immediately recognize, or need more on, I can quickly get the gist from wikipedia. It's enough to keep me going, and more importantly to keep me from having to put off my writing. Wikipedia keeps me in the flow.

It is very good as a quick reference for mathematical topics, and is therefore somewhere I can send my students to look for information. I have also enjoyed learning about a range of other topics through the Wikipedia articles. My general impression is that of high standards, especially within the subjects where a common template for topics similar to one another have been implemented.

For my own sake, I have "adopted" a handful of pages since I know I can make a positive contribution there and check others' contributions for possible errors. If every user adopted one page within an area he knows well ... that would be a hell of a lot of adopted pages!

Wikipedia provides the best first explanation of any mathematical concept that is new to someone; the first step before digging in to the more the technical details. Whoever does this is wonderful, and I send all my students (undergraduate and graduate) here for the first read on all mathematical and statistical concepts.

Wikipedia represents for me the culmination of the philanthropic potential of the web - content provided and mediated in an utterly democratic manner by the community, for the community. Their adherence to a non-profit, advertisement-free, egalitarian sharing of information is exemplary in these days of mega billion dot com enterprises. Long live wikipedia!

Wikipedia is very much akin to the library at Alexandria from centuries ago. It shows our willingness to share information from around the world. It's been quite astonishing to me to watch as this resource has grown to become what it is today, one of the most invaluable resources for just about any research I need to perform. The simple fact that this resource is not only freely available but maintained by users across the globe is, in my opinion, nothing short of astounding. This is also one of the best ideas ever postulated for the web community as a whole. My congratulations and Thanks to Jimmy Wales for believing in his vision.

As a business English instructor for adults in Finland, Wikipedia means that I can quickly and easily get information on almost any topic I can think of, which is a huge time saver and stress buster for any busy teacher! I also appreciate being able to simple click on the links in each text in order to expand or diversify my research. Plus, Simple Wikipedia is a great tool for my less advanced students!

So, thank you for all your hard work in developing and maintaining this huge database of information. I believe it's truly revolutionary and essential in today's information society.

I belong to a network of professors who publish on Creative Commons terms. Lots of people read me whether they have the money or not. This creates value for them. In a knowledge based economy, spreading knowledge creates value for evrybody. In contributing to Wikipedia, I just give back a little of what the Wiki community gives me and my students.

I have become dependent on Wikipedia and its sister sites for free knowledge. I am liberated from the constraint of knowledge- famine, and that too, by gettomg first hand knowledge that is mostly accurate. It is available to me anywhere, anytime I access the Web. When I was ill, it gave me mostly what I wanted to know about my illness in a manner that I could easily comprehend and calm my mind. When I visited the erstwhile Himalayan Kingdom of Sikkim, I could go there with the full knowledge of its past, its geography and economy. When I desired to invest in stocks, it gave me the basic knowledge on the methods and practices, and also the definitions of jargons in that trade. I can go on... butI have already proved why I am dependent without overstating.

I am now retired. I use wikipedia extensively. It would be unfair if I did not partake in your effort even though my contribution is the least by way of donation. But as a retired individual, that is indeed my might. But it comes with a extra-large buquet of good wishes. May you grow, multiply, and continue to be a sunbeam of knowledge for all mankind without ever fading.

I think it is a very common story, which is a good thing. As a researcher and technologist, I usually have to keep up through specialized journals, but often, when new ideas jump up or doubts arise about something I'm not familiar with, I immediately turn to Wikipedia. It really makes you feel like you have a better mind, an infinite memory and that you are not alone in your pursuit. As a parent, it has become a fundamental aid for educating our children, not just to solve homework tasks, but to satisfy curiosity about nearly anything. I am thrilled to think about what they will accomplish by having access to, and participating in this collective intelligence experience. Just hope that more children, especially the unprivileged, will sooner than later have access to the Internet and Wikipedia, to help enhance their opportunities and reduce inequality in the world. Thank you for conceiving and bringing to reality such a naive (in its best meaning), noble, and ambitious initiative. It certainly provides a road for growth and to lead us to a future when (where) "together" and "everyone" will be essential to human nature.

Wikipedia deserves the Nobel Peace Prize and should be put on the short-list every year until it wins. All seekers of knowledge can drink at the fountain that is Wikipedia without the sin of privilege or the taint of power or the tyranny of superstition. Wikipedia's fertile ground where neighbors and strangers can sow and reap together is the quintessential place of peace.

As I write this at the age of 33 I have spend the first half of this under the apartheid South African government and the rest post our liberation. I believe that anyone who witnesses oppression develops a unique sensitivity and appreciation to freedom no matter what the form, freedom is not limited to any style of government or law, it is most importantly defined by the empowerment of the common man. I recall well the inability to afford the books I needed for my formal technology studies let alone my personal interests, it would have cost me a month's worth of income to afford the knowledge I am able to extract from Wikipedia in a matter of minutes, this does not count the time I would then need to actually study the material I would have worked to procure. Wikipedia does not represent merely an amazing body of information, it represents the very idea of liberation and empowerment upon which both free nations as well as free individuals are built. To me though, it simply represents the idea of giving a man, no matter his status of wealth or poverty, the ability to realise his potential in all fields be it personal development, academics, formal employment or entrepreneurship.

My daughter is able to use Wikipedia to do research towards her projects for school, and has for many years, since early grade school and now into high school. We are both able to share in the knowledge of others from around the world, from people with great imaginations that inspire us about the Poets from generations past; to the scholars, with degrees who open our minds to things we would never have access to. Wikipedia, without advertising loads quickly from page to page, and flows easily through a tree of links, linking you quickly to other pages that coincide with the one you are on. What a wonderful way to celebrate our freedom of speech and information at the same time, together, with eachother.

This was one small(big) idea that grew, and it was a great one.... I'd like to say thank you, to the original creators, and then everyone that followed after that, and keeps following. My experience gets better every day.

Because it is one of the most socially just professions I can imagine, I am a teacher. I have have worked in education for 16 years, during which time I have taught in three U.S. states and two foreign countries. My students have been different in many ways: different ages, different colors, different strengths.

No matter when and where I've taught, though, one thing has been the same in every classroom where I've ever had the honor to learn with students. Every person I've ever taught has been curious about something. My goal is to help students learn how to satiate their own curiosity, and perhaps even learn to develop more questions along the way in their quest for answers.

Wikipedia is one of the most powerful learning tools my students have to help move them toward this goal. Teaching my students not only how to answer and ask questions, but also that they can be the ones who help create the resource from which others can come and learn, is something that was very daunting and at times nearly impossible before Wikipedia came along. I believe that my financial support of this project, vital as it may be, pales in comparison to the intellectual support I am able to offer our community as a teacher of coming generations. In order to show my appreciation for everyone who works to make Wikipedia available, accessible, and sustainable I pledge to teach many more classes of students to see themselves as contributors to the collective understanding. It's the least I can do.

Wikipedia allowed me to broaden my horizon and helped me split facts from fiction. It also provided the ability to obtain quality scientific and historical information at the tip of my fingers. Most over, it also helped me get valuable information, research, links and resources about my two sons issues (autistic spectrum + TS for my youngest and schizophrenia for my eldest). I am better informed, better able to ask the right question and better prepared. Wikipedia was my candle in the dark.

I remember being introduced to Wikipedia several years ago, while it was still fairly unknown, and excitedly editing the few pages I was able to contribute to (or even getting excited whenever there was a grammatical error I could fix). Back then I would spend hours clicking Random article and following through all the little blue-lettered words I didn't know. I remember the days when it was considered a dubious source of scientific information, and now, I've had professors suggest "if you don't understand it from the textbook, read about it on Wikipedia." It's really an exciting thing, and although as a broke college kid I can only give a few dollars, I need to give something. In a world of increasingly privatized information, free knowledge is something sacred.

I worked at a center for teaching and learning at a large land grant university when Wikipedia was young. Obviously a center for teaching and learning at a university should be engaged in the process of teaching and learning. But I was surprised when the concept of Wikipedia was discussed but not acted on. Eventually we did act on the wiki concept by creating our own wiki site but I think that missed the concept of sharing knowledge on a broader scale (there is too much compartmentalized information in this world). Wiki's can be very useful in some settings, but to share knowledge on a broad scale provides the opportunity for the world to grow toward common understanding by working together. At the center for teaching and learning I was the only one to actually create an account in Wikipedia and share my knowledge of a subject (communities of practice).

If one only reads Wikipedia they are a consumer. The world is filled with information outlets for consumers. But if one engages in Wikipedia, they become a creator. In my eyes, a consumer takes from life, while a creator adds to life.

Thanks Jimmy...

On November 19th 2010, I was reading about the medication propoxyphene that was pulled off the market by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on the very same day. This fact was already on Wikipedia! Can it be more efficient than that? Simply outstanding! It takes several months or years to update books! Wikipedia is the future. Thanks!

Wikipedia has set a benchmark in community building and social responsibility. It has led the curve in user experience design and remained committed to ongoing improvements of its tools on behalf of its growing and loyal global community. As a user, I rely on Wikipedia as one of my trusted sources of information and have donated again this year to ensure its survival and continued impact on our digital lives.

Wikipedia stands for truth, reliability, and is a positive result of co-operation between millions of human beings, without being corrupted by inequalities of wealth and power. The internet at its best!

I never understood the power of this medium until a funny thing happened to me. Something that I had written, found its way onto Wikipedia. The funny part is how it got there. The part I wrote was a small section of a general description for the satellite experiment project I worked on called Gravity Probe B. The section was on something called "polhode motion". This section was posted as part of a larger project description by the team's PR guy on the project website. The section I wrote was then later posted onto wikipedia by someone else. Turns out the person posting it was in Holland, or Sweden, or something... I dunno, the link is broken now. So here I was, a Canadian student working in California having my words posted to the world by someone I had never met in Europe. I am sure my small (and unintended) contribution will be edited and improved over the years, and that is part of why I think it is so exciting. It is also exciting to know that the little bit of knowledge I gained at school found its way into the global database of knowledge stored and shared on Wikipedia. I use Wikipedia nearly every day, and I think it is a fantastic resource for the world.

Science is one of the few human endeavors that doesn't aspire to produce but instead produces inspiration. Just like religion and government, the best science is servant to the people.

Just as politicians have recently changed the way government connects with its citizens using social media, this was largely predated by the effect Wikipedia has on scientists. I donated to Wikipedia because it has changed the way science is conducted. People freely contribute comprehensive descriptions of serious scholarship for free and largely without credit. Wikipedia has brought out the best of the scientific community.

Thank you Wikipedia for providing me with the most comprehensive body of knowledge I could hope for at my fingertips. You have given me the Library of Congress in a box, and 24 hours a day. This is my greatest source of intellectual pleasure. You have VASTLY increased the sum total of human knowledge and understanding!

It has long been understood that certain services and infrastructures simply need to be in order to have a healthy culture and the best possible existence for the most possible individuals in it. Such things as roads and pblic libraries and lately the internet are easy examples to understand.

They act as a lubricant, enabler, and catalyst on everything else. Because they affect every other thing in countless indirect, and some direct ways, they're benefits can not be calculated.

It is this very incalculability that makes it hard for some, perhaps many, but also hopefully a decreasing proportion, to properly appreciate and value their worth and distinguish the valueless from the priceless.

To me it is clear that as the ever growing capabilities of technology gives various organizations, both governments and private corporations, ever growing powers of influence over peoples attitudes though control of mass media and access to data that was once private or anonymous, and the capability to easily collate and use this data effectively, it is more important than ever to protect and value open, public, transparent, unbiased sources of information and venues for discussion.

Wikipedia and similar self-driven, self-supplied projects like OpenStreetMap and the entire world of Open Source software and Creative Commons artistic output are now really the blood of freedom of thought.

Wikipedia is one of the shining highlights of what is good about our entire age.

I have always worked with organizations that foster democracy and participation. We lived two decades under a terrible dictatorship, so we learned to value freedom of expression and participation. To find out that there existed such a knowledge sharing tool as Wikipedia, many years ago, was like having a dream come true. Not only because of what it meant in itself, but because of the example it gave. Now, collaboration is almost ubiquitous, but we'll remember who started it. Thank you Jimmy and the whole community!

In a flash I realized that I was using Wikipedia a couple of times every day, often unconsciously, and that this plea for support was very reasonable, and also a bargain when I considered all the time and energy it used to take to gather information and research. Younger folks especially, people who grew up with the internet in its current form, should stop for a moment and appreciate that people only slightly older used to get in their car and drive to the library or bookstore every time they needed information, and often times left empty-handed. I remember having a few volumes of a cheap set of encyclopedias on our living room shelf and thinking how "well off" we were for knowledge. Laughable today. I also remember the feeling of often not finding the data I needed, along with the added frustration of knowing the information was "out there" in somebody's noggin, if only I knew how to get at it. Compare this all-too-recent reality to everything Wikipedia now brings to our fingertips instantly, without effort, and for free. My $20 donation is nothing, but I wanted to make it anyway just to recognize this great tool for what it is. Everyone who turns to Wikipedia automatically every day like I do, even just when curiosity strikes, should make a small donation now and then while realizing how much more they are getting in return, all the time.

In a world jaded by "what's the catch?" I have been so pleasantly surprised by the unfettered access I have to a plethora of information, right at my fingertips, both thorough and concise, complete with bibliographies and source references, and all without so much as a pop-up or side-bar ad. Many's the time I've wondered "Why do they do it?" and "How do they pay for it?" Well now I know. You do it for the good of people like me, and now I can say you do it with the help of people like me. I'm very proud to be a part of an altruistic, cooperative endeavor. Look THAT up in your Wikipedia!!

We turn to Wikipedia as a reliable, virus-free learning place for just about any concept that we are exploring as adults (and our teenager uses it at well). It's efficient "one stop shopping" and is usually our first place to go to learn about something, and often there is enough about it to go on with our lives. We are saved the clutter, look up time, expense and dated-ness of information of an Encyclopedia. We often use links in Wikipedia to find malware-free links and sites to get more information on a topic.

It is, with very few exceptions, quite accurate for things we know well and is well corroborated by material on other sites at times when we do more extensive searches beyond Wikipedia, so we are pretty confident of the quality of the information on topics which we're exploring for the first time.

Someone in our family visits Wikipedia every week, perhaps we average several times a week. Perhaps once a day, but noone's here to collect data so I'll have to figure that out for a future donation comment.

I was reading about free rider problems on wikipedia, which is a problem in economics where the users don't pay for what they use; therefore, the services suffers or disappears. I then saw the request for a donation to keep wikipedia advert-free. I was faced with the choice of being a free rider on wikipedia or one who pays for what I consume. Personally, as an economist that believes cooperation leads to far superior results than competition, I find wikipedia's mission to be a great example of my beliefs, and an inspiration for me and hopefully everyone who uses it, to work together.

I am so pleased with the business and knowledge model of Wikipedia. I am currently in an MBA class, and Wikimedia was one of our case studies. The more I learned, the more I came to respect the elegance and power of what you have done. Sure, it has limitations, but it is one impressive tool for knowledge capture and re-use. I intend to institute a similar structure for idea-sharing at my place of business before the year is out.

Thanks, and keep up the good work.

In the last year and a half, I have made extensive use of Wikpedia in gathering information for my project of translating a Gujarati book into English. I have been amazed by the largely complete and authoritative information I have found on some rather esoteric Hinduism related topics. Aware of who the sources of information are, I try to authenticate the info from other sources but have found most things highly reliable. I can categorically state that my project would have floundered without Wikipedia's help. Thanks for giving us such a wonderful wealth of information.

As a college professor guiding independent studies on a wide range of topics, I often consult Wikipedia for a first overview of an unfamiliar topic or author, often one cited by my students in a paper, or referenced in a research article. Almost never am I disappointed. I value the occasional notes appearing with a topic I am looking up, warning that additonal research is needed, or material is unverified, or reflects selective, possbily biased, information. External studies that found Wikipedia compares favorably with long established encyclopedias in error rate, provide validation of this approach. Thanks to all who make this great resource available!

I find that Wikipedia is the PRIMARY repository for historic information about technologies. Most other internet information describes the bleeding edge of technology. Wikipedia is the only place that provides detailed history and therefore context.

Wikipedia is the Internet at its best! It’s available to everybody, accurate, open to correction and free – the real democracy in action. I wish more things in my life were like that! I use it almost every day in my work and at home. Part of my job is translating engineering and contractual materials from English into Russian and vice versa. Easy switching between these two languages makes it much simpler for me to find the proper translation of deeply technical, economic or legal terms. At home my daughter uses it for her school research. On top of it Wikepedia is just plain FUN! It’s the closest thing we have to Encyclopedia Galactica (or Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy)!

Wikipedia is truly an indispensable part of my life. The space between hearing of a new concept, idea, work of art or person and instinctively typing it into a Wikipedia search box has become vanishingly small for me. But it's not just about the convenience of having all this information collected in one common space. To me Wikipedia represents the success of a community in coming together and selflessly granting access to knowledge, all the while laboring to remain intellectually honest.

As a consultant in the life sciences business, I use Wikipedia very regularly, especially to get a quick grip on key topics of my research, which allows me to get a quick jump start on complex projects. Most of the information I find is subsequently (when I get to the heart of the matter) found to be highly reliable. The links are also great timesavers.

As far as I'm concerned, Wikipedia is the most valuable resource on the web today.

I'm an MD/PhD student and I've been using Wikipedia for years. Whether it was to look up drug information or a disease for my medical school curriculum, or looking up a method or gene for my research, Wikipedia has been invaluable for quick reference to complex topics. Wikipedia is one of the best things to happen to the 21st century.

Thank you Mr. Jimmy Wales; I arrived in New York City from Uruguay 20 years ago with a single book, a copy of Tom Peter's "In Search of Excellence" in Spanish. Through the years, and because for the first time in my life I earned enough to buy books, I built my own small library with about 600 books on several subjects. In 1997 I moved to Washington D.C, then to Sao Paulo in Brazil, then to Buenos Aires in Argentina, and then back to New York; as you may imagine, I've had to leave my books behind, and with them a tremendously important part of who I am. Wikipedia has allowed me to stay in touch with the knowledge in those books, with all the concepts that I need to keep being a productive professional, and it has also allowed me to expand the scope of what I do in every dimension of my life, from the professional to sports. I have an enourmous debt of gratitude to Wikipedia, that's why I am giving you my 'two cents', and wish you all the best in the future.

I use wikipedia every single day, for school, for work and simply for knowledge. As more and more web sites continually put up more and more ads, wikipedia has maintained its clean and simple look, allowing me to access information quickly and not be distracted while doing so. Wiki's have become a staple of the information age for me and I hope they remain my portal to information for years to come.

To me the utility, the concept, the execution, and its unique value together aggregates into something truly epoch-making!

I had always heard about my relative on my father's side, Rafael Lemkin, who was an attorney that was instrumental in creating laws against genocide. He even coined the term. I picked up dribs and drabs here and there from surviving cousins, uncles, etc. One evening I did a Wikipedia search and lo and behold there was a picture of a man who looked very much like my own father. Aside from the familial relation, I found his story fascinating and was so impressed that there was so much information on this man. Ever since, I always check Wikipedia first for info. I love it's open ended and editable non-commercial interface. It's a bright and shining star of clarity in an insane world!

Wikipedia isn't just free access to information--it's information free from commercial influence. (I can't over-estimate the value of open revision of content, either!)

I rely on Wikipedia every day. I'm an ecologist but my work also draws in mathematics and statistics, geography, computer science, genetics, physics, epidemiology... So when I'm trying to understand terms or concepts that I've just read in a scientific paper, heard in a lecture, or seen discussed on an email list, Wikipedia is my first port of call. For me it's not just a repository of knowledge but, just as importantly, it's a font of creative connections.

I use wikipedia perhaps 10 times per day, trusting it as I trust in the basic idea of democracy. People contribute their ideas, others improve upon those, others come back and augment the original threads. It weaves an incredible tapestry that is one of the most hopeful signs of international cooperation we have. How could I not contribute? One of my husband's students, taking up the Open Source nature of Wikipedia, made a wonderful short film called WiKitchen, where they tied everything in their kitchen together with twine, and used a rope as a routing wire to make their way through the thicket of string.

I'm a movie buff. In fact, I aspire to write a catalog of all the best movies ever made in the world. And what, might you ask, constitutes "the best?" I use IMDb and Rotten Tomatoes, but combine their info with many other sources to give as solid a background, along with the reasons for the selection of each film for inclusion with "the best." But though some films gain near-universal acclaim, others are controversial and are considered outstanding for reasons sometimes stated and discussed,and sometimes are variously appreciated, and disliked by people who agree on many other films.

WIKIPEDIA is helpful in its contribution to this effort, and does so without charge, but does so, often with great heart and intelligence. I think its a great program and thank you, Jimmy Wales, for starting and supervising it. I support WIkimedea and Wikipedia. (I don't know where the hashtag should go, but I'm with you: keep it free!

I use Wikipedia nearly every day, to research anything from the name of a band's second album, to politicians and politics, to my son's heart condition. There is so much information on the Internet, it's often difficult to know WHAT to believe; but, having a project like Wikipedia that brings it all together and presents credible information... well, that's simply invaluable. Thanks so much, and keep up the great work!!

I work in a inner-city school I was helpping a spanish speaking parent to go bak to school, he came back and he told me That he had to learn american history and he was scared. I told him that I was scared too whent I when back to schoo and inglish is my second languish I told him that Wikipedia can healp him, and I show him, he can not bilieve his eyes he was so happy, especially when I show him that it was in spanish. He also told me that he was going to share Wikipedia with his children. Than you Wikipedia

Wikipedia is one of the most valuable day-to-day resources in modern society. It is most of what's good about the internet (easy access to information) wrapped up into a neat little package, and it's free. The fact that Wikipedia has made it this far via donations alone is astounding, and I hope it continues to be such an amazing resource for many years to come. And I am proud to make my little donation to that big cause.

I have used your service - Wikipedia - for over 10 years and have become very found of its mission and quality of contributions on such a vast array of subjects, as well as its transparency and honesty when sources need qualification and/or improvement. I am a community activist and teacher, and use the evolving 'bank' of knowledge to give me solid thumbnail sketches to understand subjects better, as well as educate and inform students and the public. Wikipedia's identification of all source material also greatly helps me in rounding up additional sources, thus improving my experiences(s) many fold.

Thank you for all your efforts and keep up the great work.

La Wiki, as we say in Spanish, has been one of the most important revolutions in our life brought by the internet, and doubtless the most noble and useful. Making knowledge generally available is the best way to ensure that we humans advance to a better society. Thank you!!

Wikipedia has always been my first destination for my thirst of knowledge. I am a graduate student working on cancer research and wikipedia has helped me a lot to know more about various aspects of cancer research. I use some of the information and figures from wikipedia for my presentation and cite wikipedia as reference for those information. I am really happy to support this free encyclopedia so that it can continue its growth to provide free knowledge to everyone around the world. Thank you wikipedia.

I use wikipedia on a daily basis, both in my work and during my spare time. Its really amazing what you have accomplished, thank you all very much! Since i live in Sweden i have a pretty high standard, and can easily get a hold of all info i need one way or another, so i think people in poorer parts of the world can benefit even more from the free info on wikipedia, which i would very much like to support.

im donating because my 11-year-old son informed me the other day that he was going to look something up on wikipedia and he added in his so confident way..."wikipedia has served my life well"... thank you!!!!

I appreciate how external links are kept separate from the main articles. never get rid of that.

After working for years in PR and being a part of the process of 'moulding' public opinion, it was refreshing to use Wikipedia where there was zero BS and only hard facts.

I use to have this book which I called the Book of All Knowledge. It was basically a dictionary cum encyclopedia. It was eminently useful, for looking up words, concepts, famous people, places. It was such a blessing to my life, a real find. Then Wikipedia came along and blew it out the water. All of a sudden I could read 100x more in a 100x more detail. All of a sudden I felt like I had more knowledge at my fingertips than anyone else in the history of the world. Which I did.

Wikipedia is a milestone in our history. I find it, quite literally, impossible to compose myself when talking about it. About the impact it's going to have on the world. Knowledge is power, and we've just increased access to knowledge 100 fold for hundreds of millions of people. It's mind-boggling. It's inspiring. It's heart warming.

Thank you, Wikipedia.

I work as a freelance translator. Couple of weeks ago, I started working for a travel agency, translating their hotel (all around the world) brochures. Numerous locations, streets, squares, train stations are mentioned in the text (just names, without denominator) and for those I don't know anything about, I have to check on the internet. And wikipedia has so far had ALL of the locations mentioned, which was, and still is a great help. I even think I couldn't have translated it without it.

Wikipedia is, and always has been, what I want the future to look like. $20 is the least I could do.

Wikipedia represents the incredible potential of the very best that the Internet can be. In the same way that the Gutenberg printing press catalyzed the transformation of the world by making information freely available, I believe that Wikipedia is transforming our world again. I want my generation's legacy to be more than just global warming, and supporting Wikipedia is a way to contribute to a better future. Thank you for believing in this dream.

I am a post secondary instructor who is also active in our local faculty union. I am constantly using Wikipedia as an initial starting point on issues that I want to know something more about. My students and members use Wikipedia. My spouse took a credit course and contributed some research that significantly updated information on a Canadain author in a Wikipedia posting. Both my daughters and their husbands use Wikipedia. For me Wikipedia is a part of the openness movement that will help humanity realize our futures and success are interconnected.

Wikipedia (besides being profoundly useful) is a symbol to me of the best that the internet has to offer - what we always hoped it could be. People had similar hopes for television when it was invented, and those hopes fell flat; it sadly has not become the tool for free mass education and betterment that people hoped it would be. But with Wikipedia's integrity, spirit of freedom, and emphasis on collective wisdom, it brings the internet that much closer to that dream. Thank you to Jimmy Wales and all the volunteers for their hard work and creative vision, in the past and - hopefully! - in years to come.

I work in R&D in both aerospace engineering and information sciences, and have used the Internet as a major tool in researching prior art for twenty years. Initially, it was a frustrating and inefficent method, because of the difficulty in finding a starting point article for any given topic that would lead to a reasonable number of relevant other sources. Additionally, keyword searches provided numerous marginally or totally irrelevant links and seldom led to a direct article on the precise topic being searched. Wikipedia has solved those problems and in a few short years has made the Internet what it was meant to be by building thousands of self-forming and self-sustaining communities of interest. Its use has revolutionized my own research by enabling me to become quickly conversant on virtually any topic, and helping me pursue topics of interest in depth to the point of becoming expert myself.

My use of Wikipedia is not confined to science and engineering. For example, I am an avid reader of early American history and routinely aquire original sources or copies of same from the 18th and 19th century. I have been astounded at the wealth of information I have found through Wikipedia on even the most arcane topics in this field.

As a result of my increasing appreciation of Wikipedia, I plan on supporting it both financially and through future contributions to its content.

I am very impressed with the science entries on Wikipedia. The majority of them are very well presented, references are provided and they are kept up to date. One can tell that the writer "loves" the topic as so much care is put into presenting some of the more complex ideas, including controversies, in a very fair manner.

I want some source of information to be unowned by corporate interests. And my daughter, now 6, needs some place she can go and find answers and learn freely. She knows how to find you and loves the site. Tonight she looked up who shot Martin Luther King Jr and read parts of "I've been to the mountaintop." That's why I love your site.

I have been using Wikipedia for a number of years now, and when I want some information it's the first place I turn to. More than just information, it is people sharing what they know. Sometimes it's a little too basic, sometimes it is not basic enough, but mostly it is a fantastic resource that I love using. Also it's getting better with age, and anyone can contribute to the knowledge, shaping it. To me one of the best things about it is it free, and in that something that makes me feel a part of the shared pool of human knowledge.

I am a father of 3 who all use Wikipedia as a research starting point. I personally use Wikipedia for work related issues (high-tech) and for personal interests in ancient greek and roman cultures as well as linguistics. In my children's schools and university, I am a strong advocate of Wikipedia as a resource because it is particularly well peer-reviewed. I fight strongly against the unfortunate and commonly-held notion that Wikipedia is "unreliable" because "anyone" can edit the entries. I explain that this process is precisely why it tends to be particularly balanced, unbiased and well-curated since any extreme points of view will be questioned quickly.

Wikipedia - The place academics go to surreptitiously, even if for a quick read before they grasp the devilish details in the research journals. The place that should not appear in bibliographies of under graduates and post graduates alike. The place where bragging pub chats end in a swift gulp from the glass.

Keep up the the good work. In times where scientific journals are demanding author submission fees and yet charge the reader for content; wikipedia has the horse before the cart.

After 10 years of Wikipedia, I can no longer imagine a world without it. It has completely changed the way I seek and consume information, and is amongst the set of first resources I turn to when I seek clarification on nearly any topic. Thanks to everyone who's made it possible, and here's to many more years of spreading knowledge to Earth's corners.

My wife and I have both been using Wikipedia virtually on a daily basis to research various topics, be it for work (different fields between us), studying (engineering), or hobbies/other interests. The quality of materials & information contained in some of the articles is simply amazing! Wiki is a great resource and an excellent way to educate oneself. Thank you for creating and maintaining it, and keeping it free!

I support Wikimedia because it is in constant use at our house. My son is homeschooled and it is his encylopedia (with parental oversight, of course). Advertising gets to children no matter how much we guard against it. I don't want Wikipedia to be another avenue for it and it worth donating to keep advertising out.

Go Wiki[mp]edia, go!

I am a physicist and I first found about Wikipedia in 2004, and I have been using it and contributing to it since then. At first, I was sceptical about its credibility, however in the following years, changes and measures taken by the Wikimedia Foundation in favor of that have made me consider it as the best and fastest growing database of information that can be found online, as well as with the widest variety of subjects. I hope and wish that it will continue to grow, along with human knowledge.

Entering a new later-life career as an audio narrator, suddenly I need quick checking of facts, locations, technicalities, philosophies. Sometimes I have to generate a script myself before I can perform it. So I absolutely love Wikipedia for its easy navigation, freedom from commercial clutter and bias- and the passion with which so much material is evidently written. All best wishes to your mission Jimmy

I was one of the developers of the ARPANET in the early 1970s. I feel Wikipedia is one of the best demonstrations of the positive power of collaboration that has been unleashed by the modern Internet. It shows the way for human evolution in our time.

I teach the history of architecture and design in a B.F.A. program at a for-profit institution. I use Wikipedia for quick information about particular sites and monuments and as a source of images that are in the public domain. This latter is particularly helpful, because many of the photos here are better by far than those available through institutional sources and even those rarely include good interior shots.

I can't tell you how much hope a free, peer-edited resource for all sorts of information provides me. We all have our knowledge base and life experiences, but getting it published forces us all through so many commercial filters. By providing peer-based access to a fount of community knowledge you are providing talented individuals with a voice in the debate, free from commercial/political pressures.

When I was searching for Tonsillectomy and Adenoidectomy on the internet, I found the description on Wikipedia is the most satisfactory. I need to understand the procedure of the surgery, the many kind of methods, and all the pre and post conditions. After I read the article, I'm more prepared to asked the ENT doctor over his diagnoses on my daughter condition, we were able to discuss the method he'd be using to perform the surgery. My daughter now is recovering very fast and able to play again and not snoring anymore. She had the surgery on 27th Dec 2010 Thanks to Wikipedia.

Knowledge truly is power...I believe however, this power was never intended just for the elite or the wealthy; the more we know, the more WE know...ALL human beings possess knowledge and in this an incredible power to create, grow, learn, share, heal and potentially change the course of our human history. We ARE the chapters of our Human Encyclopedia! Wikipedia is leaving a legacy upon this Earth; knowledge should never be withheld or sold; true-knowledge, emerges from truth-seekers, and the shreds of history that need piecing together. I am blessed and most grateful for all you do!!

I love the accessibility of information on Wikipedia, not only for my own interests and knowledge, but also as I home educate my 3 children - it is invaluable as a resource. I do not have much of an income and could not donate much, but gave what I could at this time. If all who use Wikipedia did the same, then it would help pay back for the time and knowledge others have put in for our education and enjoyment.

I specialize in complex neuro-endocrine autoimmune disorders in my acupuncture practice. (I have Hashimoto's thyroiditis myself and am becoming increasingly reactive to gluten- and diary- containing foods as are many of my patients.)

I use Wikipedia professionally to fill in the blanks in my understanding of these issues as I review my notes from the continuing education courses I take and the independent study that I track down from there.

Wikipedia is a "quick and dirty" way to survey these issues when I don't have time to research references in the medical literature directly. I compare many sources, and generally, I find that Wikipedia gives me the most unbiased overview.

I always cross-reference neutral sites with those that are selling products, which tend to be much more biased in favor of sales.

Thank you for this valuable service.

It is foolish for any person to obtain all of their knowlege from one source. But Wikipedia is a great go-to site to begin research on a broad spectrum of topics. The on-line community constantly checks and re-checks facts, provides citations, and the original source materials are listed at the bottom of the page. Critics who doubt the accuracy of Wikipedia are encouraged to research the articles themselves and, should the information prove false, make corrections. In my opinion, this brings us closer together and makes wiser as a global community.

Wikipedia is the surest site by which I can research practically any topic. I'm retired,but I volunteer for non-profits engaged in services for the poor and aged. Wikipedia gives me quick access to information on medications which clients may be taking, information on medical diagnoses and procedures, information on laws and government policies, and information on organizations both private and public. It is an invaluable resource to at least begin research on a topic which one or more of the non-profits is actively engaged. I also love that I can find rather advanced articles on topics of personal interest like astronomy and mathematics. I can't live without Wikipedia anymore.

As a clinical psychologist I was perusing the entry on schizotypal personality disorder and was dismayed by how outdated and incorrect it was. I took a deep breath, and decided to join the ranks of those who had contributed. I wrote an updated, scientifically accurate post and cited several academic articles. It was quite amazing to log in later from home and see the entry I had written. Several weeks later I was initially dismayed to see that the entry had been further edited (probably by the original author) and some of the initial entry had been restored. On further thought, however, I realized that the other author had included further citations that substantiated their statements, and that the final entry was far more scientifically accurate than the original one I had read, but also somewhat more balanced than the one I had written myself. In sum, Wikipedia worked exactly the way it was supposed to. Amazing!

After donating to Wikipedia and submitting my own Wikipedia story, I was reading some of the published Wikipedia stories at (http://wikimediafoundation.org/wiki/Stories2/en). One story in particular written by Adama Diop really grabbed my attention. He mentioned that he did not have the money to make a donation and I would like to make a donation for him. I originally donated $50 to Wikipedia and I have now donated an additional $50. I wish it could be more! I enjoyed reading about Agnam-Goly and the pictures really brought this village’s story to life for me over 6,000 miles away!

Until I read the anniversary story about Wikipedia,and their request for donations, I didn't pay much attention to where the information I wanted was coming from. I did notice that some rather old time information I sought often said that I could edit or add to the articles. I thought that meant only 'professional' people need apply. So I started to pay attention to the sites that provided the info. I wanted. Some sites actually wanted my phone number or some other invasion of my privacy and didn't really hit the 'bulls eye' for what I sought. Long story short, Wikipedia did hit the 'bulls eye'. I'm disabled and living on a small SSI monthly check, however I couldn't in good conscience not help this non-profit organization that ran on volunteers and donations. You might even say I did it to help myself find more of what I wanted.

I introduced my dad to Wikipedia a few years ago, to reference something that we'd been talking about. Since that day, it has (rightly) become his go to website for knowledge.

Thanks to the work of volunteers and editors that keep the information on this site well sourced and documented, Wikipedia has grown into one of the greatest combined human efforts of our time.

Donating here may seem, on the surface, a bit hollow. There are many causes out there that need our financial backing, and I encourage you to support them. Let us not forget, however, that it took a great deal of knowledge for us to even understand the fights against Cancer and AIDS. For us to create the vaccinations that can and have cured diseases around the planet. Being individually well informed and knowledgeable leads to a world where we are all more capable and ready to deal with challenges, new and old.

Wikipedia champions this feeling, and my father and I happily support it.

Have a great 2011, and let us remember to always stay vigilant in our continuing education.

I am a software developer by trade, but I am an avid student of poetry and philosophy. Wikipedia is by far the best online resource I have found for researching my two favorite subjects. I usually come to the site to research a particular poet or philosopher or subject, but I almost always find myself engrossed in other topics as I follow links to related topics. I love Wikipedia and I love what it represents. Thank you for all of the hard work you do to make Wikipedia such a phenomenal resource. You represent the best of what the Web has to offer.

Wikipedia allows me to access information on countless topics directly from the internet. Generally speaking, the quality is outstanding and has unparalleled facilities for noting when material is controversial or at least inconclusively demonstrated, through the editing process (comparatively absent on printed media). Apart from anything else, we wouldn't otherwise have access to such a range of authoritative information at our fingertips, needing to laboriously research in libraries, something we generally don't have time to do.

Wikipedia is the future of human knowledge, expanding every day and democratically available to all without intrusive advertising, or the bias that satisfying advertiser's needs that this would entail. It is remarkable for not only being the future of information access- but being here for us right now. It is something I am proud to help.

I am a researcher who is involved in a lot of experimental physics. Everyday I help students design and build lab instruments. My secret is Wikipedia. It is my starting point to find information on everything ranging from the most obscure ancient mechanism to the most sophisticated modern gadget. I could do this often without knowing the name of the gadget, just from a few keywords. Sometimes I ask myself how hard it would be without Wikipedia. Thanks Jimmy.

Wikipedia is tremendously important to me, both as an ideal and as a practical, immediately accessible and astonishingly comprehensive resource. It has changed the way I write, the way I teach, the way I think, the way I see the world and history and the shape and force of the digital information revolution. The altruism of the people who make Wikipedia possible is also astonishing and for all these wise, hard-working and generous people I am profoundly grateful.

Ten+ years ago, when I was still in high school, I used to struggle so much to find free accurate, information online for my projects. I would occasionally come across encyclopedia websites' articles, but find out soon after scrolling down half a page that they wanted me to pay a fee to access the rest of the information. That used to distress me. One because I didn't have a credit card, and two because coooome on! I just wanted information! I thought it was almost criminal to charge for information, especially when nobody "owns" that information, it is universal. Then came wikipedia, and I, as many people, am so indebted to them. Such a professional site, yet so friendly. I have contributed two full pages on wikipedia myself, and I am very very grateful for that corporation first because I sleep less dumb every night by reading wikipedia and because I was able to share very important information with the world as well. Of course I'm going to donate. It's really the _least_ I could do.

As a neuroscientist in training, I frequently encounter new ideas and concepts and find that I need a good resource to give me a summary. This can often be surprisingly difficult to find. Wikipedia is an easy, complete, and accurate source for information in my field and I use it all the time. The neuroscience community has invested a lot of time and effort in the relevant Wikipedia entries and I am grateful that I always have that resource at my fingertips. Not to mention all the time I spend pleasure-browsing for topics from Andrew Jackson to zebra finches!

3 years ago, I was commissioned by the Ministry of Culture in Greece to be their official English translator and fact checker of a 400 page manuscript on BYZANTIUM, written in Greek, to be made into a DVD. I was living in Cyprus at the time, and this was my first huge project as a writer. Little did I know how very limited my resources were. Our public library in Nicosia housed only Greek books, and my private library was of no help to me. That's when I started using Wikipedia, and eventually TRUSTING Wikipedia. It was all there, Byzantium.... from falconry to architecture, from emperors to warriors, jewelry and fashion to coinage, and what do you think I did? I cross-referenced everything, not trusting the info at first, and elated to find that Wikipedia WAS INDEED a source to be trusted. I worked on this project with all my heart, and keeping in the back of my mind that I want to keep Widipedia in my life, so I double-checked your info til my last page. And I was sure. I promised then that I would donate money to you, and I never did. The Greek Gov't subsequently went bankrupt, and they still owe me thousands of Euro. It's all good - I gained you, and money can't buy that. My donation is small this time, and it will increase, i promise. Thank you for helping me when i needed it most.

It's funny, but seriously, Wikipedia helped me gather great information to complete timely essays and reports in college. I guess in a sense, Wikipedia helped me graduate. Now, I still continue to use Wikipedia and I am always impressed at the accuracy of the information. Recently, I downloaded Wiki-Spanish from Wikibooks. It's great! I wish professors would select these books to instruct their courses--it would save students a lot of money and they'd still be getting professional material. The greatest thing about all of this is that it's free. Knowledge is power because it allows you to seize opportunities or create them. I think everyone deserves opportunities to better themselves. In the past, knowledge was not free, but today, with the internet and online communities that are committed to sharing their knowledge with one another, everyone has a fair shot at getting the knowledge they need to move foward and become successful. Thank you Wikipedia.

Wikipedia means that I have commercial-free, ad-free access to one of the largest databases of information in history. It also means that in countries where people may not have access to libraries, wherever in the world there is an internet connection, there is the opportunity for everyone to learn, to grow, to research, and to expand our understanding and awareness of the world, the world that we have come from, our shared history, and the world we are creating everyday, through organizations like Wikipedia; a world that is created by the free flowing of information, allowing the greatest and most informed possible cross-cultural feedback loop in the history of written knowledge.

Where else could you find information on just about any subject in the universe, complete with cited sources and links? There's nothing else approaching what it accomplishes. Most importantly, it functions on, and demonstrates perfectly, the principle of The Commons: that the world's most valuable resources are not someone's (or some corporation's) private property. Human knowledge is the heritage of all humanity, and for it to benefit society it must be shared freely. Wikimedia Foundation's generous work to accomplish this proves how misinformed Margaret Thatcher was when she said, "There is no such thing as society." Indeed, there is such a thing as society, and Wikimedia is one place where it thrives.

Wikipedia has almost become like public transportation - some people use it more often than others, but all agree that it would be unthinkable and outrageous if such an essential service were to become unavailable. As long as I can remember, I have relied on Wikipedia being available to me whenever I needed or wanted to verify facts, expand my knowledge, or simply let the inline links take me from page to page as I followed my interest. I've completely taken this luxury for granted thus far, but recently I saw that it's not a done deal. I'm starting to see that Wikipedia is of huge benefit to humanity, and I'm honored to donate to such a worthy cause.

I support Wikipedia because I believe in a better world. A world in which people are not obligated to pay, but they do it because they feel it is the right thing to do, they feel that small contributions do make a difference. Education must be free of charge at all levels. There is a lot of work yet to be done, and I think Wikipedia greatest merit is not bringing free quality information to everyone, but instead indirectly proving to the world that big and ambitious projects can be executed with the help of volunteers and those who also believes in it's cause and are willing to help the dream come true. My contribution is small, but it is the best I can do for now. In a few years, I will make a very substantial donation.

As a parent to a non-verbal autistic son, 9 years of age, Wikipedia has been one of the most important pillars in my search for alternative diet for my son, for herbal supplements that assist him to cope with his sensory overload, a truly fascinating human masterpiece in which people from all over the world contributed their time to share their knowledge.

My son, Rephael, does not talk. But he smiles so much those days. It's been the love, the dedication, and the search of knowledge that we - the members of his family - have devoted to him.

That's my small story I wish love to all of those who contribute, and all of those who read.

I have used Wikipedia in the past, but this past fall it has made all the difference as I pursue a PhD in engineering after being out of school for 7 years. The ability to just look up fundamental information like cross-products, linear algebra, and even advanced material like Stress tensors, Wiki has been invaluable in helping me catch up fast and learn with fewer interruptions.

Thank you for putting in useful, relevant and accurate material that students like me can trust

Wikipedia is an invaluable source of information when I need to acquire information on advanced topics in mathematics, physics, computer science and other scientific disciplines. Without Wikipedia I would have to resort to costly textbooks each time I encounter a new term, so Wikipedia saves me a lot of time and money. As the topics get more and more specific, Wikipedia is often the only alternative source of information except for the original research papers.

Sam is 13 and I am 76. Sam came in yesterday and told me to make a contribution. Wikipedia spans the needs of generations. I hope that Sam will never face the difficulties of finding informaton that I faced when I was in graduate school over 50 years ago. We both appreciate Wikipedia but from a different perspective.

I am a professor of web design and photography on the college level;an author of 4 technology books; on the high school level I teach chemistry and earth science.

Wiki is the "Go To" site for my students and myself. It is the starting point for an accurate and succinct treatment of a subject. The materials are current, fresh, and usually quite in depth. The photographic choice is usually unique to Wiki and spot on. THe articles are paced well and have references like a journal article that can be linked for more information.

Keep up the great work! You guys are the best!

A little known treatment/rehabilitation choice called Vision Therapy changed my life, so I was very pleasantly surprised to see a definition page created on Wikipedia in the early days. Within six months of its creation, the Wikipedia page on Vision Therapy was a perfect "time capsule" and summation of the entire spectrum of opinions over decades, the controversy, the naysayers, the pioneers, the turf wars, even the crazy Quackwatch dude, of course...the gamut. It was amazing to me. If it's important, it's found on Wikipedia. God bless!

Like at least some of your users, I can remember when my parents saved up for a multi-volume set of the encyclopedia in order to give their sons a leg up in school. It was heavily used in our home, although as the years went by, it became more complex to use because one had to carefully check an increasing number of yearly update volumes to be sure that some fact hadn't changed or some new discovery made old data inaccurate.

But it seemed like a miracle -- all that knowledge in one place. You can imagine what a real miracle Wikipedia is to millions around the world: absolutely free, available and up-to-date nearly instantly, and authoritative. Perhaps the greatest miracle is that it depends on thousands and thousands of unpaid volunteers -- including a small cadre of people who watch over the process to ensure fairness -- to create it and keep it current.

In honor of my parents -- and the millions of other parents who worked hard to buy us those old encyclopedias -- it is the very least that I can do to put some of my cash in to help keep Wikipedia free and available to users everywhere! It is a monument not only to human industry and intelligence, but a monument to an extraordinary volunteer effort created solely for the benefit of the community. It should be, I think, a model for us all.

Everytime I find something of which I don't know the background, I come to wikipedia to learn a little more about it. Every time I do, I learn that my world is connected in many more ways than I previously thought. It has helped me understand things, and piqued my interest in things I would have never known about were it not for wikipedia.

I believe that knowledge is part of the evolutionary rise of consciousness that is the destiny of humanity. I believe that information should be free, or as free as possible, to help in that goal. Humanity is a giant family; we are all connected together in ways we don't often think about, in ways we perhaps can't yet imagine. Being able to share with eachother will allow us to grow as a family, until one day we look back and see that we have become something more than we were. That we know more, can do more, can be more, and are more than what we previously came from.

I can't donate much, I haven't much money right now. But I can at least do a little bit, and so I have. It is my turn to give a nudge to the wheel of information, to help keep it spinning.

My husband was diagnosed in March 2009 with mantle cell lymphoma--a rare form of NHL. He was initially treated with R-CHOP chemo in April/09. He relapsed during November 09 and was then treated with Prednisone and Leukeran which were like miracle drugs which allowed him to recover to the point where he was eligible for an autologous stem cell transplant in April 2010. Initially, he seemed to recover well but by September/October of this year he started to decline once again. In November of this year he had another gastroscopy and colonoscopy and it was determined that the lymphoma had spread to his stomach and intestines. At this point, it seemed that the hospital was unable to provide any further treatment and so he passed away on December 16th 2010.

Nearly everything that I learned about this wicked disease was from Wikipedia--not from doctors and for that I am appreciative. It seems that, in the case of my husband, the median survival time from date of diagnosis (18-24 months) was pretty well bang-on.

I donated because I felt it was the right thing to do, considering the frequency with which I refer to Wikipedia for information. There almost isn't a day that doesn't go by that I don't look up a topic on Wikipedia -- whether it be work-related, or for personal enjoyment. What this site has done for wired humanity is nothing short of a revelation: it has made the vast breadth and scope of knowledge available at our fingertips, and by doing so, has made learning voluntary and desirable. If you think back to a time before Wikipedia, and you were to tell someone that you read the Encyclopedia for fun, you would be looked at funny. But now, its perfectly acceptable to discuss an entry you were reading in Wikipedia, as if it was the same thing as reading an article in the New York Times. That to me, is the prime example of the value of Wikipedia to society -- reclaiming our birthright as masters and users of knowledge.

As a child, I constantly questioned everything I saw; my mother received dozens of questions every day ranging in topics from "What are stars made of?" to "What's inside this chicken nugget I'm eating?". I was 10 years old by the time Wikipedia made an appearance but it would be another 3 years before I would find out about its existence. By that time, I had been using the internet to answer many of my questions about day-to-day things, but Wikipedia changed the way I would learn for good. I cannot thank those who contribute to Wikipedia unselfishly by sharing their knowledge on a wide range of topics; without the collaboration of so many people on a global scale, this project would not have flourished the way it did. Wikipedia taught me something: that a collective effort can bring about results that can change the world.

My girlfriend and I of two years are very much in love, happy and wish to continue the paths of our lives together. One of the hangups in our relationship, however, is that she is Jewish and I was not raised as such. Wikipedia has allowed me to learn more about the Jewish faith and support my girlfriend by attending services, family functions and have a better idea of the traditions I'm experiencing. Using Wikipedia to further my knowledge in this area has allowed me to feel more comfortable around her family, impress the family at various functions with my knowlege of the traditions and even share things with my girlfriend that she did not previously know. Wikipedia allows quick and easy access to information that allows me to go through life with more knowledge and confidence.

I teach writing at a fine community college; naturally, research is an essential part of some projects, and it's difficult to overstate the value of Wikipedia in the process of introducing students to access to reliable information. The editors and writers of the Free Encyclopedia have made great strides toward creating the largest, most up-to-date encyclopedia the world has ever seen. It is, quite simply, invaluable.

My sister called me this morning to let me know that my Dad is in the hospital; his caretaker had found him unconscious. It looks like his diabetes was the cause, but as things unfold back home it is hard to get answers about his condition. While my Dad is in the care of healthcare professionals, I am far away filled with worries and anxiety from not knowing anything about his condition. For a concerned daughter far away from her family, Wikipedia provided the knowledge that I was looking for and helped to ease my mind.

It means credible information about anything at my fingertips whenever I need it. It means there is a place for the vast reaches of human knowledge to be pooled and shared for all to use and be inspired. It is a global knowledge community.

Wikipedia for me has become one of the web's greatest resource for quick, basic information on ANY topic that I need some quick basic info on. It's an unique online tool that allows me to continually educate myself on a myriad of topics that come across my path in my daily life. Other than e-mail, Wikipedia is easily the website that I most often use. It's an absolutely wonderful resource and that is why I have decided to support it financially so as to see it grow and continue in existence, free of charge for all.

To write well, my students first learn how discourse communities construct knowledge. Wikpedia's transparency makes these processes visible in ways that are otherwise nearly impossible to see. While the information on the site is immensely valuable, its greatest value is in enabling students (and the larger public) to understand the nature of knowledge.

There's a special kind of confidence that comes from knowing information has been edited and verified by numerous experts who only care about the information being correct. The vigilance of many eyes safeguards the truth. It's my first resource for unadulterated facts about a subject. And it's soothing for me to know that my father has been documented for the global community on WikiObits.

I stumbled across Wikipedia in 2004 while researching term papers as a foreign exchange student in Germany. I was amazed. The library of Alexandria was being rebuilt before my very eyes. Not a week has passed since then that I have not made good use of the project. Today, Wikipedia continues to stand as a beacon of goodwill--exemplifying what is possible when people of all races, nationalities, and tongues work together, sharing knowledge and actively engaging in constructive debate.

Wikipedia has helped me so much in my personal and professional life. Have a community based encyclopedia available from any connected computer in the world has really provided me with the answers to questions I have in almost real-time. I have used Wikipedia for school, work and hobby research. I also found out about Media wiki through Wikipedia which I used to implement a knowledge-base for a tech support department for a major software company, that with the Google search add-in, I was able to create a better tool for free than what my company was paying hundreds of thousands of dollars for. Thank you Wikipedia!!

What does Wikipedia mean to me? A lot. No corporate logos, no bottom line driven brands' having PR people clean up information before the public reads a description. Wikipedia is a place where I find living definitions to terms and concepts I need to learn about. I work for corporations, so I am not their enemy, but there needs to be smart places on the web where folks can just put shared information into the current without someone trying to own it, control it, censor it, etc. Thanks, Wikipedia, for doing the right thing down the hardest path. I am your fan.

As a first-year PhD student in musicology at UC Berkeley, I was surprised to discover that the professor teaching my research methodologies class was keen to have me teach her and the other students how to edit articles in Wikipedia. The next year, I was invited back by another professor who was now teaching the course. We were all so pleased that our knowledge could be put to the use of a broader public.

I write software and often that software is focused on mathematics. Wikipedia is an amazing resource for definitions, algorithms and pointers to further materials. Forgotten how to do symbolic differentiation? No problems. Need to understand Newton-Raphson? No problem. How about an algorithm for reducing number of points in a line while maintaining similar shape? The Douglas-Peucker algorithm, of course. And on and on. Tired of work and need a little down time. Browse through Wikipedia on any subject you choose and learn so much, so easily, so quickly. Thank you, Wikipedia!

Wikipedia is the best example of a realizable ideal. I have always looked for ideas that help make the world a fairer place. Wikipedia does this giving access to such a huge amount of knowledge to so many people, even people that doesn't have access to a good education otherwise.

Moreover, this work is done by an army of noble people that thinks this ideal is realizable. To all of you, noble people, I wholeheartedly say: Thank you and Keep up the good work! You construct day-by-day the place I visit everyday and love doing so.

I am proud I can contribute to keep Wikipedia free.

In my experience, Wikipedia is a resource unlike anything we've ever had. Not only is it diligently edited by caring volunteers, it's free to access for anyone. As a student, it has been incredibly helpful in preparing myself for the real world but it's also been a great distraction when I need one. Wikipedia truly demonstrates the democratic nature of the Internet unlike anything we've ever seen before. Wikipedia is a monument, a testament to everything the future has ever promised us in science fiction and fantasy.

I am a complete and unabashedly enthusiastic supporter of the entire range of Wikimedia Foundation projects. Some question how much you can trust the content available here. To that I say "Caveat Emptor" as it also applies to everything you do in life. You want a guarantee, buy insurance. You want "truth", take some responsibility for doing your homework to the extent that "the truth" is a benchmark need for you. No one person has it nor can ensure you will have it either. But when I can rely upon all mankind to do some fact checking for me, then I feel a little more comfortable with applying a level of trust to the outcome of my search. The truth is a living, breathing manifestation of the best that minds can produce on earth, self-correcting through review (peer and otherwise), and I trust Wikipedia to get me a little closer to that product over any alternatives made available via alternative self-interested and agenda driven motives. Show me a better free source and I'll use it too.

The internet and I grew up together. My family got our first computer only a few years before the founding of such icons as Google, Wikipedia, and YouTube. Along with social networking sites, these three are absolutely my most frequently visited sites. I cannot imagine the internet without Wikipedia. Daily, I use Wikipedia as a reference for business and personal use. The story I'd like to share is as follows:

I attended Clemson University in South Carolina from 2005-2009. On the first day of my Poli Sci 102 course, taught by visiting professor Solomon Major, we were advised that citing Wikipedia as a source for a paper would result in a failing grade. Having been a faithful user of the site, I decided to take my chances and cite Wikipedia in my first term paper. Sure enough, Professor Major failed me. Long story short, because I could prove to the department head that the Wikipedia page I used was fully cited, my paper was graded again without the absurd rule, and I received an A.

Thank you for continuing to provide such a substantial asset to the world wide web. As long as the site remains in operation, I will support it.

It means that I have information that I can sift through, on just about any imaginable topic, at my fingertips, no matter where I am in the world at that moment.

I love that it's a commerce-free zone, even if I can't put my finger on exactly why that appeals to me so much. Maybe I'm just tired of access to information becoming so heavily commercialized. I think that access to information needs a more ideal space to exist than the market-place or even academia (the latter of which is being adapted to business-models, business-models that embed values which often run counter to traditionally esteemed purposes of education).

I bet I haven't been particularly clear. In any case, Wikipedia has opened up new worlds for me and pretty much everyone I know.

As an elementary school teacher, I find that Wikipedia provides full color pictures that I may use with my children's lessons. It has helped greatly to have free access to images that are colorful and digital. These enhance our lessons on a regular basis.

I use wikipedia almost every day in my work with people who are applying for disability benefits. Wikipedia helps me to understand and evaluate their impairments, by providing a comprehensive explanation of medical conditions, recommended treatment, and prescribed medications. I have also used it to research my own medical condition, fibromyalgia. What I like about wikipedia is that it does not talk down to people. While it provides a concise simple statement summarizing the the subject, it also provides an in depth scientific explanation and it discusses current clinical research and alternative treatments. My thanks to everyone who contributes to this worthwhile project!! Go Wikipedia!!

I am a disabled Army veteran and working military psychologist treating blown up combat vets with PTSD and making them whole again. I use Wikipedia all the time showing them how to find excellent sources of information of all types as they reclaim the lives they used to lead and reconnect with their families, friends, and community. I also use Wikipedia as a starting point to learn more about all kinds of things for myself. Am so very glad to have such a wonderful resource!

I've long been intrigued by the prospect of a collective mind arising out of our joint efforts as individuals in society-- the wisdom of crowds coalescing into a tangible information structure that can be used to solve real-world problems. Wikipedia represents the first system that begins to approximate such an effort. As a physician and biomedical researcher, I'm keenly aware that advances in my field depend critically on the effective sharing and processing of information among groups. Wikipedia has been an inspiration to demonstrate what we really can accomplish together, driven simply by the aim of ensuring that the world has access to high-quality information from which to make informed decisions.

I use Wikipedia constantly both at home and at work. I'm a Solutions Architect in a large ICT firm and Wikipedia offers an entry point into an enormous amount of data (especially around standards such as SIP IMS etc). At home Wikipedia is our encyclopaedia and is used on a daily basis to answer questions and to assist with my son's homework. Wikipedia has an incredible vision around the sharing of knowledge and is an example of what we can do as humans. To say Wikipedia makes a difference would be an understatement!

To me, Wikipedia is the endless search for unlimited knowledge. What I love best about Wikipedia is that it not only examines traditional resaerch and history, but pop culture as well. The fact that it is open source for all to add to it and expand on is a testament to the thirst of the human mind, soul and a celebration of the human condition. If it exists, someone will undoubtedly ask about it, and Wikipedia allows us all to share in the answer.

Many Internet services are simply created to waste time. Few services are truly valuable in making life better -- more meaningful, more intelligent, more practical. I feel like a character on the Matrix -- I can quickly learn a new topic from Wikipedia when I need to.

When my daughter was hospitalized I could gain better understanding about her illness quickly, the knowledge available was powerful in helping calm us so we could deal with the problem intelligently, have better expectations of what's to come, and be able to communicate with the doctor better. Thank you for a truly helpful service!

As a tool, Wikipedia is irreplaceable. Either for work or just for reading and learning, it's the first point where I always look. It always gets updated. Sometimes I also update the pages with my knowledge. At the end of the day we all benefit from each other's knowledge.

As an entity, Wikipedia is again irreplaceable. It's pure, ad-free, open and free collection of information. It's a stance, it's the act of protection of the freedom of the information.

World needs Wikipedia and benefits from its existence.

We started using WP when it was very new several years ago as a resource for beginning computer classes. We had the students look up different computer terms, and then we would project the answers on the screen. The students, mostly retired, loved it, and it took away much of their apprehension regarding computers. Additionally, it increased their computer skills just by performing the search. It was and is a great learning tool.

Personally, WP is one of my favorite sites. I find the information accurate, and a great resource to quickly learn about nearly anything. Also, the references at the bottom of each article provide additional resources for expanded reading.

I can't thank you enough for creating this great resource.

This is really the first time I've been asked what Wikipedia means to me; and it's thus the first time I've paused to ponder the answer. My use of Wikipedia over the years had acquired such a second-nature, reflexive, even subconsciously-driven quality, that it never struck me how utterly invaluable the website had become to me. I can honestly state that Wikipedia has become my most frequently-visited website; that I literally cannot recall a single day during which I did not consult Wikipedia. Never has Wikipedia failed to give me the information I've needed; never has it failed to educate and enlighten me above and beyond that which I've asked of it. In fact, numerous times I would consult Wikipedia for information on a specific subject, only to find myself a few hours later reeling, my brain freshly filled with the equivalent of a full College Semester's worth of education. This is partly due to the ingenious ways in which the site is organized - each entry filled with hyperlinks to other entries within its own staggeringly huge databases, as well as additional URL's that lead to further information sources on the Web, where the entry's content can be enhanced by a myriad of multimedia formats. Such organizational features thus lend themselves to extreme user-friendly navigation through Wikipedia's ever-expanding vastness, while just as effectively tapping into the web to enhance the user-experience via the use of multi-media-imbedded websites, etc. I've only lightly touched the tip of the iceberg of the structural factors that render Wikipedia such a joy to use. But while it is true that Wikipedia is structurally organized to perfection, the aspect of Wikipedia that blows me away more than anything else is that its entirely unique, massive, effortless-to-use, wonderful & magical existence was conceived by - and continues to operate in accordance with - an attractive idea set forth by its founder, Jimmy Wales. The idea is best summed up by his quotation: "Imagine if every person on earth could share in the free and total access to all human knowledge." This idea has proven to be more than an invitation to imagine, for it became a reality and a goal. As Wikipedia stands now, it is more than a free source of encyclopedic knowledge to me (though the fact that it is is free is mind-boggling in itself); it is a source of mental stimulation for me, of continuing education, of fascination and inspiration; it keeps my brain fit. I truly believe that it continues to to get closer to its goal of providing free access to ALL human knowledge. Indeed, Wikipedia means so much to me that I will help however I can to keep it alive, well, and headed toward the complete fulfillment of Mr.Wale's initial 'idea.'

I was born in China during WWII, the child of a Czech father and a Russian mother who led an itinerant post-war life moving all over Europe, the Middle East, and Africa until they finally settled in England. It's where I spent my late teens, went to college, and started my career before emigrating to the States as part of the Vietnam era 'brain drain' because of my experience with computers. I've had the good fortune to 'ride the wave' so to speak since I spent the majority of my Stateside career at Xerox during their heyday. This background has given me an appreciation of the huge discrepancy in the quality of life experienced by people living on earth. While the basics, like clean water, food, and health are fundamental, close behind comes access to information which provides opportunity through knowledge and that is why I support the Wikimedia Foundation.

From helping doing homework to amusing my mind with interesting articles, Wikipedia has been a significant part of my life and who I am. As a biochemistry undergraduate, I was surprised on how detailed Wikipedia information is that my ex-university instructors started to tell their students to "look at Wikipedia as starting point". Now, as a rookie scientist, Wikipedia has become my starting point for information, before I look into more detail in scientific websites. Coming from a third world country, I believe a free, peer-reviewed, up-to-date encyclopedia such as Wikipedia will help tremendously in education.

I can't donate too much as a low-ranked technician, but what you and Wikipedia volunteers have done for the world is life-changing. Keep up the good work.

I was involved in a car accident just over five years ago (in December 2005). Someone hit me from behind at full speed while I was stopped waiting for a light to turn green. My left neck was impacted or, shall we say "strangled," by the shoulder strap. Within a year and a half, I required thyroid surgery. After surgery, I was given the standard thyroid medication, namely, Synthroid. Another three and a half years of feeling sick went by. Finally, in October 2010, two RN friends said I should be taking Armour Thyroid. I looked up Armour on Wikipedia and found an excellent article on the history and uses of desiccated thyroid extract. Now I understand the bias of endocrinologists who deny a patient's symptoms and never offer a natural, alternative medication even if a patient feels constantly ill. Within an hour of taking the first dose of Armour (which is chemically not the same as Synthroid), I was able to hop and jump easily for the first time in five years. Within ten days, I started riding my bicycles that I also haven't been able to ride in five years since the MVA. Wikipedia information and links helped me learn about various thyroid conditions including right-sided hemiparesis and Grave's ophthalmopathy, as well as alar ligaments and other effects of whiplash. Thank you for helping me learn what I needed to know. Most doctors don't know half the information available on Wikipedia (and don't care).

Being a teacher of Physics and Chemistry at a high school as well as a keen historian and Bible student requires me to keep searching to discover where human knowledge has got to. Obviously I want the students to get the most accurate information and that is where Wikipedia is a great help, especially as experts are able to update the knowledge as well as admitting where the information has not been properly reviewed as yet. Informing students about what is proven and what is still plausible possibilities enables them to become better thinkers and hopefully, less likely to be brainwashed.

Wiki is beyond awesome. All the reasons that libraries exist, a place to store our hard learned knowledge, a place to add in the most recent supplements to that knowledge, and a place to be able compare versions of our knowledge, all of these are combined and happen at once through a Wiki page. Truly amazing. With Wiki pages I have read and learned about a host of topics - arcane to common. I have chased down footnotes via hot links to verify sources, and I have added a sentence or two to a few Wiki pages. And, I am ever cognizant that I do all this without having to leave my desk. I am 56, I have a graduate degree and have cumulatively logged years in libraries. I "get" the immense change in how we keep our knowledge that Wiki has wrought. Let's keep this Wiki idea going.

I want to take this opportunity to express that I feel Wikipedia is an amazing concept and an incredible resource. Every time I use the internet to access information and find answers to questions, I am thankful that such a useful tool is available to me in my home and wherever I travel at any time of day. I remember the days of being tied to a library to access information, and even then it was always a year or two old. The concept of Wikipedia is truly of significance in the advancement of knowledge acquisition among the peoples of our world.

We were introduced to Wikipedia in late 2003 by our younger son who was 10 years old. Our family have been using it since, taking it for granted that it's always there until the summer of 2006 when I took the boys to China for the first time. They wanted to know more about the historical sites I took them to or anything about China that they don't know, and the first place they went was Wikipedia site. Unfortunately, it wasn't available in China. They were frustrated, but at the same time realized how valuable Wikipedia was to them and what important role Wikipedia had played in their lives. We are grateful to people who made Wikipedia part of our lives.

I've been using wikipedia since high school and I have no idea how I'd live without it. Among me and my friends and, well, basically everybody, its the definitive go-to site for quick information. Whether I'm curious about early existentialism, need to look up the air date of an X-Files episode, or am trying to find out more about spin glasses and ferromagnetism as a jumping off point for reading research papers, Wikipedia is always the first place I go.

In an intensely corporate, profit-driven world, it's a breath of fresh air to see a thriving site like wikipedia driven purely by a common desire to share what's known. I'm happy to do what I can to support that.

I am currently a graduate student at Clemson University pursuing my PhD in Bioengineering. I have been using Wikipedia for years now to discover valuable information on topics ranging from the discographies of artists, to old cartoons, even acquiring knowledge on specific proteins and molecules which aid my studies. I hope Wikipedia continues to serve as a viable source of knowledge for years to come, not only for myself, but also for anyone who is curious about any topic and wishes to know more.

Wikipedia is a quick answer and more knowledge than I could have expected on a particular topic. When my inquisitive 12 year old asks another, " what is...?" question, we often search for the answer on wikipedia. So what is wikipedia to me? Wikipedia is the catalyst to meaningful conversation between a father and his son.

I am studying for an advanced certification in Dog Training. I am using Wikipedia to assist me with my textbook readings. I have been out of school for sometime, and I find that with my textbook in my lap and Wikipedia on my laptop to my side, when I come across a term or reference that I do not quite understand, Wikipedia is the fastest way for me to get a deeper understanding of the content of my reading. For example - There was a brief mention of Edward Thorndike's study of instrumental behavior. The term instrumental behavior was unfamiliar to me. I looked it up here and sure enough a full article on "Operant Conditioning" mentions that instrumental behavior and operant conditioning are not almost synonymous. This was extremely helpful to know, and the article on Wikipedia directed me to national sources of relevant information. I am very impressed with the people who take the time to write these articles for all of us and I am very grateful to Wikipedia for making my study process so much more fun and easy. It's almost like having a teacher in the room with me with whom I can ask questions in the moment. And I don't even have to wait to be called on! Thank you.

I was brought up in a generation that preceded satellite television and internet in India. The thirst for knowledge was quenched mainly by reading texts and a whole lot of imagination - be it in History, Philosophy, Biography, Literature or Science. Hence, my association with Wikipedia that started 9 years ago is the one that I cherish because it is not only a vehicle of free knoweldge sharing, but also a community forum where ideas, opinions, facts and numbers are there for open debate, which is really the cornerstone of a civilized society, be it on the net. I am both proud and humbled to see Wikipedia as a vehicle of knowledge chug along freely, without major corporate donations and free from any other influences, which gives it a moral stance that is hard to question. In short, no other portal on the web attracts me through its consistency of vision and enterprise than Wikipedia.

I must confess I was among the skeptics of the entire premise of Wikipedia for a number of reasons. However, I'm pleased to be proven wrong. I'd like to thank all those who contribute and edit the content. Wikipedia has excellent credibility - if content is dubious or inaccurate, it's flagged as such. However, the potential for erosion of this credibility is a great risk. We cannot allow such a fantastic global resource to come under the influence of commercial, political, religious, or media special interest groups. In order to remain a viable, credible resource for the normal citizens of the world, Wikipedia must retain it's independence from special interest funding sources. We've all seen the erosion of principled and ethical conduct when undue monetary influence becomes a factor. There is aonly one way to prevent this from happening, and that is to contribute directly. many of us cannot contribute or edit content for various reasons, but we can still contribute to the independence of the Wikipedia community through our contributions, however small they may individually be. Best Wishes for 2011 to all contributors and users!

Had a heart attack close to 4 years ago and was immediately taken in for a triple bypass. One day before the op. I was asked if I would like to donate my organs; I told them, "Definitely Not, as I'm planning on using them myself a-while yet myself. As you may have guessed, I turned down their kind offer of the bypass. Now the fun starts, as I know I have 'Familial Hypercholesterolemia' and so now I need to know all about it because I'm now my own doctor and cardiologist! I did much internet reserach on the subject but it wasn't until I read the article on "Familial Hypercholesterolemia" in Wikipedia that I fully understood it and this actually was the breakthrough in my self-treatment. So it's 3 years 9 months and counting! Thank's for a great information source!

To be a part of our nation's current history during my military service and then to read the story of one of the events I experienced in Wikipedia is to feel hope that current history will be more accurately captured and more painstakingly described than any prior century... especially when I, an ordinary user, can go in and edit or expound upon the descriptions of another observer.

To me, Wikipedia represents the powerful potential of the internet when used for a positive purpose. The concept of an online living encyclopedia in the public domain is brilliant. The fact that it is built by the passion and expertise of it's contributors is inspiring. The ability to access this wealth of information at any time of the day is priceless. Long live wikipedia!

For the past several years, I've worked for an organization that lives on the "pioneering edge" of its industry. As a result, I often find myself needing to quickly learn the basic theory and terms of a concept, without having the time required to enroll in formal education on the classes. When I need to gain a brief conceptual understanding of a topic within a matter of minutes, Wikipedia is generally my first resource.

Whether I'm just looking for a quick overview and explanation of key terminology, or I need to reference the sources cited within the article for a more in-depth discussion, Wikipedia consistently provides me with a solid starting point for my research.

When I suddenly (and unexpectedly) need to find a primer on bit manipulation, provide a non-technical explanation of ternary logic, or find a resource to determine what type of Visa my newest sub-contractor is likely to need: Wikipedia is always there to help me get started.

So thank you -- Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, employees, volunteers, and editors -- for putting so much information at my disposal!

Watching my son, now 18, growing up, it dawned on me how different his "growing up" had been from mine when I watched him access Wikipedia. He was in 3rd grade, researching a project that was due and quickly and without thinking tapped into the site for content. When I was his age, I went into the closet in my room and pulled out the volume of the Encyclopedia that correlated to what I needed. I used to read those Encyclopedia nightly, thinking I needed to know everything in them and not once realizing that the content was 'out of date' almost the minute it was published.

Wikipedia and it's attendant off-shoots represent the best of what we can be - collectively - as humans when we share freely and without bias. I'm happy to contribute to sustain the realization of this vision.

I'm a computer science student in University of Memphis, TN. My hometown is Salyan, Solukhumbu, a remote area of Nepal. Still today, my hometown doesn't have access to Road, Electricity and Internet. One can imagine how hard it will be for a student who completed his schooling from such a place to compete with other computer science students from the world who use computer since their childhood. Wikipedia is one of the factors that made it possible ! It is helping me to fulfill the gaps and making me a person capable of competing with the rest. Thus, I'm donating $10 from my bursary to protect this site so that people like me could benefit in future.

Wikipedia has been an incredible asset. I am constantly turning to the internet for immediate information - "What is THAT?" "What THEORY are they talking about?" and while some question the validity of the information, citing errors, I find the information to be factual and when there are doubts, those are indicated. A print encyclopedia cannot compete with this. I also STRONGLY believe in the freedom of information. Too often the information of the world is controlled by those who are in power, those who are wealthy and they use it to control the masses, the uninformed. Wikipedia is a valuable asset to the world because it is FREELY available to ALL and for that reason, though I can't afford much, I will give what I can. Thank you for your years of dedicated service. YOU are a hero.

This is it: a culmination of the possibilities granted by near instantaneous communication - a community encompassing the entire world that can accumulate and share the wealth of our history: knowledge. Knowledge is what makes our cultures, develops higher standards of life, and brings our world closer together. That is what Wikipedia is. That is why this is important. This is a free service - this level of detail is not otherwise available. Financial expertise, technical expertise, managerial expertise - you have to pay for those services. Here we have a unique entity: an accessible and timely archive that everyone is building and using and managing together in scores of languages. This archive is important enough and perhaps becoming fundamental enough that I would equate it to a public utility - not for a nation but for our entire planet. And to ensure the quality of that utility, we must provide them with the funds for their tools. I do not want to see advertising on Wikipedia; this is not and cannot be a commercial enterprise - its development and community exists because of its free access. Wikipedia would never have come to exist as it is today had it been closed to only those with money. What we have is a beautiful thing: let us not neglect it.

Wiki is a great resource used by our whole family. It is used for reference and to settle "debates". My son, uses Wiki as a core for research supporting his home school learning. We home school as his Asperger's Syndrome and public school did not mesh. He has grown from a child who hated learning and writing to an avid, creative student who writes detailed stories and loves to learn.

Wikipedia is the place to start when learning about a new topic. For the most serious scholar it represents a gateway to the primary literature. For the casual reader it often provides all that is needed on a topic. It is a growing, self-correcting and evolving organism. Immensely valuable and worthy of protection. The post-modern apotheosis of knowledge.

Wikipedia is one of the first places we look for information. My son is ten, and we've used Wikipedia for everything from checking mathematical definitions to finding out about strange marine creatures. One of the things I particularly like about Wikipedia is the back and forth as people scrutinize eachother's work. It teaches my son that knowledge constantly evolves and can be challenged. It teaches him to think for himself while closely watching what others say about a subject--any subject.

I've been a regular Wikipedia user for years. It is simply an incredible and invaluable informational and educational resource, and I have benefited from it enormously as a public parks advocate, a computer scientist, and as a human being greatly interested in and curious about the world/universe I am a part of.

My daughter sang 'Auld Lang Syne' in her third grade Christmas play the other night. Thanks to Wikipedia, she now knows all about the song, and it really means something to her.

I am an English teacher, currently teaching 6th grade. I have introduced Wikipedia to my students, encouraging them to explore the world through this amazing portal, this "Encyclopedia Galactica!" We've even discussed the possibility that, one day, if/when extraterrestrials finally connect with us, hopefully they'll post their knowledge on Wikipedia too!

And I've showed them the Pitot House entry, and the fact that third graders began it. They were quite impressed, and not a few of them aspire to be part of the Wikipedia community of contributors--now, and as they continue to grow and learn throughout life.

You inspire us all! Thank you.

I am a school librarian, and I'm always dumbfounded whenever a colleague snoots at Wikipedia. It's as if we should we should avoid the most current peer-reviewed-and-edited citation-sourced source of information in the world just because it's user-editable and free. When I send my students to the online encyclopedias we pay for, I cringe at the paucity and staleness of the information there. Wikipedia is exciting! It's far more than an encyclopedia - it's a celebrity gossip mag - it's a popular culture meter - it's a window on the current world - it makes me feel alive.

I am a graduate student in Computer Science. I knock the Wikipedia door not only for the information relevant to my courses but also for all other topics which I am interested in. I also often open up the browser and habitually type in wikipedia.org to confirm certain facts on various topics.

Whenever I and my roommate get into any discussion and we are standing grounds on opposing thoughts, we do try out wikipedia for that topic and try to resolve the differences based on the facts and views expressed by the wiki author.

The message I want to convey from the above talk is that, I and my friends find wikipedia useful solely for one reason- Accurate and Reliable Information. And I am sure these credible information comes from credible authors. Wikipedia has always had and will always have high respect from me. You people deserve a lot more.

I am disabled, with health problems I have had since birth. I currently live with my 86+ year old mother - my father passed away very unexpectedly this past April. He was 85 and would have been 86 two days after Thanksgiving. I write a lot of poetry which I couple with the graphics I find on Wikipedia and other Free-Content websites for family and friends, but also for those fighting for our freedom overseas - and the family of veterans who have given their lives abroad, or the venerated veterans who have served in the past and lived long, fruitful lives telling future generations about days gone by. I do this for a volunteer organization called the Patriot Guard Riders who help our men and women in uniform [look their website up online]. Sites like Wikipedia help me find out about the various ranks, get their rank insignia to help personalize the projects, and make it the best I can in a VERY short period of time. Thanks, Wikipedia, for putting a little sunshine in the lives of our troops!

I am a sufferer of Chronic Pancreatitis. I have found Wikipedia invaluable at investigating both the disease, as well as possible treatments and medications. I especially find the web links at the bottom useful for further investigation. Wikipedia helps me be an informed patient.

Wikipedia is easily the most important undertaking in history. Since the introduction of language, the transfer of knowledge from one group to another has been the mainstay of humanity, and will continue to be for the rest of our existence as a species.

I have used Wikipedia as my first source for quick information in areas ranging from helping me get through tough college classes, to giving me supplemental information I used to advanced myself professionally as an engineer, to preparing facts I might have needed to convince my friend to kick a drug habit. In all these cases, accurate and easy to understand information was critical to accomplishing these goals, and Wikipedia has been there through all these challenges.

But the Wikipedia story is more important than my own personal goals. People today view globalization as a chance to outsource jobs away from richer countries while exploiting the poorer countries. Wikipedia challenges that notion and contends that globalization can be about the rapid and free transfer of ideas, cultures, and invention, which will eventually lead to a stronger humanity.

I donate money to Wikipedia every year knowing that their cause is worth the effort. If teaching a man to fish can feed a man for life, then creating a central source of teaching can feed a planet.

I work with severly disabled children and adults that have severe,rare genetic disorders and in a pinch I can access your info to help me care for them before and after their arrival to the hospital.Thanks for making me a better nurse Wikipedia.

To me, Wikipedia is a miracle. I love to read, and am an information junkie. Encyclopedias are expensive, become obsolete, and are too heavy to cart around. When I discovered Wikipedia, I discovered nirvana; all the information I could ever want, whenever and wherever I want, free to all users, constantly updated and expanded, and augmented by links to pertinent sites. Wikipedia is the best thing on the internet today, and that it remains free is especially inspiring. I grew up poor, in a rural area with none of the basic amenities most take for granted. Growing up, I would have been overjoyed to have ready access to reference material, but we couldn't afford it. Whenever I use Wikipedia, I am reminded of that, and am always grateful that it is available to everyone, regardless of their socio-economic status. The technology that makes Wikipedia possible is miraculous, but the real miracle is that it free and accessible to all. Thank you.

Wikipedia has created a revolution in teaching and learning at the high school level. It is the ultimate peer-reviewed resource for faculty and students and shows students that source material is important. The links and resources section gives them the ability to jump from one idea to another, typically reliable, source instantly.

As a music teacher, the linking of composers, performers, genres and media makes teaching the history of music easier and more fascinating. Students can trace the music they listen to today all the way back to the dawn of western civilization.

Thanks so much to all the workers, collaborators and designers for making such a brilliant idea, a world class, functioning website!

Even as a child I was fascinated with knowledge. Our family had the World Book Encyclopedia and I spent hours poring over the endless entries - countries, people, religions that I had never encountered personally. I even taught myself calligraphy from one of the volumes. As a young adult, I saved enough money to purchase the Encyclopædia Britannica, which held a prized place in my library and took up several boxes each time I moved. Each year I proudly added the Book of the Year to my collection, believing that I had the latest and greatest knowledge available.

Fast forward twenty years. As my two children navigated the public school system, they often came to me with questions. When I didn't have the answers, I would consult the Internet. More and more often I would see references to a new site called Wikipedia which steadily rose toward the top of the search engine results. As my children grew along with the complexity of their questions, I would simply say "Look it up in Wikipedia!" not only to find the answers to their questions, but to encourage their sense of personal responsibility in expanding their knowledge of the world they live in and to experience the peace, albeit temporary, that comes with satisfying one's curiosity.

Human knowledge is not static. It can no longer be contained on the printed page. It grows, it evolves, and in some cases it is even rewritten. The pace of our modern world requires a source like Wikipedia to give us real-time answers created by experts in their fields.

The old adage "It's not what you know, it's who you know" may no longer apply to our times. Let's replace it with "It's not what you know, it's where you find it." Long live Wikipedia!

For a few years now I have been wanting to participate in keeping Wikipedia free. This is my first chance to do so, although the amount I give is much much too small for everything Wikipedia has done for me. I can live without Facebook, Twitter, Yahoo, even Google, but Wikipedia is my daily salvation. For poor teachers in the Philippines, the kind of information Wikipedia provides is better than the books we use. I am truly thankful for the brainwave and the perseverance that caused Mr. Wales to begin such an enterprise. To the entire staff of Wikipedia, please continue your excellent work. Through your efforts, you have given the poor a chance to survive in a world where education is the only lasting weapon. You are saving lives, creating futures and setting people free. Thank you. It is beyond me to express how deeply my gratitude runs.

Wikipedia is a great, trusted reference source for me in both work and personal life.

I use it all the time - whether it's looking up scientific, health, or technical topics for personal use or computing and technical topics for work I use it all the time. The quality of the articles is excellent (I've "vetted" the quality of the articles by comparing my own expertise and other trusted sources against the Wikipedia articles and found that the Wikipedia articles are often better and more up-to-date (a big plus, especially in computing)).

I also have a personal philosophy about open and freely sharing ideas and Wikipedia embodies this philosophy. Working together, we can make the world a better place through ideas.

Wikipedia is one of the most amazing things to happen to mankind. At least one of the best 5 in my lifetime! The way information is easily accessible today is all because of Wikipedia. Internet has become far more relevant to me because of it. And the fact that real people can add stuff / make changes to it lends it more credibility. The high standards Wikipedia has set for itself is truly inspiring. Good job and keep it going!

I have been using Wikipedia for over four years and its an excellent, immensely useful resource for almost any technical knowledge. In particular, different mathematical terms, concepts, theories, algorithms are described in a very useful, intuitive way besides their mathy details. Its a pretty handy tool for quick revision of any forgotten topic and getting essential knowledge of any new topic. And the way it is designed, it keeps improving. So pages corresponding to classic topics in various fields now contain very useful interpretations from different perspectives which help us to get a 'big' picture of the topic. Its really an awesome pedagogical resource besides being just an encyclopedia.

I love Wikipedia and long live Wikipedia!

No real story, just that I use Wiki as my homepage and continually for all sorts of information throughout the day. I like how an event can happen almost anywhere in the world, and I always come to Wiki, because within a short time period, one of the volunteers has made an entry regarding that event...

Wikipedia has and continues to play a major role in my academic life. It is the first go to source of information for general ideas and quick overviews. Not only has it helped immensely for my studies and education, I have spent hours and hours on Wikipedia reading articles leisurely.

With my family, we play a game on Wikipedia when we're bored. It involves naming something that would have a Wikipedia article (for example a person, place, or event). One person then clicks on the "random article" finder and through the hyper-links of that article must find their way to the named article. Points are awarded based on how few steps it takes to get there.

I can't imagine a world without Wikipedia. It is resources like these that will ensure the continuation of human knowledge and our collective experience.

As a university student, I use Wikipedia as a starting point for research to gain a basic understanding of a topic that is new to me, but I am constantly amazed to discover new information on topics that I already have a firm understanding of or even professional experience regarding! Although many teachers still disapprove of Wikipedia use for school work, I believe this misunderstanding is dissipating as younger students not only learn to incorporate proper citation techniques with the new technology, but also these young students who have grown up with the internet are just beginning to become teachers themselves and some even article contributors. In my personal education experience, Wikipedia has not received the credit it deserves for providing a vital tool for research in every sector. I believe Wikipedia also deserves recognition for its encouragement in education equality and for the freedom of information.

I know my amount is small, but it pleases me to donate it to this organization. Thank you for all of your hard work and dedication.

At the age of 21 i realized what the freedom is....and for me it happened to be knowledge. At this point of my life I’m not free…the more I live the more I understand that I know nothing…Wikipedia is helping me to make my dream comes true…and get closer to the freedom …Thank you!

My 13 year old son was diagnosed with Addisons disease. I looked it up on the computer, and Wikipedia has the best and most clear explanation of the disease I have found so far.

I have enjoyed the services of Wikipedia as a casual user for a number of years. It is not until recently, however, that I have come to understand how vitally important this resource truly is. I have been using the service extensively over the past several months to compile information relevant to a court case which may be of vital importance in a very literal way. Thank you all so much for extending this service as the free and public resource it deserves to be. I wish I could donate more at this time, but you can count on my continued support of this project in years to come.

about four years ago, someone asked me if i had seen my wikipedia page. i answered with "what is wikipedia?". Amazing, no? anyway, i went to the page to see what was going on there and was astounded at how accurately it depicted my model of immunity, and the controversy surrounding it. Someone, somewhere is doing a really good job! i've corrected a couple of small things (like pointing out that i published with my dog, not my cat) and donated a picture. otherwise i leave the site alone and watch what happens.

If every site is as accurately kept as this one, then wikipedia is an amazing resource! i'll gladly donate to keep it alive and free.

Wikipedia is a wonderful, intellectually liberating resource which anyone with access to web technology is privy to. Its ready availability actively encourages the enquiry of millions who could otherwise remain intellectually impoverished. Bravo to Jimmy Wales and all those who have enabled this excellent resource to develop. The promotion of knowledge across borders, class, and race, is setting a new standard for human scholarship.

The first money I earned in my life (I was 19 then) I spent on a dial-up modem to get my first ever connection to the Internet. It was 1998, and the modem cost $70 - close to a monthly salary in Russia!

I was a sophomore in Political Science at that time, and writing on the subject of my research (prevention of armed conflicts) was only available on the Internet as English language books on this subject were not sold in Russia at that time (neither are they sold now as a matter of course).

Search engines of the time were a disaster, Encyclopaedia Britannica cost a fortune, and it took me quite an effort to get the info I needed.

If only there could be the kind of the one stop shop that Wikipedia is today in its current size and scope! Not only would it have saved me valuable connection time ;) but it would have also fully justified my significant internet investment.

I am happy there's finally a free encyclopedia online today. My dream of an internet being a source of information (rather then it being an advertising vehicle or an online phone book) has come to fruition. Thank you for your vision and perseverance, wikiteam!

I'm a 17-year-old history/english buff who uses Wikipedia daily as an ultimate archive of knowledge. It has helped me to a large degree so far, and I personally value a world in which such a vast quantity of information is available at the population's fingertips. Jimmy Wales gained so much respect in my book after I read his Thank You letter. The fact that he is providing this non-profit, free of advertisements, and free of charge encyclopedia is just plain beautiful. It gives me a lot of hope for the world. Thanks so very much for pure knowledge for its own sake

I never looked for Wikipedia - Wikipedia kept finding me. It has been a friend with the answers whenever I search the web. When I found out last year that Wikipedia is non profit I was stunned. Wikipedia gives to the entire world something very precious - knowledge and opinions in a vast sea of information that is breathtaking to imagine. So many have benefited from this work. It seemed like the perfect way to give to the world would be to give something to Wikipedia. Thank you Wikipedia for your generosity to the world. Please accept my humble contribution and keep up the good work!

The industry that I started my career in was eliminated by globalization. At the age of forty-three I had a choice to go back to school or start a consulting business and help businesses in a number of industries improve the way they were performing their R&D and creating innovative products. With the daily help of Wikipedia, I was able to learn about dozens of businesses in a number of industries and direct companies to opportunities they would not otherwise have seen.

I am now in R&D in aerospace, a complete change from the textile business where I started my career. Combining regular reading of trade magazines and Wikipedia has allowed me to become knowledgeable in a new industry much faster than I could have done so otherwise.

Wikipédia has become an essential repository of human knowledge. As anyone, I land on Wikipédia articles all the time when searching for disparate information. I'm happy to support a tool for human development, a great potentiator of the interconnected mind - accessible for anyone, free from economic interest, creed, and cultural bias.

As a young college student and aspiring engineer, I can see the world getting smaller and life getting faster with each passing year. In this demanding modern world, it is crucial to have both a deep, narrow knowledge/skill base as well as a broad, liberal education. The former because the advancing complexity of technology creates a diverse job culture demanding a high degree of specialization, and the latter because today there is no decision that does not ripple out to the far ends of the earth and we must be understanding of the impact we have on our culture and our planet. From my perspective, Wikipedia is a bastion of the idea of the global citizen and helps keep the boat afloat. Immediate, diverse, in depth, and extremely current information is becoming more and more vital in our everyday lives and speed of access becomes more and more vital to our businesses and educations. Wikipedia is like the library of the planet with live updates, and that service, provided for everyone, is invaluable beyond expression.

As a university student, I've spent money on textbooks that have provided far less help than wikipedia, free of both charge and ads. Wikipedia has proven incredibly useful and a great resource, generally, both for increasing my general knowledge, and for helping out come exam time. A donation was the very least I could give. Thank you so much for everything you've done.

My story is very simple. I am fresh out of college and have a very tight income as I am preparing to relocate to NYC. That aside, I use wikipedia at least 3-6 times a day to gain more knowledge about random subjects. From the producer of a song that is topping the charts and the story behind the artist, to more in depth issues such as the oil spill in the gulf of mexico and terrorism in our world, wikipedia helps me to immediately understand things in a way that no other service has. Even better, it has no advertisements annoying me whatsoever. I would like to say that I am proud of Jimmy and the team for continued commitment to producing a service that is just that-- a pure and honest service.

As second-year geology student at the University of Alberta, I know first hand how hard it can be to get a top-notch education. It takes a heck of a lot time, money, and hard work to avoid being chewed up and spit out by the post-secondary machine. While Wikipedia can't write my assignments and exams for me, it's gone a long ways to help make my often-frusterating, usually-sleepless, caffeine-fueled study sessions bearable. All for free. As someone who'll drop $150 for a text book, this borders on incredulous - and that's without considering the irony that a fair chunk of Wikipedia is better written than my textbooks. Issac Newton once said, "If I have seen a little further, it is by standing on the shoulder's of Giants." I say, that if I have seen further, it is by standing on the shoulders of the anonymous, volunteer writers who made Wikipedia possible. On behalf of struggling students, thank you. I can;t put it any other way.

The free flow of truthful information is as necessary to healthy societies as justice and equality. Wikipedia is not only a free encyclopedia sharing knowledge amonst millions: it is a model of human interaction that makes a fine example to be followed by all. Envision the world as it should be, because what we envision is what we create in the future.

Since inception, Wikipedia has provided me a consolidated wealth of research data, references and general knowledge incomparable to any other public resource.

I congratulate heartily all those tireless individuals dedicated to improving Wikipedia's accuracy, increasing its scope and assuring its longevity.

Please continue the struggle against the suppression truth and the compartmentalization of knowledge... You are each creating a watershed in human history, and are providing a great service to all humanity.

Thank You!

Wikipedia means to me, making information available to everyone, everywhere, anytime and for all time. It means freedom of information. It means a landmark stride toward making availability of information, transparency, and disclosure a human right. It means being for everyone, regardless of nationality, gender, age, marital status, job status or financial status, rich, poor, anything inbetween, sexual orientation, gender orientation, religion, or any other prejudice that could or could not be brought up or labelled. It means, making the truth available as a human right. To all of humankind. Not just the few, not just the majority, but to everyone. That is why I support Wikipedia.

This is not a story but just an unforgettable experience. A month back I was in Pakistan spending some time with my close family and specially my parents. My dad love to read history and religion but because of age age and illness he could not read and had no access to books and other literature. This time I had a lapop and internet access with me and he did not realize that this little BOOK (he would call the laptop as book)could do for him. During my month visit every day he would give a topic or name of famous personality from history,region, politics ete and I would go on Wikipedia to access the information. He always praised Wikipedia's effort which it did to bring knowledge to people. When I came back and talked to my dad on phone he said that he is sad not only that I came back to Canada but he will miss Wikipedia.

I've always used Wikipedia in the states. In fact, my nerdcore rock band has a song dedicated to the greatness that is "The Wiki". So, when I moved to China to teach English to Chinese college kids, Wikipedia became an invaluable resource to teach them in depth about a lot of the things we talk about in class. And the fact that there are thousands of articles in Chinese doesn't hurt either. I gave this monetary donation, but there's no value for what this amazing resource has brought into my life. Thanks for ending thousands of arguments, starting millions of new conversations, and opening billions of minds all over the world.

I am a long time user of internet related information sources, before 'the internet' evolved, there were Bulletin Board Systems, with their own unique 'sysops' that stored information, physical libraries held Britanica's: Encyclopedia's and random information. Wikipedia however brings world wide power through knowledge and gives us all information that we have relied on for many many years now. I feel that i am privileged to offer my support.

Wikipedia and the Wikimedia Foundation is a source of information that is unparalleled in it's source of community powered funds of knowledge. The global scale of information that is provided, maintained, cared for and available to everyone is a philanthropic and momentous movement that i wholeheartedly support; a gift to the world that i, and likewise others, will support and never let lack of support jeopardise it's existence.

Long live the wiki.

In my students' education and future careers some things MUST be memorized. Yet, one of the greatest things they can learn from me is knowing how and where to look up something that they have NOT memorized. This is especially important to helping them manage an overwhelming onslaught of exponentially generated information. Some Professors tell their students that Wikipedia references are "not acceptable"; however, I encourage my students to use Wikipedia! It's a great starting point for their papers, though of course I ask them to follow up by checking the references in each entry. I even pull up Wikipedia sometimes in class for timely enrichment of class discussions. Wikipedia is an astounding contribution to and collaboration of “the collective brain” of all humankind. Thank you! :)

As a minister and pastor, I find Wikipedia useful in cross checking certain facts when preparing the historical part of a sermon. Also, as an assistant editor of a religious magazine, I use Wikipedia in researching for, and writing, religious articles; and also in researching for lectures on religious topics. Thank you for a most useful tool. Keep up the good work.

Wikipedia, for me, simply means anyone can find out about anything they need or want. I just like the fact that whether you're studying the subject, have a passing interest or even out of random curiosity you can find out about it - knowledge, for free, for everyone.

When I learnt a year ago that I needed heart valve surgery, I studied all aspects I could find on Wikipedia. I became well enough informed to have an excellent dialogue with my surgeons and physicians on the best preparations and aids to my full recovery. Thank you.

I use Wikipedia as a starting point to learn about new things - there is no other resource like it. Wikipedia is the best example I've seen of productive collaboration on a truly massive and global scale.

Wikipedia is like having access to my deceased father who could always be accessed at any time of the day or night to ask some puzzling question about the universe. When he died from a heart attack 20 years ago, I thought, "Whatever will I do? Now who will answer all my questions?"

And I knew that if my Dad didn't have the answer to my questions, he would steer us both to the correct volume of the Encyclopedia so we could gather the knowledge together.

Sometimes, we sat up late reading voluminous texts together, dazzled over everything we were learning. How I wish he could have seen Wikipedia and experienced for himself how any answer was just a google away. I have no doubt he would have parked himself in front of the computer monitor for hours at a time marveling over how awesome Wikipedia is!

My donation is my way to continue the love for bits of knowledge; the hunger and the feed. Wikipedia is brain food. Whether you need a full-on-feast or a quick nibble; Wikipedic knowledge is just a google away.

For me Wikipedia represents the best from the Internet - a hub of knowledge, free to use and improve, unrestricted from the size limitations of paper books and easier to search, navigate and connect topics. Wikipedia helps me in my work, but also revealed the world to me - and if the information it provides is not enough it also shows me where and how I can find more. I visit almost every day - and is my most visited site. Wikipedia stimulates the thirst for knowledge, better than any teacher could, and for every question it answers it provides two new ones - just as it should. Thank you!

Knowledge should be freely available to anyone who seeks it. In an era when public schools and public libraries are in decline and education is becoming privatized, Wikipedia makes knowledge accessible to anybody who can access the net. This is a good thing.

To me, Wikipedia really feels like the epitome of what is internet is meant for. It's information at it's purest form. No corporate dilution, no hidden agenda, and minority of people that see this as a place for graffiti, to spread misinformation for "fun", seem to be outnumber at least 100 fold by the people who care about spreading knowledge. There is no great reward for sharing what you know. No monetary gain, nor does your name appear above what you wrote in big, bold letters. It is simply the spreading of knowledge for the sake of spreading knowledge. Whenever I want to know something, anything, I go use Google. But not as a source, as a medium. What ever I want to know is followed by "wiki". And 9 times out of 10, there it is. Because of everyday people simply sharing things they know it one place, anything I want to know is search away.

The 21st century is semi-legitimately called the information age, but it can also be called 'manipulation age' or 'disinformation' age. In my heartfelt opinion, Wikipedia assists all individuals to reach information, rather than manipulation, by simply existing on Internet. Even if the content of a Wikipedia article is the battleground between rival theories, ideologies, viewpoints, etc..., the contested nature of article is not hidden from Wikipedia users. Thus, Wikipedia urges all its users to read, think, decide, and if necessary, explore more before accepting the truthfulness of the information contained in it. If any website in the world is free from hidden agendas and propaganda, I claim that it is Wikipedia.

I have a habit of digging deep into science, history and biographies. Almost all the times such searches lead me into wikipedia, and I keep digging down into further links - not only is this an awesome way to spend my time, but fills me up with so much knowledge. Such information and stories give me lot of material to be known as the smart one in my friend and family circle. I always have something to contribute to in every conversation. Needless to say it has helped me in my career aswell.

I live in the country and although we have a great library, the hours are limited. Plus I would rarely get the peace to read as I know so many people.

Since starting my career (after raising a family, doing many years in the voluntary sector and helping my husbands business) I started my own business in 1992, so needed fast information.

At the same time went back to adult education (madness I know!) so all the more reason for instant research and information. I bought my first Macintosh and was thrilled and excited in equal measure to be, one learning again, two to be using a PC (I'm told by my grandchildren I'm a techie) and I think I'm being complimented, and three to have wiki. I have no idea when I found wiki, but all I do know is without it life would have been much harder!

This is the only source I tend to use now, however I'd no idea that this was created with such love and generosity, because like many people I'm busy - so I thank everyone on the team because without this life would have been harder.

As an academic in the humanities, I've been sceptical (and have to be) about new information tools. Wikipedia has gained my respect over the years. I have had a wikipedia button on my browser toolbar for a couple of years now and, more often than not, I am amazed as to the precision of the information found on wikipedia. Great work guys, keep it up! A fan from academia (who uses lots of non-free and non-digital sources).

I am an exercise physiologist, university professor, and mother of 2. I am on a mission to make exercise rehabilitation and interventions broadly available to cancer survivors. I used Wikipedia heavily in creating a 6 series webinar for fitness professionals to help them understand the effects of cancer on the body systems that are needed for/affected by exercise training. In addition, my children use it much the same way I used the hard copy encyclopedia we had in my home when I was growing up. The idea that this information is free to anyone with access to a computer is a radical and game-changing idea. Go Jimmy Wales!

Knowledge is power, and wikipedia is a wonderful "first source" for people on the move to become acclimated to their locale, to an issue, or simply to find references that are relevant. Today we are bombarded by information that lacks objectivity or reason, or that pushes a specific point of view. The Wikipedia foundation and volunteers are first defenders against this effect on issues that don't capture the attention of the media, but are vitally important to our society!

Wikipedia is an incredible site. It provides access to almost every bit of knowledge on every and any topic imaginable. It's perfect for help with homework (when I don't want to read through an entire 30-page chapter in a textbook to answer a single question), it provides a reliable source when gathering research info on the job, and sometimes it's just fun to wander around the site and learn something new. It's become an essential tool in my everyday life, as it has for many people, and I strongly think that it will only continue to be more prominent in an ever-advancing civilization.

Not a day goes by that I don't find myself on Wiki for one curiosity or another. And usually, one curiosity leads to another (and another). Wiki never ceases to amaze me as far as its seemingly neverending variety of subject matter. Reminds me of when I was a rabidly curious five-year-old asking my Mom every "How" and "Why" question that would pop into my mind. I must have driven her crazy! Mom is no longer with us, but I'm glad Wiki is always available. Day and night, 24/7, Wiki always has the answers I seek. Thank you, Wiki. $250 is the least that I can do to express my gratitude.

Wikipedia is really what the internet is all about. Technology has given us the ability to interact and associate in ways that no culture in the past has ever had. Wikipedia embodies a new collective knowledge, a global society of information that is freely accessible to anyone with a computer. While there is much said about social networking with sites such as Facebook and Twitter, it is my belief that Wikipedia is the social knowledge network, where I can interact with perspectives well beyond my own experience, political allegiance, religious belief, and mode of living. Daily I can travel through human history and hundreds of locations, sometimes for a visit and other times to stay a while.

When I look into any topic, I assume that I'll find hundreds of opinions, each lensed through the life experience of the individual author.

With Wikipedia, these opinions are discussed and resolved into a near bias-free opinion, so long as the standards of quality are maintained. I use Wikipedia as the foundation for research on hundreds of topics, each page providing nice summaries of what I am looking for, but having the ability to track back to original source immediately ensures that I can still properly evaluate the bias and accuracy of information.

Wikipedia keeps me sane, and in all honestly I use it often every day, whether for research, quick reference, or simply to learn about whatever topic happens to be in the news.

I love Wikipedia!

It is a website where I may satisfy my nearly insatiable curiosity about nature, society, or any question that occurs to me. Wikipedia is useful to me as a news source, an educational tool, and a starting point for research.

Frequently, I will "surf" through the articles on Wikipedia for enjoyment or for practical answers to problems of mine.

I love that content on the site is user-generated, that the credibility of content can be gauged through the use of in-text citations, and that content is available in dozens of languages. These basic features create a site that is able to deliver huge quantities of reliable information to people all over the world, thus making Wikipedia a strong and utterly indispensable resource.

Thank you authors, editors, technicians, programmers, and volunteers for making Wikipedia the treasure that it is.

I am a college professor and have access to a fantastic library at Auburn University that includes a lot of encyclopedias. However, I use Wikipedia for many things: surprisingly, I can find information on many drugs more quickly in wikipedia than I can on the manufacturer's or on FDA websites; I have often found information about not-so-well-known historical events in Wikipedia when I had no other source to turn to; and the number of times I have consulted Wikipedia for demographic, economic, and statistical information is quite large.

I think supporting the idea of an open-source and free encyclopedia is one of the best things we can do to make sure that education is passed along to coming generations.

I have been continually surprised by the accuracy and completeness of the information I find every time I consult Wikipedia.

I started reading wikipedia in the earlier days of the new millenium; I'm an extremely curious, 22 year old working class history enthusiast and I usually end up on the site at least once a day, though usually much more than that. I've watched this amazing democratic tool evolve from an idealistic and ambitious idea to a history-changing, constantly growing tool generally for the benefit of humankind. I don't have much money but I know my small contribution will be spent well to further help our constant quest for more knowledge.

I am a master electrician and I am currently studying to take a masters test in another state. I use Wikipedia to review and relearn some of the things that I had forgotten. Also to learn some of the things that I didn't know in the first place. I have found that the information is quite accurate and if there is inaccuracy someone usually sees it and challenges it or a disclaimer is put on the article. This is in keeping with the traditions of honesty in academia and I love Jimmy Wales and his organization for founding this wonderful website. He has done as much for humanity as Louis Pasteur or Marie Curie or George Washington Carver in my opinion. Bless you all at Wikipedia and may free thought and knowledge be available to all human beings.

I am a pensionary history teacher. I write about different topics in the lokal papers and need to study different sides of history and also modern society. Wikipedia has good quality, is very good on facts. And I like the philosophy with working together, sharing resources, continuous developing quality and presicion. And I like Wikipedia being funded by many, many users in a time when big mony dominate the media and the thinking of most of the population. Democracy needs Wikipedia. To me Wikipedia is a very useful tool; It makes me more effective, and I learn a lot more about both history and modern times. Thanks to you all who makes Wikipedia possible!

Wikipedia is access to information and insight. And a reminder that there is wisdom and moreover generosity embedded within our communities.

The Web is amazing. It annihilates distances, it flattens hierarchies and gives every person the opportunity to access the collective knowledge of mankind.

Wait, the web was amazing. Till scamsters, advertisers and other attention-mongers found it. Now it is a mess. The human eye has to be trained into looking at just those pixels that are relevance and ignore everything else that is noise.

But it does not have to be this way. There can be an ad-free web, with 100% content and no distractions. I accept that this will come at a cost. The cost to keep advertisers out. But it is a noble goal. 75% of the world has not glimpsed the power of the web. For their first impression to be this clean, crisp, informative experience; we should strive to keep some oasis of sanity, like Wikipaedia, the way it is today.

I've been a heavy user of Wikipedia for at least 5yrs: I've absorbed a lot of free information, sometimes used as a crutch while writing research papers, and spent untold leisure hours reading about anything from astrophysics to Napoleonic military history to Chinese history. So I've used it for both educational and entertainment purposes.

The story of Wikipedia is a fascinating one; the role it has carved out for itself in shaping the future of human thought is a compelling one. I don't think another site embodies the open-source ethos quite like Wikipedia. I'm more than happy to contribute a few bucks to help it remain the free, high-quality service devoid of advertising it has always been.

It's been too easy to take it for granted. Thanks Wikipedia.

I'm a research psychologist and I do a lot of work with statistics. There is no statistics reference in the world that can compare to Wikipedia. It is comprehensive, consistent, and understandable. A free Wikipedia means that everyone in the world has access to the best reference there is.

Wikipedia allows my middle school students to access knowledge quickly, safely, and with my consent of a credible source--the people.

A wonderful concept for making an astonishing variety of information accessible to the computer-using public. For 14 years of my retirement, I've been volunteer-tutoring in a local minimum-security prison--in what is called "life skills." Students who have GED or higher achievement, looking for something more before their (usually) relatively-soon release. Aside from 8-9 week programs to acquaint them with spreadsheet applications, the most-in-demand area is math--algebra and beyond, and now and then, physics. Wikipedia has supplied endless ideas to make such studies both interesting and understandable. Thanks, then, to Wikipedia and all its generous contributors of knowledge.

Whenever I need anything I turn to Wikipedia to give me a unbiased, insightful answer to a question. A great community of thinkers and intellects who are ready to share their knowledge fairly with everyone: now that's a beautiful thing.

My profession demands cross-disciplinary research on global issues of climate destabilization, mass poverty, species extinction, and the pool of common least-cost, least-risk solutions to simultaneously address all three problems. My work has accelerated orders of magnitude as a result of Wikipedia. It is, without question, one of the largest and most reliant source for cross-disciplinary research, if not unparalleled.

I always find myself trying to find evidence of a human connection that binds people together across time and space. So often times, I'm heading to Wikipedia to research great people, events, philosophies, etc.

Of course most of the times I utilize Wikipedia isn't for such lofty purposes. It's easy to take for granted what's really going on when I'm trying to prove that a fruit I'm eating is actually a jujube and not a date in order to win a bet, searching Lady Gaga's discography, or researching the world's major religions.

But if I take a step back, I find that sharing knowledge freely is one of the best ways I know to strengthen and embrace a universal human connection. The very medium I use to look for an answer to one of the nagging questions of my life is, in a way, an answer in itself. Not that my search is over, but it's a very satisfying piece of evidence and we need to keep this alive.

2 Daughters, 3 1/2 grandchildren. Middle class as a younster, Viet-Era Vet (Air Force) University on GI Bill, wonderful corporate job after graduation, opened my own business in '78 sold it in '03, retired on real estate proceeds, Active, Fit, well read, one of the luckiest men in America. I am contiually amazed(awed actually) at the availability of information on the www. I use Wikipedia frequently, and appreciate it emensly (sp) Best Wishes for a successful safe future.

I discovered the internet around the year 2000 when we got our first computer. I was suffering a chronic, life-threatening illness. Through my constant studies I have learned what my disease is, its cause and how to overcome it. It may never have happened without the assistance of Wikipedia, but regardless, I greatly appreciate the fact that experts in various fields have been willing and able to share their invaluable knowledge with me. I am still here today because Wikipedia is still here.

I teach high school students, and I think Wikipedia is a great tool. Not only is it a great place to go for general first-run information, but is a great way to teach students about source reliability. The citations provided, as well as the warnings listed, make great opportunities to help students learn the importance of being able to evaluate the credibility of what they read online. I recommend my students use the information they find here as a springboard to more in depth research. It is a great starting place.

I'm 50 years old. After long time, I have decide back to the "school"

I am very grateful to the people involved in wikipedia. Without this global encyclopedia and open, I could not continue.

The knowledge made available to almost everyone and free... This is the true revolution.

Thanks for everything.

My whole life, both personal and professional, would be different if not for Wikipedia. My main pursuit, acting, has come to be thanks to an article that I read in Wikipedia three years ago. I was curious about what Method Acting was, and I read an article on Wikipedia that guided me to Stanislavsky and, then, to the Group Theatre, leading me to Stella Adler. After Adler, I studied Michael Chekhov, which, by the way, is also how I met the love of my life. I uprooted everything and moved to Los Angeles and found love, inspiration, and fulfillment. My whole life changed, and there's the very strong possibility--likelihood, I dare say--that none of it would have happened if I had not read that Wikipedia article when I was so lost three years ago.

Internet search engines can present so much partial or biased information on emotionally evocative subjects that I usually choose Wikipedia first for an objective presentation of facts - including scientific material. The content is academically accurate without being so technical as to mystify a neophyte, like me. It is a great benefit to everyone who uses the internet and needs quick, accurate information.

I am nobody. I am a military brat, and the place I live in now is a small town in Virginia, and I've worked for the past 2-1/2 years at a local retail store just over the border into North Carolina. I live at home with my folks, and my dad works up in West Virginia for the government. He makes a really decent living, but it required 20+ years in the Coast Guard and a bachelors degree in science (completed at the age of 50) first. I'm a part-time student at a local community college, and I hope to transfer to a four-year school soon. I have a 3.8 GPA, so the odds are in my favor. I didn't go to college right out of high school. I joined the workforce as just another strong back and a weak mind, and have been so for the past 5 years. About two years ago, something inside me changed, and I began to live my life a little differently. I used to weigh 334 pounds. I exercised for 10 months solid, every day I worked, and got down to about 200 pounds. I began to take care of my body and watch what I put in it. This is about where Wikipedia comes in. I began to start taking care of my mind in the same way I had started to take care of my body. I took a quick look around me and enrolled in a local community college. I was never the best student in high school; my transcripts reflected that. My grades then were probably the worst you could have and still show up every day. My first semester was kind of rough. I was working full-time, and tried to tackle full-time school as well. It went well; I got a 3.6 that semester, but decided to pace myself, anyway, and I so I dropped down to part-time school. It was the best I had ever done, up until that point. And one of my closest companions, the number one site I had on my favorites list was Wikipedia. It was my first resource; whenever I had a paper I needed to write, or a research project was assigned, or when I just felt bored and didn't feel like shelling out the dough for a pricey science magazine or book, I looked on Wikipedia. It was not the first time I had chanced upon it, but it was the most significant time. For the first time, continued education became as important to me as working hard or losing weight. And that is what Wikipedia provides; premium, text-book quality information on some of the most important skills essential to success in today's job-market. And so I read. I have read articles ranging from super-massive blackholes to parallel computing; Algebra I to Differential Equations and Physics. Biology, quantum mechanics, astronomy, astrology, boat-building, welding, engineering, machines, Leonardo da Vinci; the entire world lay before me as the proverbial oyster containing that golden pearl of knowledge and wisdom. I have always read. My grades may have been poor, but my mind is not. I have curiosity, and Wikipedia is superb at feeding that curiosity. What I underestimated was it's value in the classroom in making my ambitions a reality. I plan on going to full-time school in the Spring, and I'll be going to part-time work. I've been saving up for the past semester to try to afford school on my own, with as little assistance as possible, with no more than the not inconsiderable free room-and-board that my folks have already provided me. And so far I have succeeded in paying for everything myself. And I become eligible for the Pell Grant when I turn 24; that is when they stop taking my parent's tax information into account, and I can qualify for grants and scholarships through FAFSA. My donation is but a pittance compared to how much I would've like to give, but as I said, I'm going to be a full-time student soon, and I can't afford much. I hope this money can help you guys fulfill your ambitions as much as the knowledge you have made available has helped fulfill mine.

I am a clinical and social psychologist and college professor; and I'm sure whatever I say about wikipedia both in my life and in regard to its role in civilizing the homo sapiens is sure to be an understatement. Anyway, I'll take a shot at it. In a nutshell: wikipedia is, to me, A LIFELONG DREAM COME TRUE, and I mean it not only as the professional and science person I've always wanted to be, but as the conscious and responsible citizen of this world that I endeavor to be. This personal struggle (implying a choice of self-education to this end), as I see it, entails, in every mind that udertakes it, a permanent imperative for situation awareness (just as any struggle does). I mean, just as an Oxford scholar would say, 'I'm glad I'm with Oxford', I can say I'm glad I'm with the University of São Paulo as a researcher, and glad to be with wikipedia as a common person. Not only is wikipedia one dream tool WITHOUT WHICH I wouldn't be able to accomplish as much as I have in my continuous URGE to develop my own awareness skills (not just information or knowledge in its commonplace sense) in this quest of mine for personal improvement as my lifestory unfolds itself: due to its role in it, wikipedia has turned out to be part of this very life story of mine, I'm glad to say, and I'm also glad to be part of wikipedia's story as well!!! Thanks, Jimmy.

As web content increases exponentially, the challenges facing the consumers of internet based services has shifted from the availability of information, to the reliability of information and the efficiency of access. Wikipedia has gradually become my number one source for finding information that is detailed, reliable, free and made available without the distraction of advertising. I appreciate quality work wherever I see it and where I can, I try to support it also. I'm so happy that there are people out there dedicated to producing something of this calibre, and the opportunity to contribute towards it in my own small way has literally put a smile on my face. Well done and thank you.

I'm the teacher who recommends that her college psychology students go to Wikipedia first to get the basics on a topic. I want them to recognize the value of sharing knowledge and information, and I teach students to evaluate the merit of the sources at the end of a selection. Wikipedia is a quick and easy way to learn.

I teach Chemistry in an independent school. I am indebted to Wikipedia for making available detailed articles about theory in chemistry and physics for me to use in preparing my lessons and for my students to use to dig deeper when they wish. At the same time, I use it often for my personal interests. What got me to donate today was finding a good synopsis and history for Puccini's "Fanciulla del West" to read prior to going to the opera tonight.

Live long and prosper, Wikipedia.

I am a third year medical student in Northern Ontario, and most of our learning is online. Thanks to Wikipedia, I am able to quickly access knowledge while doing group sessions, assignments, or managing a patient's health. Your resources are often extremely reliable, and I have never NOT found what I was looking for - you have everything!! I am happy to contribute to you when you do so much for me, and so much for the community as a whole, whom I serve now, and will continue to serve once I am a physician! Thank you.

Classical music is a field for scholars and enthusiasts. Outside of occasional articles in the New York Times, media at large has essentially abandoned this 300 year old art form. To find information, ideas and inspiration regarding this music, scholars have long turned to the Grove, the MGG or scholarly journals. For the enthusiast, however, there has long been a void; readable, accessible and interesting information about composers, performers and works has long been difficult to come by, and when such information could be found, it rarely was annotated or provided outside links, sources or other further materials.

With Wikipedia, this void has come a long way to being filled. Not only is there information available about an incredibly wide range of music, composers and performers, but there are annotations, other sites and even links to downloadable sheet music. For those to whom the Grove is unavailable or difficult to work with, and who don't wish to wade through a bevy of heavy scholarly articles searching for just one or two factoids, Wikipedia is an absolutely invaluable resource.

Just today I heard on the radio a performance of Frank Martin's "Three Dances." The oboe player sounded unbelievable! I had to find out who it was! After a few searches, it was apparent that the recording was no longer in print. There was only a cursory posting on Amazon. However, a user review of a different CD with the same piece mentioned the first name of the oboist on the older recording. A quick google for "Heinz oboe" and I was on the wikipedia page for Heinz Holliger, the prestigious Swiss oboist, and discovered much more about him. Thanks to Wikipedia, I went from not even knowing who was playing oboe on the recording I heard, to not only knowing who it was, but knowing much more about him, such as his interesting composition career. I now have several more interesting avenues to explore!

Thanks Wikipedia! Were I not a student, I would donate more to help keep this wonderful, invaluable resource open to everyone and ad-free.

Thank you so much for your wonderful site!! I can't imagine a world without WIKI! This is the first place I go when I am writing a paper for school, planning a trip or answering any question that comes into mind. You have created a place where curiosity has a home, where minds can in fact come together and grow. Thank you for this gift and I hope we can keep it free too!

Wikipedia is my first resource whenever I need to learn about anything. I know that every article will be clearly outlined, maintained, and reviewed. I have learned countless valuable things from Wikipedia that would have required either an expensive encyclopedia or belabored online searching through ad-infested sites. Many subjects wouldn't even be easily found in an encyclopedia. When I donated today, I was reading about XML Schema, which I certainly wouldn't have found in an encyclopedia.

Wikipedia is, to me, a place where I can go and enrich myself. It is a place where I have found countless hours of enjoyment and learning. Wikipedia reminds me of the old stories my father once told me about Abraham Lincoln and how, as a child, he would spend countless hours reading books to learn and to better himself. Wikipedia is my book and whenever I browse the site, whether for research or aimlessly, I am Abraham Lincoln. In todays world we need to be like the young Lincoln. We need to enrich ourselves and Wikipedia is helping us along the way.

Wikipedia means sharing. Sometimes people give me grief about using Wikipedia, saying "well, anybody can edit it!" Well, yeah. That's kind of cool. That means I can, too. I have a lot of faith in "anybody", I guess. Yes, "anybody" has a point of view, but hey, who doesn't??

So thank you Wikipedia, for giving "anybody" the chance to learn, and to share. Let's remember that Idealism is not a four-letter word. It's something we could all use a little more of. So I wish Wikipedia all the best in it's Ideal: for every person on earth to share in the free and total access to all human knowledge. Let's make it happen!

As everyone in the world, even I'm too a constant learner. There are so many things in daily life we hear about that we'll not be knowing much about. When I want to know more about any of these, Wikipedia is what I turn to. I trust Wikipedia content and respect it for the incredible information it has - For free! Thanks for being there for each one of us and the donation I've made today is nothing as compared to what Wikipedia is donating to mankind - Knowledge. By donating to Wikepedia, I feel, I'm donating to the mankind. Thank You.

Wikipedia is collaborative, collective knowledge crafted through decentralized, participatory means. It is both a testament to and a mirror of humans, our brains, and our humanity. I want to help sustain such a useful and continually expanding tool

I'm working on an oral history project for the MesoAmerican Studies Department at the University of Arizona. I am transcribing from digital interviews which contain Mexican/American slang, most of which I don't know because it is different than the Spanish I learned. So, I keep looking them up using Google and each and every time, Wikipedia saves the day by giving me correct spellings and meanings. Who would have thought it possible? I am under pressure to finish this project and Wikipedia is right beside me working just as hard. Thanks for keeping free knowledge at our fingertips.

I'm an electrical engineering student and specialize in power systems. There isn't a lot of material on the web other than the professional society which I subscribe, but with that sight you tend to find published papers that are hyper specific and it can take hours to find useful information. So, I often use wiki to find a quick explanation of a phenomena or just for a brief on pretty much anything.

Academia may frown on Wiki, but for a student wiki is a life saver!

Wikipedia has been a greatly appreciated source of knowledge to my family for years. Even after a query has been answered, it is intuitive to delve deeper, thanks to Wikipedia's well structured articles, links and source lists.

I sometimes find myself simply meandering, as if on a leisurely adventure into knowledge. Never knowing quite what will be found, but always learning.

Wikimedia exemplifies the power of a global internet.

Thank you, for your hard work and dedication.

I first knew Wikipedia when I was ten years old. I have so many questions at time. Why people can fly in movie? Why birds always migrant in winter? How to program use computer? I try to find information in library. But the answers books are either too old or too complicated. One day,when I was using Google to try to write a "HelloWorld" program use C,I found Wikipedia. The passage in Wikipedia explains it so briefly and clearly. What surprised me is there is a category under each wiki passage,which makes me have a better understanding about the relate items. From wiki,I gradually grow up. I feel lucky I am so lucky meet wiki first instead of Facebook.(This is the first year I use facebook.) When other children waste their time on facebook,I learnt so much from wiki.

I am a semi retired carpenter and amateur scientist with a particular interest in microscopy and microscope optics. Recently I have become interested in histochemistry and the business of highlighting particular tissue constituents in thin sections of biological materials. Wikipedia has proved a hugely valuable resource, giving me access to a vast range of good information on this and on many other topics. I have always loved and valued information and I too see science, consensus knowledge, as an edifice, a temple built by human minds, so the Wikipedia ethos is one with which I have much sympathy. The world wide web is a wonderful structure itself and surely Wikipedia is one of the most creative and valuable things to have grown from it. Truly ecumenical, its ultimate allegiance only to truth, long may it prosper. It is not a finished work, and never will be: that is its nature.I want to make some contribution to it. so here is a bit of cash. I am also attempting to contribute to the article on Auxochromes and other related topics but find that my editing skills are not good so it's taking a while. Wishing all associated with Wikipedia a happy and productive 2011

Wikipedia ensures that information is made by people collectively and not by governments or media. Over the centuries history has shown that knoweldge is the key to freedom, that is why we must keep it free and not manluplated by people who want to to use for their own use. Knowledge is power!!!!

I am a Radiation Oncologist and routinely have to give talks to students and cancer support groups. I have found Wikipedia to be a concise and well-targetted reference on a vast array of subjects that add both depth and interest to my talks. The main point of education at any age or level should be to stimulate further thought, discussion and progress and you folks have triumphed in this regard. I have donated several times feeling that I need your help to continue to grow, so I had better water the fruit tree.

Increasingly, I turn to Wikipedia, much like I once did the "World Book Encylopedia" or the vaunted Encyclopedia Brittanica as a child. Those old printed texts are long obsolete, outdated almost as soon as they were printed. Wikipedia's information is freshly updated and offers egalitarian means of collaborative knowledge sharing that I was once leery of, but I now feel that such grassroots information compiling is preferable to that which is prone to being "spun" by sources whose intent might be dubious or may be merely motivated by profit. There is something simple and independent about Wikipedia that draws me to the information, which I feel is "of the people, by the people, for the people". That's why I contributed to Wikimedia Foundation...to keep Wikipedia free, and available to all who seek knowledge, and truth.

Wikipedia is not only an easy-access information site. It's also one of the few really free places in the world today, and probably the one with the most precious material. Helping it stay free of advertising is not only a way of keeping the site more pleasant to look at, but it's also a statement to those in power: "not everything is for sale". Human knowledge, just as it was centuries ago, should be passed on from generation to generation, and it should be cheap, easy to access; preferably, free. This is obviously not the case in most places of the world, but luckily, the Internet is here and Wikipedia supplies the opportunity of being educated without having to think with our wallet in mind. Wikipedia is nothing but a blessing, and spending a little to keep it strong is must-be-made sacrifice. Let's keep our human heritage free of charge and available to all, improving it little by little, because there's no greater evil to nature and ourselves than ignorance.

This is the first thing I have EVER donated to, and for good reason. I believe the WIKI's to be one of the most essential conduits of information that has ever existed. Those who know how to utilize the internet to it's full potential are now left in the dark about nothing. My little brother is seven and he cannot fathom a world where there isn't instant access to information, and I wish to keep it that way :)

I use Wikipedia as a means for teaching writing to preschool kids. "What do you want to know about? What do you want to see pictures of?  Just type it in.  I'll help you spell it."

I visit Wikipedia many times on any given day. It's concept is absolutely genius, in all its simplicity, open-mindedness, voluntarism and usefulness. I also appreciate the decision you have made not have publicity in the site. It certainly gives it a considerable user-friendliness and consistency. Furthermore, I am engaged in voluntary activities and therefore, I understand first hand the difficulties one goes through trying to give something back to humanity.

So, I guess this was a new year's resolution - to donate to an "Institution" which I admire and and rely on a daily basis. And what better way to start the European Year of Volunteering?

Best Wishes For 2011!!!

It's hard to imagine a world WITHOUT Wikipedia. In fact, its very existence -- not to mention its incredible success, reliability, incisiveness, and pervasiveness -- serves to underscore the social nature of the humanity which IS the World Wide Web. I'm glad I live in a world where a living, breathing "document" like Wikipedia not only survives, but thrives brilliantly. Finally, to all those who contributed financially to this latest fundraising campaign, congratulations. May we ALL use this extraordinary gift for many years to come -- and may those who DON'T yet have access to Wikipedia come to know its ingenious radiance intimately before many more days have passed. Thank you, Wikipedia!

As a novelist who has always had insatiable curiosity, Wikipedia gives me access to synthesized knowledge on specific topics or subjects that would be impossible in the practical sense for me to put together on my own. Since many hands have made light of the groundwork, I am then free to spend time on synthesis and recombination of these intellectual elements, allowing me to trip over all kinds of new, interconnected truths. Wikipedia is the zeitgeist for this, the Age of Intellectual Synthesis. Google answers the door, but Wikipedia is the usher, standing by the Porthole of Wisdom, (the new library at Alexandria, maybe?) guiding us, not just to knowledge, but along the path into the future of human intellectual progress! Wikipedia's impact simply cannot be overstated!

Truthfully, I just like the idea of all people having access to information that can expand their worldview. One day my brother, who never reads, was talking to me about all sorts of topics that he and I normally cannot connect over. When I asked him where he learned the information, he said, "Man, I'm a Wiki-genius now." I was already visiting the site, but after hearing him express this with such excitement, I became truly impressed with its reach. I came from a neighborhood where intentionally learning was not well received. I would have to risk getting into fights just to go to the library. Wikipedia is not just access, it is progress. It brings the world to you. That's why I support the site.

Wikipedia is always there when I need it. Any question, any idea, if i'm studying or just curious about some little random fact, I fully confident that the answer will be provided by wikipedia. In addition to this, I worked for a non-profit in India and even the poorest children who were receiving education there knew about Wikipedia and were familiar with the site. It really does reach all areas of the world. Thanks for such a special idea. Unique ideas in action create world change and that is the very premise of what Wikipedia represents.

A mother of a 3yo diagnosed with Duane's Syndrome called to tell me that she had been referred to me for treatment with Cranio Sacral Osteopathy. I agreed to see the patient then set about trying to find out exactly what Duane's was. Opthalmology text-nothing, Pediatrics text-nothing, Internal Medicine text (now I'm starting to stretch it)-nothing, Merck Manual (now I'm really stretching)-nothing. On a whim I type in to search engine Duane's Syndrome. I trust the Wiki site so I choose that. One Click and there is abundant info on the condition PLUS the ICD (diagnosis ) code. Sure saved me a great amount of time and frustration tracking down this vital info. What a great asset to my Osteopathic medical practice.I was able to help the patient even though the Pediatric Ophthalmologist denied that the improvement could be possibly from Cranial Osteopathic treatments. Oh well, such is the life of a Cranial Osteopath.

Wikipedia helps me gather and process all kinds of information for my use and growth. It encourages and inspires me that so many people want to tell others what they have discovered and help with their knowledge. I very much like that this information is free to anyone and is also peer reviewed not just because accuracy is so important, but because knowledge is a gift we give to each other. I treasure the opportunity to share so much with so many, all over the world. It amazes me. I cannot contribute but please know that I value this resource. Please keep it up, and thank you, so much. PS: I'm 55, family grown, but access Wikipedia weekly, if not daily and have passed on pertinent information to my family, and have used what I have gained from you all. Practically, getting out to the public library is difficult for me.

I am an Emergency Room Nurse and Wikipedia helps me to serve my patients better. Whether I am looking up a medical condition, human anatomy, or studying for a certification it is an invaluable resource.

What does Wikipedia mean to me? Wikipedia means a place of convergence and intellect. It's a store of knowledge that charges no fee at the checkout line. There are no barriers of entry to this place - everyone's invited. Keeping it free means keeping the doors open. What better gift can I give than to make sure that the person behind me in line will walk away no poorer than before, but all the more informed.

I use Wikipedia almost daily both in my personal and professional life. I find it an invaluable and highly reliable tool. It saves me countless hours I would otherwise spend browsing various other sources, or going without, not bothering to look up something due to the time required. Thank you, Wikimedia, for making my life richer and helping me to use my time more efficiently and productively.

Wikipedia has been a transformative tool in my education. If ever unclear on a term or concept, I immediately consult Wikipedia.

Wikipedia has been the for me since my first days in general chemistry in college to my latest adventures with the Brachial Plexus in medical school.

I would not be where I am today without Wikipedia. Though I cannot give much, I know that I have seen farther as a result of standing on the shoulders of giants such as the Wikipedia team and its contributors. As such, I hope to give a bit back and facilitate future generations' access to Wikipedia -- the height of the promise foretold by the early days of the internet. Wikipedia is that promise fulfilled.

I am an applied mathematician who relies heavily on online materials. The easiest source of information, avoiding the sometimes long-winded searches of journals and other academic resources, is Wikipedia. I am amazed at how accurate and comprehensive most of the information is, and it provides a rapid initial source of further specialist material/papers. Sure, Wikipedia is very variable in the level of rigour in mathematical and engineering descriptions and proofs, and has quite a few holes, but it is genuinely a brilliant way to start a search on a new topic, or to instantly recap on some specialist point. I, and many of my colleagues, feel that Wikipedia maintains the open-access principles of academe, and allows true and free exchange of scientific ideas around the world. Long may it continue!

I cannot imagine a world without Wikipedia! The information at my fingertips is beyond anything I could have imagined as a kid growing up. I research my creative ideas, others' creative ideas, in a no-nonsense, one-stop-shopping kind of way, all the time. Every day.

My kids use it for learning and have no idea that it isn't the same as running water or electricity. Ubiquitous. Flowing. There when you need it. Thank you Jimmy and the entire team at Wikimedia.

When I was 10 years old and growing up in San Jose, California, my mother bought me an Encyclopedia Brittanica from a vendor at the Santa Clara County Fair. My mother wanted me to be smart enough to become a Lutheran minister (which was the highest calling to which our family could aspire). Eventually, I got to be pretty smart, earning a Ph.D. in Psychology, but I rarely used the Encyclopedia. I finally gave it away to Goodwill in 1999 after years of sitting unused on my book shelves. In contrast, I use Wiki on a weekly basis in my professional consulting work. Wiki serves as my extended memory, allowing me to check out what I think I know against the collective sounding board of the global brain.

The Internet could have been invented specifically so that Wikipedia could be created, and that alone would justify the Internet's existence. Putting all the knowledge in the world in one place – and then, awesomely, making that treasury of knowledge available to anyone in the world – is the stuff that myths are made of. Exploring and sharing: this is what humans should be doing. This is what technology is for. This is the whole point of knowledge.

Wiki is my first stop to get fast, often thorough, information about nearly any topic. That in itself is worth a donation, but when I found out that Wikimedia did no data-mining of users I was simply shocked, amazed and thrilled, in that order. Google advocates "Do no evil", but Wikipedia actually -does- this in practice. Nicely done, Wikipedia!

Wikipedia means a world where everyone has access to a decent encyclopedia from anywhere in the world. Wikipedia means making knowledge freely available to all, regardless of race, religion, faith, sexual orientation, or others personal characteristics that would make one different and maybe subject to persecution. Wikipedia means making it easier for anyone to learn and be educated on any topic and in any language. Wikipedia is the type of project that brings us one step closer to the utopian world that we all dreamt about when we were children, where everybody gets along and there's little to no suffering in the world. Project like wikipedia, and the people who realize the grandeur of its vision and voluntarily contribute to its success, keep this dream alive. That's why I donate what I can when I can to Wikipedia!

I am a frequent visitor to wikipedia and can't imagine a better no-nonsense website for gaining human knowledge. By contributing to wikipedia, I am in a sense paying my gratitude to all of it's contributors.

Keep up the good work!!!

there is a concept in judaism, transliterated from hebrew to english called "Hakarat Hatov" which literally means "Recognition of the Good." when i read Jim Wales's urgent appeal,I, for the very first time, reflected on the innumerable times that I have used wikipedia whether it be for an informative overview of a topic for a school assignment, or just to satisfy my own personal curiosity. I donated out of recognition of the good that Wikipedia has so conveniently provided for me. THANK YOU WIKIPEDIA!

We started Tecnipak 12 years ago with my friend Fernando de la Lastra. We supply the agricultural and mining industries with machinery components that solve common problems which cause production loss, environmental impact and safety hazards.

Back then, nobody was taking much care of minor production losses or the environment. We kept pushing, developing and honing the technologies we had developed, alone and in partnerships. Then suddenly, the industries started caring, and we were in the right position.

All this time, WIKIPEDIA has been a phenomenal source of information and contacts to help us get the knowledge and materials to turn our ideas into reality. Without you, our project would have never been possible.

Nowadays we are hiring more and more people, teaching them constantly to turn more knowledgeable and better, and helping our customers work safer and more productively and, best of all, breathe cleaner air.

I can't find words to express my gratitude for the guidance Wikipedia has been anonymously supplying all these years.

Sharing knowledge, we are limitless...

I am scientist and for me access to information for every human being is very basic value. Wikipedia has done excellent work for that end. It is very important idealistic project that makes world better.

I have once used wikipedia as metaphore for scientific method. I explained to a layman friend that science does not consist from rules that written in stone. On the contrary, science is reliable only because every scientist is allowed to correct mistakes of other scientists and thus science constantly corrects itself... just like in wikipedia. That's the beauty of science - and beauty of wikipedia.

To me Wikipedia means reliable knowledge from a single easy to search source. It means that virtually any question I have can be answered. It contains almost all the information I could desire in history, mathematics, computer science, civics, politics, and even pop culture. It means that I can spend hours, or even days, just curled up on the couch with my iPad broadening my horizons and learning more about the world in which I live. But most importantly, it means to me that anyone with an internet connection, no matter how poor or isolated, has equal access to this pool of knowledge: the most powerful tool in the world. Thanks to Wikipedia, this tool can be shared by all. Thanks for all you do.

As a child, I made long trecks to the library to find answers in their already outdated encyclopedia. Later I purchased a quality (expensive) one of my own. Thanks to Wikipedia I now have all the information I could ever want through my own computer, and not even leave my house! Better yet, it is constantly updated! What a blessing. Thanks Wikipedia!

I wanted to get into hip hop, but I didn't know where to start. Thanks to Wikipedia, however, I was able to find lists of top artists and albums, along with pages for those artists and for most of their albums, as well as for some of the most important songs! Since you can move through Wikipedia so easily, I was able to quickly find out who worked with whom, who was with which record company and the history of that company, and even the songs that my favorite songs sampled. Needless to say, a regular encyclopedia wouldn't even have bios for important figures in hip hop, let alone quotes about specific songs with linked references to primary sources. I think it's fair to say that I would most likely have been lost as to where to even begin without Wikipedia.

I pastor a small church, and I don't much like sermons, so we use mostly dialogue as a way of encountering meaningful questions about real life. Wikipedia is a valuable research tool that keeps me up to speed on a variety of topics, thereby making possible for us to have interesting conversations. Recently, we have talked about nucleogenesis and stellar birth, the Cambrian Explosion, and the biochemistry of cell metabolism. Wikipedia is a great source for info on all these topics.

Wikipedia not only provides me with a daily reference tool, it represents to me, as an educator, all that is good in the world. Community giving freely of their time, knowledge and effort to create something for the good of others, for the good of the world. It is a credit to Jimmy Wales as founder, but even more to the people of the world who make Wikipedia so great!! Thanks to you all.

Shortly after coming home from the hospital after a terrible illness that almost killed him, my father was just beginning to sit up in bed and check his e-mail. I had given him a new laptop so he could do so from bed. I decided to show him Wikipedia. I found the entry for Turk Murphy (his favorite jazz musician) and he read it avidly. Whenhe expressed disappointment that the entry gave the wrong information about Turk's birth, I showed him how to change it. He was enchanted. Wikipedia brought a smile to his face.

With two children advancing in school and the lessons becoming more demanding and complex I am pleased that they have an easy resource available to help them get started with their various projects. I am routinely impressed with the vast knowledge base Wikipedia offers and the accuracy of its data. Thank you for such a valuable service. My small contribution is money well spent.

Over the years I've been able to get useful from Wikipedia whenever I am doing a search on the Internet. In an ocean of information where its virtually impossible to determine the veracity of the information, I find Wikipedia's information with its source attribution to be a beacon standing above the crowd and continually establishing its credibility over time as an authenticated source of information.

Keep up the good work and thanks for providing this service to everyone in the world free of cost. I am happy to do my bit to ensure this institution keeps running and providing this service to folks.

I love having instant access to a quality source of information. In the days before Wikipedia, if I had a question about something random, such as "How many active volcanoes are there in the world?" it would basically go unanswered. But now not only can I find out my answers immediately, I can learn about other related topics. Having Wikipedia around makes me genuinely curious about the world again, while providing means to satiate that curiosity.

The net has a lot of distorted or unreal commercial content. I hope Wikimedia survives so that good quality, free reference information remains.

Until this fundraiser came about, I never actually realized that Wikipedia is the only site I go to that's not named Google that has nary an advertisement in the air. No in-text ads, no pop-ups, no banners... it's completely free of any advertisements.

This lack of advertisements I took for granted I guess. I really didn't take note of it until this fundraiser. After I figured that out, though, I realized just how amazing Wikipedia is.

I'll admit I don't use Wikipedia as the 100% be-all/end-all source for my information, but I go to it for most of my information before I confirm via other sites. It's a goldmine of information that is ad-free, and ultimately powered by the people.

It's an amazing invention, and I'm very proud to support it in its time of need. Please keep it free. Keep it clean. Keep it awesome

Free, open and non-regulated websites, like Wikipedia, enables all people everywhere to obtain accurate and informative information. This is absolutely necessary for freedom to exit. In light of this, supporting and protecting the available of a free world-wide internet and unregulated educational websites must be pursued with all diligence, even if, at times, some flaws or mistakes occur, or some material that we may not desire to be available is presented. The day that unhindered information is no longer available due to regulation, taxation or restriction of access will be the first day of a very dark time in our history. Such moves against its available are already being pursued with intensity. May God help us to prevent the success of this attack on freedom. The great challenge is that it is easier to restrict and destroy what is good then it is to unwaveringly maintain its availability and vitality.

Wikipedia is absolutely the most wonderful resource I know. For years, you have allowed me to increase my knowledge of whatever topic interests me in a way that fits my schedule.

Your format and the consistency in format provides a very convenient way to learn as much or as little as I want--I can quickly scan each article and decide if I want to know about that portion of the topic. Sometimes I read bits and pieces if I just want a little background on a famous person, sometimes I read every last word about a technical topic and continue to the links provided in the article, and sometimes I find myself buying a book (that I wouldn't have otherwise risked spending money on) because I found myself enjoying the topic so much.

I owe Wikipedia so much more than I have donated! You provide one of the most beautiful things in the world--free knowledge. Thank you for existing.

Wikipedia has always been there for me. Since I can remember I have gone to Wikipedia when I read or heard of a term that I had not come across before. Though not necessarily the easiest to understand- the raw accessibility and the comfortable standardized page format has always brought me back.

When me and my friends were competing for the highest grade in the AP European History class at our high school, I regularly turned to Wikipedia for in-depth coffee crazed midnight knowledge binges. While some may criticize such practices as "cramming", my friends and I found great comradery in the struggles of AP Euro that year.

Wikipedia, although far from my only source of information, is always my first. If Wikipedia wasn't free- I would pay. By donating I help myself and help others.

Thanks Wikimedia, and the editors of Wikipedia, for all you have done.

I cannot begin to explain how much Wikipedia has impacted my life. As both a resource and a leisure tool, Wikipedia has been the most incredible website to exist since Google. It is reassuring to know that with the amount of knowledge and garbage that exists on the world wide web, Wikipedia provides an accessible and user friendly manner to access information you can trust and use at your desire. I am so fortunate to live in a place where this information is free and access is unlimited. Thank you Wikipedia, you have and will continue to impact me for as long as the world can keep you running. I am so proud of my donation to you.

More than a success story wikipedia is the proof that we can collaborate as a huge global society without any commercial or financial motivation. It makes me happy to enter everyday to wikipedia and experience what the wiki mentality can achieve. Thank you for thinking that this was possible and never doubting it in the future

Ignorance is the source of 80% of the world's problems. Spreading knowledge is the best way to fight ignorance. Wikepedia is the most effective tool to spread knowledge on a global scale.

Wikipedia is this wealth of knowledge available to all from remote corners of the world at the tap of a key and that is absolutely magical.

We grew up longing to have an encyclopaedia in the house and here it is now absolutely free and so much easier to use.

The range of information on every topic under the sun that it covers is something that is representative of this age of technological innovations. I sincerely hope we CAN imagine what James quote says!! It is a fabulous thing and hope it is here to stay that way changing only for the better!!!

It is so useful that I didn't bother to think about it, despite I am using it everyday. It's moving to becoming an instinct...

Wikipedia embodies the spirit of Internet - the freedom of access and power of knowledge rolled into one. It is a place where some people share what they know and others consume these same information. Not to mention, vice versa.

Wikipedia is also an experiment of content democracy. Here we are waiting to witness (or may have already witnessed) testament to the ability of Man as a race, to self-organize, self-correct and self-govern content.

Wikipedia success is humanity success.

wikipedia is a wonderful resource for anything and everything i want to learn about - from history and art to science and current affairs. i especially like the option to navigate to articles embedded within other articles, because it helps me acquire background knowledge about whichever subject i'm interested in at the moment. consequently, oftentimes i find myself losing myself in this maze of knowldge.

the most important thing about wikipedia is that it belongs to everyone, is free of commercial interests, and is the communal effort of thousands of people. it is absolutely vital to keep this endeavor this way. i hope everyone who uses wikipedia on a daily basis, like myself, would contribute to this effort.

Wikipedia is a good starter for broad learning, especially, by providing broad ranges of introductory topics. I personally learn a lot here.

These topics often cover enough examples, citations, and pictures to allow new comers learning efficiently. Moreover, similar topics are often grouped together. We can access one of them by just one-click.

For example, mathematical analysis topics like real/ complex/ functional analysis are often link with group theories or topics in topological structures. We can access related one by just one-click.

I would like to thank those authors, editors (and reviewers) for providing such (free and easy) environment.

I'm a biomedical research guy at the Ph.D. level (electrophysiology of ion channels). I read published science articles and text books in my field and often need clarification of a named disease or bio-science concept. Due to not being a teen in the internet generation my reflex is to grab an old dusty text book off my shelf to look things up. However, now that I'm internet savvy my reflex is to go to Wikipedia for all my reference needs.

Surely I'll never get rid of my beloved text books because Wikipedia will always be the fastest, most convenient way to look something up. With my texts as a reference library I would hesitate to go to the effort to find the right book, pull it from the shelf, flip to the glossary and page to the correct page. Instead I would often say to myself, "I'll get to that later." and never would. With Wikipedia at my fingertips I can instantly depart from the topic at hand look something up, zero in on the item of interest and get back to my topic without breaking my stride or concentration. What a great service Wikipedia has been to me!!!

As a tourist guide in turkey I have a lots of guest from other corners of the world. And unless I have been asked before its almost impossible to know and remember every plant/flower in Turkey.

Back in May 2010 I had a traveller from Australia with an extensive knowledge of flowers/plants who was asking me every single green leaf. For those 2 weeks I have searched and read wikipedia more than anything else anytime I ever used before ..At the end every single search had answer for it.

Thanks wikipedia.

Wikipedia is a watershed of world and intellectual history in two ways. First, It is the first truly free and widely disseminated bank of information on any and all subjects generated by its users. But more important, it is the first reference work to reflect truly the only real fact there is: that all facts are a matter of debate, that human knowledge is a constantly adjusted and amplified balance of viewpoints. These two features rank Wikipedia among the highest achievements of human cooperation.

Its been about 10 years since I began using wikipedia. Its hard to imagine a time before it, its become such an integral part of my day to day life.

Wikipedia is a unique resource, a community based project drawing on the knowledge and experties of millions; and expanded by volunteers motivated by the desire to share, knowledge and ideas. It stands as a testament to our better nature.

Wikipedia has been by my side all along my college years. It is the first place I run to get from academic to everyday knowledge. Sometime ago, I realized how much I relay on Wikipedia and its sisters sites. Wikipedia has helped me millions of time in the past and I am sure Wikipedia will help me in the future. That's why I decided to donate a little amount. It is nothing compared to the enormous help Wikipedia has been for me on the past years.

I'm a junior in college now and I don't think I would be hear if it wasn't for Wikipedia. By this I don't mean that I used it to cheat or plagiarize and I don't mean I am not smart enough to figure stuff out in other ways, but Wikipedia is like a gateway into the entire set of human knowledge. No matter what I had a question on I know I could search for it on this website and most likely find it. And because of that, I could go from knowing nothing about a subject, to at least knowing enough to ask better educated questions. Because of this I have excelled in academia as well as polite and intellectual conversation. So I just wanted to say, thanks for everything Wikipedia. And thank you as well, to every single person that contributes to this fantastic project.

Wikipedia has become "the" technical encylopedia which I go to when I need to answer and research those questions which are not in the area of my principal expertise.

Nothing is perfect and 100% accurate. However, it has never failed to provide me with superb starting points. More of often than not, the entries gave me a fairly accurate point/counter points of the issues that the experts have different points of views. This has been proven to be very valuable to my work.

You know? If someone had ask me, some 22 years ago, if I was willing to open up anything resembling an encyclopedia to find out about any subject, I would have just laughed and went about my teenage life. I was a terrible student. I really didn't care much about school. Maybe the cause of that was my Hispanic culture be raised in Los Angeles county. Of course, growing up and having children of my own, my old ways of thinking is beyond irrelevant. Knowledge is power. The more a person knows, the more joyous their life can be. I am constantly hungry for information, and Wikipedia is by far(for me anyway)the best place to find out about almost anything you want. When my kids ask me about a particular subject and I don't know how to answer. I just go to Wikipedia. Years ago, a person either had to go the public library or buy a complete set for home use. Now, with the advancement of telecommunications and technology. Information is but a few clicks on a PC or laptop. Or...a smart phone. And the best part, it's free. I am more than happy to donate my money for such a wonderful resource. It might not be much now, due to some financial constraints, but it's better than wasting it away on fast food or some other useless expense. I will continue to support Wikipedia in order to ensure that it will be a resource for my children and my children's children.

I love information. I am a curious, passionate, knowledge seeker. I have been this curious, incorrigible seeker of understanding, of comprehension, of awareness, of education, erudition, and enlightenment for all my 35 years. Funny, my mind, my senses, my intellect, my soul is nowhere near full. Instead, I grow more voracious.

Wikipedia has been my beacon, my guide to knowledge, for a decade. Like home, I visit it daily - for this, or for that. My journeys either start here, spinning me off into many other delicious tangled webs of the internet that I surf out till satisfied; pass through in between points A to points C; or find that in the end it completes the picture I set out to flesh out. No matter how it goes it always finds its way into the fabric of my life’s understanding. It has been a bright light, and I have found wisdom here. Thank you.

(Wow, I sound so serious. But seriously, it’s been cool. Please keep shining)

Just more proof that open source works, and works well.

I remember 8 years ago thinking how awesome it would be if there were a website that was basically "the sum of all human knowledge" freely available to anyone. It was just a daydream at the time, while sitting on a bus somewhere. I think sharing is a truly human thing to do, and that knowledge is the most important thing we can share. Wikipedia is the realization of this ideal. It's something I believe in too.

Thank you for making it!

I lost my last job in August 2009 in the middle of a crisis we all know about. With over 100 applicants for every job, competition was phenominal so maximising every opportunity was critical. There wasn't an application I made or an interview I went to where I didn't turn to wikipedia to give me that extra in-sight on a topic which ultimately got me out of the trap by finding a new role. Thanks to Jimmy for getting it all going and to everyone who contributes.

“Wikipedia Forever!” is my new rallying cry meant to convey the idea that we must all strive to maintain its goals of integrity, openness, and enhancement for the long haul. I have used Wikipedia since very soon after it first came out, frequently spending hours perusing pages, following links (or hovering to see a quick description), and opening many browser tabs; especially with Physics or Mathematics related articles.

My edits have been constrained to finding and fixing typos or broken links, but it’s a good feeling to have contributed in my own little way. A number of years ago I procrastinated a bit on creating what at that time would have been a new page for “Golden Spiral”, but by the time I got around to seriously considering adding it, it was already there!

I look forward to many more years of enjoyment of Wikipedia and am happy to contribute as a financial and editing donor.

Vive la Wikipedia!

Thank you Wikipedia for years of high quality service. We hope you remain free and thrive. Daniel and I have seven kids between us. Keeping up with what they are learning in school is quite a challenge. By going to Wikipedia as a starting point, no matter what subject or topic our children are studying we can easily access enough information to reacquaint ourselves, become more current or tackle it along side of them. Because the information on most Wikipedia entries is organized well and linked to many additional resources and related information we can usually learn enough on short notice to offer our children thoughtful discussions and insight into their academic pursuits. Wikipedia is not the be all end all resource for their research efforts but it is a ever available help to us in assisting them in tackling concepts and encouraging their enthusiasm for learning.

I use Wikipedia regularly, and believe it is a democratizing force in the world. Easy, free access to information, and open, public debate about the nature of that information is one foundation of a democratic society.

Wikipedia is what I believe the internet is meant to be. An unbiased collection of information about our universe submitted by and available at no cost to the people that inhabit that universe.

I am a Ph.D. student at Columbia University studying the physics of laser-induced cooling and trapping of ultracold atoms, a technology promising to build better atomic clocks, measure fundamental physical constants more accurately, and to embark on the pioneering field of quantum computing.

I began my university studies on the cusp of the era of user-generated content. I truly can't imagine doing research without Wikipedia as a first step in learning. Thank you for changing my life.

The strength of Wikipedia depends on the contributions of individual users. I don't know how it is in your field, but in software engineering, Wikipedia is the first place everyone seems to go, even my tenured professors. I think it says a lot that people around here cite Wikipedia as a reference more than anything else.

I am a firm believer in the need for each individual to stand up, be counted, and participate in the community which they live. I have enjoyed learning about people, things and places via Wikipedia information sources. I like the fact that Wikipedia is being created by the readers, and that we readers/users can edit and add to layers of information provided by others within the community. There is also a sense of integrity within Wikipedia in that information which has not been verified is identified as such, and that source references are provided in order for the reader to follow-up if they so desire. I would like Wikipedia to continue to gain legitimacy as a reliable source of information. And finally, I like that Wikipedia is free, not cluttered by pop up ads but supported by the community. Wish I had more money to give... sorry.

I've been using Wikipedia since I was 12 years old. Nearly 9 years later, I owe Wikipedia a great debt. Wikipedia has been there for every school project, for every argument that would be settled by facts, and for every random desire to seek higher knowledge about some obscure topic on a whim. Wikipedia is the best thing to happen to the internet in its genuine goal of sharing all the worlds knowledge with anyone and everyone who seeks it. I know 20 years from now, 40 years from now, 100 years from now, Wikipedia will still be here and the world will surely be a better place because of it.

Hi, I love Wiki. I am a consultant for people suffering from food intolerance with special metabolic needs. I get information for my clients through biofeedback technology. Wikipedia helps me research all the information I need answers for and usually gives the best answers. Without it I do not know how I would effectively help my clients who have such individualized needs. Thanks Wiki for doing a brilliant job!

Imagine being at work and wondering the chemical composition, hardening techniques, and other differences between austentitic and martenstitic stainless steels. Imagine being at a bar and wanting to impress an attractive individual with your understanding behind the making of Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody". Imagine winning a $10 bet from a friend because he didn't know the Carolina Panthers went to their only Super Bowl in 2003. This is why I donate to the Wiki project; I believe humanity can overcome its trivial differences with common connections of sharing knowledge. And my donation is nearly covered by my betting winnings.

Wikipedia includes all of the nooks and crannies of knowledge that similar organizations don't condescend to print. I love that something like a timeline of snowflake research has an article all to itself! The depth and breadth of Wikipedia is unparalleled.

I use Wikipedia for both business and pleasure. Business: As a public librarian, I use Wikipedia as one important source to answer reference questions. Pleasure: In the cactus and succulent society to which I belong, we use Wikipedia each month to educate our members about the plants selected for showing and judging at the next meeting--we consider it that authoritative!

I remember hearing someone say that in addition to charitable contributions, we should give back to things that nourish us, that add to our lives. How often do I look up something on Wikipedia? Often enough that I wouldn't even want to think of being without it.

As our society becomes increasingly polarized between the wealthy and 'the masses'-the fact that Wikipedia is free to use and accessible to everyone becomes more and more important. People from all classes and walks of life sharing in the sum of human knowledge-what an ambitious and wonderful ideal! It's democracy in action and I'm proud to play some small part in it.

As a university foreign language instructor, Wikipedia has become one of my most important resources when preparing teaching materials, lessons and background material for my students. Since those research costs are not covered by the university, the free information from Wikipedia plays a key role in reinforcing the richness and the value of studying international cultures, languages, and peoples different from those of my students.

In som ways I guess Wikipedia is just another very useful site. I actually sometimes use it as a dictionary. If there's an English word my dictionary doesn't know or a Danish word that's not translated I try and look it up in Wiki - and then change languarge. I especially use it when talking to people from other parts of the world about plants and animals and such.

Also I use it whenever I feel the need to know more about something. However Wikipedia is so much more. To me it's a symbol of all humans sharing and helping and supporting each other - of how we are all humans and we all share this wonderful planet. We need to work together to make things better. In Wikipedia everyone gives what they can and I find that even more important than being able to use this wonderful site.

My debt to the people contributing to Wikipedia is enormous. I've used information from Wikipedia's articles many times in my professional and personal life. Wikipedia has become an indispensable source of information about all kinds of subjects from rock bands to classical composers, from celebrities to great philosophers, from con artists to great religious leaders. I hope Wikipedia continues to produce excellent work and particularly retains its open non-profit nature. Wikipedia is a wonderful expression of what the internet can bring to people all over the world-- accurate information with integrity. Keep the good work going!

Wikipedians all, I am a University professor, teaching topics at the intersection of geography and computer science -- GIS, GPS, Web mapping, and the like. I find Wikipedia more complete, readable, and uptodate than any single text. Initially, many of my student are incredulous that I would refer them to Wikipedia, but over the course of a term they get it -- and appreciate you, as I do. Thank You.

I first discovered Wikipedia in 2004 while working as a student in a biochemistry laboratory. Immediately I realized the potential for Wikipedia to change both my life and the world as a whole. Many well-spent hours of my life have been devoted to Wikipedia. It is a limitless source of knowledge and entertainment. It is my go-to reference when I casually look up information and it is often a starting point when I am seeking peer-reviewed literature. On a lighter note, Wikipedia has allowed me to impress scores of people with the breadth of my knowledge of minutiae. As a Wikipedia editor, and now donor, I truly feel that I have been able to give back and improve the world as a whole.

Wikipedia sets (and continues to raise) the standard for making information available online. It doesn't just deliver the facts; it organizes information in the way we think.

I am an info/trivia junkie, so when I am watching a documentary and they touch on something but don't go in depth I am on Wikipedia during the commercial break so I can get more!

At the end of the day, making a donation to Wikipedia is a small price for what we get in return...being a part of the greatest knowledge tank on the web!

Wikipedia is an indispensable resource, and one of the finest, purest creations I've witnessed so far in my lifetime; a free, open, massive database of shared human knowledge. It is a cultural keystone, and we do future generations a significant service by nurturing it.

As the vice president of a multimedia marketing company and the former managing editor of a daily newspaper, I make regular use of a number of wiki sites, most notably Wikipedia and WikiHow, as a starting point and quick reference point for research projects.

Likewise, I understand the challenges businesses face in monetizing online products without turning to content farming or other actions that water down the quality of online information.

As much as we rely on invaluable services such as Wikipedia, it costs money to keep these operations free and open for the public.

I am more than happy to support such projects that strive to make information and knowledge readily available to all people.

Wikipedia is the best project to ever result from networked communication technology. I consult it regularly and have come to rely on its fundamental accuracy as a result of widespread peer review. It has become a nearly necessary first stop along the path of research on virtually any subject, with the article citations often being the next stop. Everyone should learn about the service you are providing.

I am a Women's Health and Pediatric Nurse Practitioner. I have found the health information I've researched on Wikipedia to be thorough, informative, and accurate. Sometimes I'm able to find more useful information on a subject using Wikipedia than some of the "provider only" sites that I have access to. Thank you for such an excellent "free" resource.

Dear people of Wikipedia,

Our Wikipedia is an example of an elementary building block of a culture I want to live. It is a culture of both personal and shared benefits, where communication among people on Internet is as coherent, public and direct as it can be in our society today, and Wikipedia is one of the best representations of a such a communication.

Shared knowledge is a beautiful example of great things of life, and Wikipedia is a proof that it is not a pure utopia. Wikipedia is one those things helping us all to communicate, learn and teach, and live better lives.

It is there, and I want to take part in keeping it and making it even better. It is a part of my culture that undoubtedly makes sense, and I want share that.

Best wishes

I use Wikipedia almost daily.

I feel the profound privilege of being alive at this time, when we can access information on almost any subject, in any moment we desire... for FREE.. I keenly feel this privilege both personally and transpersonally.

At a personal level, I cannot imagine NOT being able to interpret a word I don't understand, or get informed about a historical event, to assist in putting a recipe together, to be able to research a talk I have to give....or help diagnose something that’s ailing me physically. Each of these gifts add to the quality of my life, in business and at home. And I cannot imagine... TODAY... living without them.

When I was a teenager I read a sci-fi book that explored a time in the future of humanity where we could access any information on any subject we desired. I recall being transfixed with the idea of such a learning-model. And here, less than 20 years later, this has become a living reality. We are on an emergent edge as a species... and I can barely comprehend the impact that your 'lifes work' has contributed to the evolution of ourselves as a humanity.

So Jimmy... I whole-HEART-edly align with your vision "Imagine if every person on earth could share in the free and total access to all human knowledge."

You have created this living reality for us. And I'm deeply grateful to you, for having had the courage to follow this soul-calling ... to bring forward something that was uniquely yours to birth. The creation of a new standard, a whole new 'meme' which has become almost 'transparent', in the support that we take for granted DAILY and the empowerment it offers our personal and collective development.

What more could any of us aspire to, than to be of service in this way?

Wow, Wikipedia has literally brought a living and dynamic encyclopedia to the world. Available 24/7 with a keystroke. It has changed the depth and breadth of knowledge. I have indulged in simple minded curiosity searches to in depth research on a myriad of historic and salient issues and subjects. It continually increases my knowledge and understanding of a diverse and complex world. A far cry from the days when, if you were curious you either had to go to the library or look to a home set of encyclopedias which were outdated even as they were being purchased. With the continuous addition of current information and the links provided for reference and a greater base of knowledge, it is simply the best!

I can't think of a day when I don't have my curious questions answered by a community of knowledge seekers, also known as Wikipedia.

A completely transparent exchange of factual and organic information, with no vested interests. Free to all, one of few real landmarks in the information age.

Free information, freely shared, community constructed. I'm proud to be a part of that.

I have been tracking Wikipedia's progress through this fundraiser. Yes, I use Wikipedia that much. Yes, I have been cheering them on with every $0.1 million that blue bar advances across my screen.

I can't imagine Wikipedia not being free. I and everyone else in my family all use it so much. Granted, we would still use Wikipedia if it weren't free, but what would others do? Others, who didn't have enough to get by, for whom Wikipedia is the window to the world. If the price were raised even a cent, they would be shut into darkness.

I grew up in the Silicon Valley in a family of engineers. Our home was always- and still is- lit by computer screens. Our family is kind of geeky like that- we all have computers, and we're all attached to ours 24/7. We'll "Wiki" anything we need to know to supplement our intellectual conversations, something we've been doing increasingly often as of late.

When I got accepted into Journalism, and when I began editing other things, Wikipedia became a necessity. And now, when I need it the most, if anything were to happen...

If everyone donated $5 today, it said, the fundraiser would be over today. It wasn't a difficult choice, really-- donate and expand the common wealth of human knowledge, or not.

That's what we've been doing since prehistoric times, isn't it? Sharing our experiences, passing down our knowledge, learning from our mistakes. Acing our history finals.

Whatever you use it for, Wikipedia is powered by you. Use it well.

I started using Wikipedia when I began my undergraduate in physics in 2003. I have just submitted my PhD thesis in medical physics and can honestly say that Wikipedia was a true life saver. Moreover, it didn't merely extend my knowledge of medicine and physics; I used it to expand my knowledge of history, music, politics, mathematics, philosophy and art in addition to countless other subjects. The community effort is really inspiring and I have resolved to share my knowledge with the community as a small gesture of appreciation for the wisdom I have garnered from that same community.

To keep this brief, I believe that as an active Wikipedia user, it is my duty to support the site when it calls for help. This site has changed the way we all do research. To say there's a wealth of information at our finger tips thanks to the Wikimedia Foundation is an understatement. Keep fighting the good fight; you aren't alone.

Was going to hold off on any donations since i lost my job, but the selfless and utter dedication of the staff to keep this site running has convinced me otherwise.

I know what it's like to be in such a struggle and despite the opportunities it would present, your organization has done an amazing job maintaining this site as one of the most reliable and unbaised sources of information while keeping it free of the same marketing and advertising that's polluted so many other sites.

As a former employee of The Nielsen Company, i know how it difficult and important it is to remain absolutely neutral. Seeing Wikipedia's stance on keeping each article free of advertisements and making our experience as enjoyable as possible, I felt obligated to contribute and help keep things running.

I am lucky to actually see the growth of wikipedia from its initial days. As more and more people start adding content, we as peoples of the world have the chance to build content which is devoid of any commercial motive - and that is how knowledge should be. I think wikipedia breaks all barriers making everyone an equal participant in the contribution and growth of knowledge. And that is a very powerful idea. Wikipedia is what the public libraries were for the previous generation; except that it serves a wider audience and has a lot more subjects. And a side-effect of it all, it also encourages each of us to think a bit more to see if we can contribute in our little way. Thank you !

Wikipedia has been indespensible to me over the last three years as I've adjusted to my HIV diagnosis. From the very first day, Wikipedia was there as I learned about the HIV viral life cycle, the drugs used to target specific key steps in the viral replication process, and what side effects I should expect. Wiki has also been there throughout my emotional journey of acceptance as I began to learn about the politics and the players of the epidemic. It has been a pivotal source of knowledge and insight allowing me to de-demonize this new phase of my life. Thank you for making all this possible.

I am a science teacher at a small rural school and teach all science classes grades 7-12. I use Wikipedia daily to help develop lesson plans as well as to build up my own personal fund of knowledge. I have a double baccalaureate in physics and biology and a masters in molecular genetics. I always learn new material. I have never found any information with which I would interpret as being contrary to established orthodoxy. Wikipedia helps me share my passion for science and helps my students escape the confines of the text and the boredom of ordinary instruction.

I love wikipedia, to me it is high tech, international and embodies a high ideal of freedom of access to information. It is an endeavour that makes me proud to be Human.

I have always been amazed at the wealth of content on wikipedia. In the early days I remember reading a lengthy article on a random bit of pop culture (Dance Dance Revolution, I believe) and remarking that it was the Hitchiker's Guide to the Galaxy compared to the Encyclopedia Galactica in terms of the content you would normally get at a glance. While whimsical in that sense, the main goal of wikipedia (free access to the accumulated knowledge of humanity) is so incredibly epic and empowering to millions of people that it is truly amazing to see not only the way that people have responded but also the degree to which the project has succeeded. I have intended to donate for quite some time, and while I am still only able to add a few small twigs to the fire, the giant blaze is awesome to behold indeed.

It is the first source of info I now turn to for both summary info, details and follow-up materials. I have learned to trust its accuracy, love how it breaks down the info into easily accessible categories, and greatly appreciate the documentation, footnotes and listing of source materials. It is complete and learned in the best sense of the term yet is presented in everyday-understandable terms. A journeyman's (woman's) and universal learner's (both genders) delight! Bravos and bravas all around!

Wikipedia was a big discovery for me. It allowed me know better about the world and the very idea of a global community sharing knowledge for free is inspiring and moving. Thanks to all people involved in its creation.

As a Father of 3 teenage daughters, 1 in college and 2 still in High School, you can imagine the the homework, reports, research, grades, tests, etc. that go on in our home. Wikipedia has had such a huge influence on my children's ability to get information I can't eve start to explain. If my kids have a question, we ask them to look it up, if they need data, we ask them to look it up, if they have a research paper, they use Wikipedia. The access to this type of information flow is life changing!!! My kids are smarter, more capable and better served as students, people, and citizens by having Wikipedia in their lives...

I'm a retired professor, now writing a novel and a set of fables. All my research begins at Wikipedia. It is a treasure, a reflection of the best humanity can be; a living step toward the dream of all knowledge universally shared - the hope of the Enlightenment Project.

I think I must use Wikipedia an average of two or three times a day, when I'm cross-referencing news items or hearing about something interesting in my social networks. More recently though, I discovered Wikimedia, which has transformed my non profit design business (which is still in it's early stages). While alot of my designs are original, I am now able to quickly expand my store; using contextual images for my various supported causes. As an example, I created this store on cafepress http://www.cafepress.com/kindness2creatures just 2 weeks ago (one week before Christmas), and have already begun raising money for the WWF! I have purchased images that are in the public domain from Dover in the past, but the concept of purchasing media that is in the public domain seems quite paradoxical to me. I could never have afforded to help charities to the extent that I am now able to, without Wikimedia. And I am certain that there are more people out there, doing good things for the world, because of the Wiki Movement. Viva Revolution!

Wikipedia first came to my attention about four years ago when I was working to complete a book on the historical relationship between Catholicism and the natural and biological sciences (Catholicism and Science, Greenwood Press, 2008). In researching this complex intersection I found the articles on the Wikipedia site to be immensely valuable for pointing me in the direction of some fruitful explorations.

Wikipedia is a wonderful modern phenomenon demonstrating the goodness and caring of the free transmission of knowledge available to everyone through the medium of the Internet. It's nearly miraculous in terms of the extent to which this goal is achieved. I have personally looked at Wikipedia hundreds of times, and have found almost without exception a high degree of expertise, thoroughness, and lack of bias in the articles. I could not imagine being a student today and NOT using this fantastic free tool. By it's very nature Wikepedia supports freedom of thought and human aspiration for progress. For everyone's sake, let's try to keep it this way, and my personal thanks to the many unamed people who selflessly have donated their valued intellectual efforts to making Wikepedia the modern human miracle that it is.

I love Wikipedia. Any time I need to find information whether it be a definition, a source or a link to more information I can quickly go to the Wiki and 100% of the time I can find it. I recently had a situation where my son was doing a paper and I saw what I thought was wrong information on the subject. I looked at the Wiki for that subject and I was able to verify that what my son's teacher was saying was, in fact, wrong.

My dad had a caregiver who was not fluent in English. He became a treasured member of our family. We used Wikipedia to bridge some of the language gap. He liked to discuss plants with my sister and religious history with me and he would find what he wanted to tell us about his home in the Polish version of Wikipedia and then show us the English version of the same article.

I went to visit my 98 year old grandpa who is in assisted living this Christmas. We both love cars. I asked him what his first car was. "An Oakland". I had never heard of it, and got a picture of it up on my cell phone from Wikipedia. He smiled and nodded and talked about what a nice car it was when he saw the picture from Wikipedia. Thanks for giving me a great holiday conversation, and sharing memories with my family.

I use Wiki often and mainly to rapidly check small details in my field of research. Wikipedia is proven to be very useful even though it can not be used as reference material just yet. In my opinion, the community has to soon accept the fact that Wiki is the most up-to-date and accurate dictionary in most cases today and that therefore Wikipedia can be used for teaching purposes, for example, but of course with the same critical approach to information as when reading any dictionary or text book.

Wikipedia as a project is fascinating and unique and has already proven it's tremendous power in collecting and distributing accurate and most recent knowledge from any field - a remarkable achievement.

Last night I sat in the hot tub with my 12 year old, under a cloudless, starlit sky, and like my mother did with me at that age,I pointed out the constellation Orion. As he tried to grasp the concept of space and heavenly objects,he asked,  "Are those planets or stars? " I simply told him to give me 20 minutes until we get back inside and I will show you exactly what Orions constellation is comprised of. To make a long story short, we both learned much, much more than we could have guessed. Thanks to Wikipedia for being an awesome database for so many searches such as this !!

Wikipedia has become an indispensable tool for my research, teaching, and daily life. I thoroughly approve of the communal approach to knowledge and the constant course corrections provided by the user pool. Wikipedia is one of the few examples of the web reaching its full potential for spreading knowledge for its own sake.

I have been using Wikipedia for at least 8 years. Since the beginning I have been amazed at the power of millions of small individual contributions can make.

I am a believer in the transformational power of education, and Wikipedia allows easy and inexpensive access to knowledge in a scale that was unimaginable just 10 years ago.

Wikipedia has defeated those that claimed that an organic project like this would succumb to chaos. And it has also defeated the inherent chaos in the Internet by organizing itself in a way that is usable.

Keep the good work!

Wikipedia is for me and my school-age daughters a way to find out more about the world. The additional spin-offs of Wikipedia, such as simple.wikipedia.org make it an even nicer addition to the research tools they can use.

I am a great believer in the positive power of the people of the open-source community.

Thank you to Jimmy Wales, and congratulations to all the Wiki-people making this happen.

Wikipedia means the hope that the charitable and benevolent spirit of humanity is sustainable and capable of proliferation. The continued existence of Wikipedia as a free, open-source compendium of world knowledge is a testament to the potential for individuals to build voluntarily, freely, and happily something by which all people can benefit. Wikipedia is bona fide evidence that there is hope for civilization yet. I use Wikipedia every day. When I have nothing better to do, I read about things I've never read about before. Wikipedia has introduced to me hundreds of things I would have otherwise never been exposed to, never would have otherwise contemplated. Wikipedia is, for me, a route towards self-actualization and the pursuit of my limitless potential. It is the same for every other individual who chooses to commit themselves to knowledge. I thank everyone who has contributed to the Wikimedia Foundation for inching us daily towards a more ideal world.

Wikipedia is a prime example of what is right about Web 2.0. It is the great experiment that shows for the most part that crowd sourcing works in creating and maintaining high quality encyclopedia articles. Wikipedia does a great job in eliminating most biases.

I consult it several times a day for both work and leisure. I have to generally trust its content for accuracy. I would encourage those who support Wikipedia financially to reach into their social network and get more people involved in supporting Wikipedia. I plan to do that right away.

The participatory quality of Wikipedia allows us to contribute our collective knowledge, and enables us to have input when we believe information is incorrectly or incompletely presented, pushing the entries toward greater comprehensiveness and nuance. While subject matter is influenced largely by the North American cultural and linguistic framework, it is still an incredibly valuable resource that continues to evolve.

As a member of our nation's fine military, I find the free information offered by wikipedia indespensible to understanding not only my role in this crazy world, but the crazy world itself. The services rendered by the website also remind me what it is I fight for: Freedom and the unhindered exchange of ideals, opinions and information. The website is a valuble assest and can be accessed from military bases and ships stationed through the world. I'm proud to have people so dedicated to the task of enlightining the world.

I've been reading wikipedia since middle school. In 10th grade, I installed linux on my ipod nano so that I could carry a copy of wikipedia in my pocket. I kept with it a list of foreign topics I'd overheard. I read them one by one. This year I purchased a Amazon kindle, a device I would use more for wikis than books.

Wikipedia lies in the beautiful gap between introductory and technical material. Its gives one the vocabulary to understand experts without losing the context of a basic overview. Considering the depth many articles achieve, this is truly an accomplishment. Asimov's Hari Seldon would be proud.

Wikipedia is a way to show my son the world. He's a high-functioning autistic, and self-directs on his interests--which means that I can't always anticipate the next question. When he has a question about something, and I don't have the answer, my first response is "look it up on Wikipedia." Wikipedia not only provides him with up-to-date reading on the things he's interested in, it also helps him learn to do research, which is a life skill that too many children never learn these days.

Wikipedia is worth a hundred times what I just donated. Those that control most of the earth's resources have huge budgets to research and quickly find information they need to further their own, narrow interests. Wikipedia helps even the odds for those of us who seek to sustain the earth and all its citizens in opposition to the special interests. A living planet is a priceless resource, belonging to all. Thank you for helping us save it for all.

Wikipedia is the best educational resource in the world. It's an autodidact's best friend. It's the most democratic knowledge base known to mankind. I use it every day and support it through donations and urge every beneficiary (that's you) to do the same.

Wikipedia is a fantastic site, used daily by myself, my wife and two school aged kids. The disemination of knowedge at a push of a button is one of the most powerful activities the web has to offer and no other site does this as well as wikipedia. Further fact that the users can also be knowedge contributors and editors has motivated my kids to reseach topics to author and edit. For that reason alone I am willing to freely donate to keep wikipedia growing and improving.

In a word, Wikipedia is brilliant. It is the epitome of the internet and a genuine example of collective individual gain through cooperation. The fact that it is also an essentially free and almost limitless information resource makes it, in my view, one of the great human achievements and utterly priceless. It has been an absolute privilege and joy to watch the development of knowledge through this open forum, especially seeing the contributions free from authoritative influence and concealed bias. I truly hope that Wikipedia will remain a completely open, transparent, and freely accessible encyclopedia for many ages to come.

Wealth is a relative standard. Relative to some, I am a poor graduate student scraping by on a stipend; relative to others, I am a rich graduate student getting paid to learn. The value of a $5 donation is also relative. A $5 donation toward an office holiday party is very annoying. A $5 donation to unlimited access to the largest body of knowledge in the world is a damn good deal. The continued integrity of the Wikipedia system is worth well above the $5 I just spent in this donation campaign.

As a undergraduate student, Wikipedia means there is a place to look up clear and concise explanations of theories, people or events to supplement course readings and lectures. It means that that I don't have to do hours of supplementary reading to comprehend the already hours of assigned material. It means I can focus my efforts on thinking critically and creatively, rather than memorizing mindless facts. Wikipedia means there's always a reliable starting point when I have an overwhelming mountain of research ahead. Thank you.

Ten years ago who would have thought that if you had a question which needed an immediate answer that there would be a vast searchable online resource at your fingertips?

Yes there was Google and before Google there was Yahoo and numerous other search engines which crawled the web organizing data. But an online encyclopedia that is constantly expanding?

Wikipedia has become an invaluable resource for researchers, students and basically anyone who has a question that needs an answer. Just saw a movie about King George the VI? Need to know more? Go to Wikipedia and there you have it.

How could I not donate to Wikipedia?

This wondrous and beautiful site has changed my life. It has given me a free access to an incredible amount of helpful information. I think its about time that I gave back. It has been the source of knowledge for my homework and class work. If I wanted to know more about something, the first place that I go to look is Wikipedia.

Not only that, but it stands for something that I cherish very much: knowledge. The more that I learn, the more open minded I feel myself becoming, and the more I feel that i could benefit others around me.

If I'm willing to spend 20 dollars for a book, why would I not donate AT LEAST 20 dollars to an unlimited and ever growing tree of knowledge?

Wikipedia is not just an encyclopedia, it has changed my life and allowed me to learn more about this wondrous plant that we call Earth.

So thank you Wikipedia, thank you for all that you have given me and the millions of other people you have helped.

Thank you :)

Wikipedia is the only place on the internet I feel like I can go to just sit quietly and learn; about whatever I want. Even in my own home I can't always do that. Thanks Wikipedia (and all its contributors) for giving me something that fills that intellectual gap.

I consider Wikipedia nothing short of a global social cause, meant for collective betterment by shared learning.

Wikipedia feeds a lot of learning, education, & research, catering a varied variety of interests and age groups. This is simply superlative.

In high school I was known by most who kew me as "the Wikiboy." It wasn't the nickname that I would have chosen. Still, there was a certain accuracy about the title. I couldn't easily hide all of the knowledge that I'd obtained from Wikipedia, nor did I intend to. However, my aim was not to parade a wealth of knowledge. My aim was to pursue my interests by learning about them. As my knowledge expanded beyond the general details I moved on to the particulars. Wikipedia, uniquely, provided both. It is considered by some to be of common practice to exclude wikipedia as a potential primary source for research. They don't understand how people learn. Wikipedia is most people's primary source. Almost all of us have taken something from Wikipedia, and even what most donors give back won't be worth nearly as much as the knowledge we've gained. I mean it. Personally, I didn't donate money so that I could benefit from Wikipedia. That was free. I contributed so that I would deserve the benefits of Wikipedia.

I would say a majority of my time spent on the internet is on Wikipedia. I can always count on Wikipedia having the most straightforward, unbiased, and concise information about anything that pops into my mind. Other websites are full of ads, complex to navigate, and cluttered. Wikipedia is pure, simple, factual. It's always the first place I go to learn about something. And with the hyperlinks leading to other Wikipedia articles, I end up learning for hours! My friends and I have even dubbed a name for a condition I have: Wikomnia - a disease that causes you to stay up all night reading Wiki articles, and never going to sleep!

I am a Registered Massage Therapist. I have added a page called "Food for Thought" on my website and use quotes from various authors, poets, philosophers, etc...(some famous, some not so much) to convey a message to soothe the heart and feed the soul. When I research the author of the quote, I use Wikipedia in both english and french as my source. I also use wipipedia as a tremendous source of knowledge about side effects of medications that my patients take, various pathological and myoskeletal conditions. I value the website and have tremendous respect for the community that contributes to it.

Wikipedia bridges the gap between curiosity and knowledge. It makes manifest the unity of knowledge and the intimate connection between breadth and depth, and it inspires a healthy humility about one's own erudition. I love Wikipedia!

Wikipedia is something that our family uses so often that we take it for granted. As both a teacher and mother to 3 school age boys, Wikipedia is an instrumental tool in learning more about the world. Whenever I give an assignment to my students or my kids come home with homework, Wikipedia is most often the starting point. There is something about everything in Wikipedia! I am thankful for this opportunity to give back and to reflect how grateful I am that Wikipedia exists. Thank you Wikipedia!

Whenever I get frustrated trying to find information on a topic online I know that I can go to Wikipedia to find direction on what I'm looking for. Lately I bypass Google and go straight to Wikipedia and more than often than not I get better results finding answers to my questions.

I also love linking to Wikipedia from articles I put on my website because the value of the information is of a very high standard. And I know my readers will appreciate it coming from a reliable source.

I encourage others to get behind Wikipedia and make a small donation to help promote the free provision and sharing of knowledge that we all have benefited from at some time or other. And enable future generations to also benefit and get involved.

When I think back only a few years ago, the access we had to information was incredibly poor by todays standards. If you wanted to know something, and no-one around you had the answer, you looked in your nearest encyclopedia, then went to the local library, then perhaps a bigger library, then maybe asked that library to order a book they didn't have...and so on.

In that context, the way Wikipedia offers free access to all this information, at incredible speed and high quality is nothing short of staggering.

Stop and think about it: what would it be like to go back?

I love Wikipedia, I am curious by nature, perhaps that is why I ended up an engineer. I love the instant access I have to peer reviewed information on Wikipedia that can be flagged for bias or sounding promotional etc. I love that I can instantly get quick and reasonable information to whatever might be on my mind, from x-rays to icebergs. I love that the power of knowledge is no longer bounded by ones access to a library full of books. It is all right here on Wikipedia.

My story is quite simple: I am a biologist, working on cancer research at Stanford University as a postdoctoral scholar; even though I have plenty of resources to gain relevant scientific knowledge, wikipedia is my primary consulting source. It is fast and accurate enough to get the picture of any topic, and sometimes it helps me refresh my memory on certain subjects. I decided to make this modest donation, despite my very weak finances, because I felt it was unfair to continue enjoying this resource on a daily basis and not to make some kind of contribution.

Wikipedia has become an indispensable resource for looking up a vast array of scientific and other materials. I have made a few modest contributions to the entries but appreciate the enormous collective effort that has gone into making this site so incredibly useful.

I have been a supporter of Wikipedia for several years now. I have found that the Wikipedia community is, in spite of its critics, very capable of providing high quality, unbiased information on an incredible array of topics. I rarely go for more than a day or two without coming across something that I need to research more fully. When that happens Wikipedia is, generally, the first source which I consult for further information.

Wikipedia is successful for the same reason that Open Source Software is: the people involved in producing it are putting their reputations on the line every time they write or edit an entry. This approach to the dissemination of knowledge works because the authors of the articles are known, not hiding behind some corporation's name, and are, thus, interested in making sure that the information they provide is accurate, fair, and meets the standards set by Wikipedia. They also know that someone else may edit their article in order to improve it and are willing to have this happen without putting copyright or other legal barriers up in order to slow the process of improvement. This iterative process helps the cream rise to the top - ensuring the presentation of accurate information on tens of thousands of subjects.

I'd like to say, "Thanks" to everyone who contributes in some way to keeping Wikipedia alive and for helping to improve it.

Wikipedia is the informational Shangri-La of the online world, one of the few places I trust to provide me authoritative, unbiased and regularly updated articles on the topics that mean the most to me. Suffice to say, an Internet sans Wikipedia would be like a book lying unread on a bookshelf; pretty and conducive to vivid dreams, but thoroughly incapable of providing substance of true value.

I often use Wikipedia as the jumping-off point for reference service in my capacity as reference librarian in the public library. If someone is looking for info on a subject neither of us is familiar with, I check Wikipedia to get the overview and some good links to more info. It saves a lot of time trolling around randomly on the web. Years ago librarians were leery of Wikipedia, but now I think most of my colleagues regard it as an excellent resource, very useful and a big time-saver.

I watched a conference many years ago with people writing for Wikipedia. I was impressed with the passion they had for getting the information right in their respective areas of knowledge. The writers can also be corrected and debated, something you do not find it other published references. As a former high school teacher and current college professor, I cannot tell you how many mistakes remain in textbooks and laboratory materials, publication after publication. I also appreciate the extensive links available throughout each wikipedia documents.

Wikipedia is the first and (often) last stop for my investigations into things I am curious about. Out of all the donations one could make for any number of cheritable causes, I find Wikipedia to be the most important. Consider this juxtaposition. If I give ten bucks to my church on Sunday, maybe I can imagine that it goes to helping a mission or maybe to giving a homeless man a bible, or maybe just to keeping the coffee urn full on Sundays. But with Wiki I feel confident that my contribution has been multiplied a thousand-fold to give (almost literally) everything known to everybody curious. So, finally, the Biblical directive, "Ask, and ye shall receive" is now manifest. Like I said last year, when I first donated, I cannot imagine my world without Wikipedia. Jimmy Wales, you have done a great thing.

Wikipedia means dependable, trustworthy information to me. When I returned to college to finish my degree a couple of years ago, I was enthralled with how the world was at my fingertips through my computer--what a difference from 1983 when I was in college before (many trips to the library to access information and research!)!! I have found Wikipedia to be a dependable source of good information for my research, and for many of my everyday inquiries, whether it is for health issues, research for my 9 year old daughter's classes, or just curiosity about a person, place, or thing! Most of the information is properly cited and can be double checked elsewhere, which has proven that Wikipedia is a trustworthy source for information. Thank you for providing such a resource and wealth of information to my little piece of the world!

Wikipedia is the truest embodiment of the spirit of the internet generation: Probably the single greatest single storehouse of knowledge and information, freely accessible to all, and controlled by no one. A place where all knowledge, from the trivial to the world-changing, stands equal. I think future generations will look back on Wikipedia as the first big step humanity took towards complete freedom of information; and I am proud to be able to contribute to that, if only a little - For if there is one Wikipedia has taught us, it is that if everyone contributes a little, we can make something amazing.

I use Wikipedia every day, many times a day. It's an enduring feature in the landscape of my life.

Wikipedia informs my decisions, increases my knowledge, allows me to win (or lose) good-natured arguments with my husband, and lets me dip my toes into the vast well of human knowledge and experience. The interconnectedness of Wikipedia has drastically changed the way that I access, interact with, and understand information.

I must also share with you one of my favorite games, "Six degrees of Wikipedia". You go to the home page, select a newsy topic that piques your interest, and read the article about it. Somewhere in that article you'll find one of those tantalizing blue links to something else that catches your eye. You click on that link, and read that article. Find another blue link. Click on it. Rinse and repeat. You never know where you'll end up. And all the time you learn, learn, learn.

After all, isn't that why we're here?

I'm profoundly grateful for Wikipedia, and I'm grateful to all the hardworking people who make it live and breathe. It's a privilege to donate to Wikipedia every year.

I have been on the internet since 1982 when it was the DARPA net. This is exactly what I had hoped that connectivity would bring to the world: access to information and freedom of thought. Without efforts like the various Wiki's, most of the world population is at the mercy of commercial and political self-interest. I am so grateful to all of the people who volunteer in this work.

Douglas Adams' "The Hitch Hikers Guide to the Galaxy" centers around a most amazing device. A book which contains all the knowledge of the universe at your fingertips. This fictional device is maintained and updated by the very travelers who use it. This fictional device is accurate, informative, up to date and free. This fictional device is real. Wikipedia is the real hitch-hikers guide to the universe.

Wikipedia means the whole world united as volunteers to share human knowledge. A beautiful initiative of the founder and also of each one that contributes sharing their knowledge. Let's help to improve our World always!

I don't 'google it' if I can 'wikipedia it'

I spend my childhood in slum area of Pune City in India. Due to my hard work and continual support of my family and my friends I got bachelor of Computer Science Degree, Wikipedia helped me to achieve my goals by all means. Now I'm working in New York City in a investment bank. I know my contribution to Wikipedia is small but I hope it is useful. Wikipedia is large source of information for me. I'm sure someday I'll have big contribution to Wikipedia family. Please donate whatsoever amount to Wikipedia.

being a mom of a special needs child i am always on the net. more times that i can count, W has delivered exactly the information i have needed to help me make decisions on what supplements i give my child, what the history or background has been regarding therapies or alternative medicine might be. just a great all around resource. thanks W for all that you do.

Wikipedia is the first place I look for information. In fact, I rarely encounter any topics that are not covered at least in some length there. In the worst case, Wikipedia gives a good introduction to any given topic.

The Wikipedia project has also shown that a loose group of individual contributors can easily generate a base of knowledge of such size and depth such that commercial encyclopedias are unable to compete with it. In this regard, it has helped get rid off the unnecessary reinvention of the wheel which commercial knowledge creation (e.g. commercial encyclopedias) needs to do in order not to violate anybody's copyright.

In short, Wikipedia is an great testimony for the triumph of free knowledge and culture.

Information, truth, freedom. I'm wholeheartedly thankful for all the people who have shaped Wikipedia into a vast, boundless fountain of knowledge as it is.

I'm a good example of how today's schooling system with it's tunnel vision memorize/learn-by-heart strategies still doesn't serve every potential learner. Through Wikipedia I have independently gained great amounts of wisdom in many areas. It encourages thinking, self-education and weighing your own values and opinions. It's a school every living person should experience.

As an amateur musician, I also write the lyrics for several different projects and nothing beats cold, hard fact when it comes to inspiration. You can find divine or sometimes absurd beauty in countless parts of our universe, although it can be presented in simple numbers and equations. Imagination is the place to build worlds. Wikipedia provides the tools.

Wikipedia is a source I like being able to count on. I use it for personal inquiries often (those "got to know" moments). I also use it for my work as a curriculum designer for children in poverty. As a Montessori enthusiast, I focus on geography and culture in our classrooms. I believe that developing an open-minded world view from a young age increases the children’s ability to communicate with others and gives them the desire and the foundational tools needed to pursue peace. It also cultivates enthusiasm for education, giving them a greater chance of achieving financial independence as adults. I use Wikipedia to find information on cultures and traditions around the world as I create globally-minded materials for our children to explore. I am grateful for a resource like Wikipedia that is available to everyone. Thank you!

My 7 year old son uses Wikipedia very often and I'm very glad we have this resource! I wish we had it when I was growing up!! :-) I hope it will continue to grow!!

A fantastic site for consultation of a enormous variety of subjects, although most of the time I am interested in technical information. Unlike old encyclopedias or reference books, wikipedia most of the times, provides up to date, "state of the art" info. Donation to Wikipedia is a good "investment".

I am a third year sociology and philosophy student at the Univeristy of California, Santa Cruz. I can't remember a single class where the professor, upon assigning either a research project or an essay, didn't make some sly demand that we students not cite Wikipedia as a resource. Universally there is always a class-wide chuckle, usually including the professor, because everyone know the inherent value of Wikipedia. Wikipedia is my number one source of information whenever I have a question about some topic that I have never been exposed too. Perhaps Wikis as tools for social information gathering, have yet to be recognized by mainstream intellectualism as valid modes of individual education, but we of Generation Next recognize and thank Wikipedia. It is a gateway to all of the world's knowledge, and it is also a beautiful thing that the gate is not locked. Everyone, please support and keep it so.

I was incredibly pleased last year when some of my professors in the Communication, Culture & Technology program at Georgetown told us we could--and perhaps should--start referencing Wikipedia articles for research papers and projects. To us, Wikipedia represents the next step in thinking about knowledge and learning--if we all contribute a little piece, we can make great strides in the production of critical thought. Yet we simultaneously recognize that the uniqueness of every person, making up the sum total of human knowledge and skill, is crucial to a happy, peaceful, functioning society.

Wikipedia is my source for information on everything.

As a researcher and an academic, wikipedia is as vital to my work as my car is to my life. It is truly the definitive source for information on anything and everything in the realm of human knowledge.

The idea of a global community coming together to pool knowledge for the creation of this repository which can be accessed free of charge by anyone represents the a coming together of people which eclipses even the United Nations. As we work and use wikipedia let us also make it our responsibility to add at least one entry per person annually so that wikipedia can grow and aid more and more people across the globe.

I am a communication studies professor. I teach my students about the value of free speech in an open society. Wikipedia does so much to support and further the ideals and ideas in which I believe so strongly as an academic, an educator, and as a person. As the media in our society becomes more fragmented in some areas and more conglomerated in others, the collective, independent creation of the people, voiced through Wikipedia is more important now than ever. Thank you for making this platform available.

On 10 March 2005, the world experienced the retirement of Garry Kasparov, who used to be the world's #1 chess player.

Few hours later, I decided to read Garry's biography, and ended up visiting Wikipedia and the article related to the player.

Astonishingly, the article had already been modified to contain the latest informations about Kasparov's career, anouncing that he decided to retire himself.

That's when I realized the power of Wiki community. An encyclopedia capable of changing itself almost instantaneously, and virtually containing up-to-date information about anything you can imagine, is far beyond what we used to have before.

Wikipedia, in my opinion, is a paradigm shift. It represents an era in which we no longer have to wait for months, even for years, just to have the opportunity to order an up-to-date cyclopedia on our shelves - and pay a lot for it btw.

It represents, though, a new moment in our community. Now knowledge is free. And it is an exact portrait of what's going on RIGHT NOW. Thank you people from Wiki community.

I'm a giant fan of Wikipedia. I'm a mathematics graduate student at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, and Wikipedia is incredibly important to me. When I encounter a new concept or term I don't understand, Wikipedia is the first place I go to learn more about it. Somehow, Wikipedia has become an incredible repository of highly obtuse mathematical knowledge like category theory, algebraic topology and geometry, differential geometry, and many other subjects. I really appreciate all that knowledge in one place. Most every mathematician and mathematics student I know uses Wikipedia heavily for reference.

Wikipedia may in fact be responsible for me being in grad school at all now. I began attending mathematics seminars as an undergraduate and would understand next to nothing. So, I would go, write down terms, draw pictures and just enjoy the show. Later, in my free time I would look up the terms on Wikipedia, and as a result was able to get a grasp on a huge number of things that my undergraduate degree didn't prepare me to understand in the slightest.

So, well done. I hope that you guys manage to keep up the good work. If I had more money (and wasn't living off a TA's salary!) I'd give it to you guys.

Wikipedia has significance to me both as a great technical resource, and a great community model. Anytime I want to gather information on a particular subject, I am thankful when my searching turns up a Wikipedia page because I can count on the material being neutral and informative. The community itself is a living testimonial to the power of generative systems, the open Internet, and the good will of people all around the world. Keep up the great work!

Growing up as an African-American youth I never really had access to different outlets of knowledge, the streets was too dangerous to go to the library and we had no money for encyclopedias. As I became an adult and became more computer savvy and now that the internet itself has become the top source of free knowledge the idea of something like Wikipedia was a true blessing within itself.

Now as a college student I can honestly say that Wikipedia not only help me get through some of my toughest classes but it has also made me a more knowledgeable person overall. Because of Wikipedia I've learn about different words and phrases I've always wondered about but had no idea where to look, I'm able to learn new things much quicker then I would with a regular book and the context is so fundamentally sound it’s easy for anyone to learn new and interesting facts about the world in general.

Wikipedia is truly one of the greatest creations of the 21st Century. Thank you Wikipedia.

Hey! Wikipedia gave me the answers I needed when I got diagnosed with Vertigo 4 years ago, and recently after an MRI showing I had 'white matter changes' on the brain, too many for a guy my age. White Matter was perfectly defined for me by Wikipedia after trying to understand what my Neurologists had told me. I have been studying for my BA in Information Technology at Capella University, and Wikipedia has been instrumental in helping me keep a 4.0 average.

I am studying medicine and I use Wikipedia constantly to access information about everything from anatomy to biochemistry. The level of detail and breadth of material topics always astounds me. It's an incredible asset to us all. Thanks!!!

Every year governments and international organizations spend billion of dollars to promote education and eradicate illiteracy across the globe. To many in the world knowledge is a privilege and too expensive and inaccessible. Wikipedia changed the world by making knowledge accessible and free for all.

To many of us, living in a remote part of the world with limited access to good libraries is indeed a great challenge in search for knowledge and information. Thanks to wikipedia, we all now have a reliable and rich source of knowledge and information on different topics available and accessible from all over the world. This free access to wealth of knowledge and information would not have been possible without the immense contribution of wikipedia and its volunteers, people like you and me.

Wikipedia is many things to me. As a college student I often find myself consulting Wikipedia when my brain hurts. It helps me to sort out the pertinent information.

It also has settled many a bet for me.

At the office, my co-workers and I have a wonderful 'WikiGames' creation. One person picks a random article, and then all the other players go to that site. It is then determined what page the end result will be. The game is to get to that page using only the blue links within the articles and jump from article to article. It is probably the greatest brain child of the Center For the Arts Division. I highly recommend it.

I'm a professor of epidemiology and I use Wikipedia regularly to introduce me to new ideas in my field and remind me about the old ones! I never cease to be amazed at the power of the Internet for sharing knowledge and Wikipedia is absolutely the best example of that collective power.

Wikipedia is an indispensable resource to me as a translator, as well as a tremendously enjoyable general source of knowledge. With Wikipedia, one can quickly obtain information on a subject in both the source and target languages, not to mention background information that aids in understanding linguistic ambiguities. As a general source of knowledge, Wikipedia is perhaps as significant as the invention of the printing press. Let's all support Wikipedia so that people all around the world can work together on this wonderful project that benefits us all.

Information in the hands of many people ensures opportunity and freedom to build a just community.

Wikipedia helps my children with homework and me figure out techncial language at work. These practical applications contribute to my family being postive contributers to our commuities.

Wikipedia provides one of the greatest available illustrations of the great capacity of human beings to give freely to others without the receipt of anything in return other than the warm glow of having contributed to the public good.

Thank you to the Wikipedia founder, Jimmy Wales, and also all of the many content providers and editors who have given freely of their time to produce what may well be the most important public good ever created by the human race.

I think that it should be a human priority to continue to keep Wikipedia free from the distorting influence of ad finance. Non-biased media content (i.e. knowledge) is essential for educating the 6.7 billion people on the planet both as an end in itself and also to give us the ability to work together to make our economies sustainable, efficient and equitable.

Thank you again!

Thanks for providing such an excellent resource. Wikipedia is the single most encouraging and successful example of what the internet should be: a means of enabling communication and free sharing of ideas across cultures, continents, and generations. Thanks to all of you who devote yourselves to keeping this alive. It's no exaggeration to declare that your work is a service to humanity.

I use Wikipedia at least 5-10 times every day for personal and professional reference. I am a psychiatrist and in February of this year I used Wikipedia in order to study for my board recertification exam, which I passed! I was amazed at the vast information about neurology, neuroanatomy, neurophysiology, psychiatry, psychology, learning theory, etc. that was available instantly and free of charge. I had access to several other sources of information, but I frequently referred to Wikipedia.

I also regularly provide patients with articles about medications and other related topics such as sleep, exercise, nutrition, etc.

In short, I constantly use Wikipedia from my home, office and often on my iPhone too!

I can't imagine a world without this resource, anymore than I can imagine functioning in our modern world without any of the other tools such as a telephone, or email.

Thank you so much for the gift of access to knowledge! Keep it coming!

I’m a software engineer who needs to keep up with new technology. I often find clear and coherent introductions to a particular technology here when other sources on the internet are simply defining one buzz word in terms of another.

I reference Wikipedia probably in the same way that previous generations have used print encyclopedias. The difference is that Wikipedia presents a dynamic universe of up-to-date information. I can start, for example, with a keyword search on U.S. Medicare, and end on up a page about a prominent 1960s civil rights activist. Making these kinds of connections with a printed document is much more difficult, and given the physical limitations inherent with printed resources, this kind of agile knowledge-building would be impossible. Moreover, with Wikipedia, I can rest assured that information I'm reading is current and generally reflects contemporary knowledge on a subject. In my mind, Wikipedia is a shining example of collective collaboration at its best. And I cherish Wikipedia as an invaluable resource for a life of learning.

I and my wife are thankful to wikipedia for making information/knowledge open to all. Wikipedia in a way helped us to understand anemia better and leran more about folate deficiency.

My wife was diagnosed of anemia with RBC count of 6 and doctors advised to go for blood transfusion. I am not a doctor but I somehow knew blood transfusion was the last option. So we started looking around for more information on anemia and wikipedia helped us identify with the symptoms of something called as folate deficiency. We realized that the root cause was iron and vitamin B12 deficiency and got it confirmed with doctor.

One of many doctors we had visited prescribed a medicine named "Autrin" available in our part of world. This medicine is known for high concentrations of both iron and vitamin B12. Right medicine at the right time with focused dietary intake and God’s blessings helped my wife recover within 3 months. It was a difficult time for us and I thank God that it is over now.

So allow me to take this opportunity to once again thank Wikipedia and its supports who believe in freedom to access information. You guys have made a significant contribution towards the society and people like me owe a lot more than just a thanks to your community. I will do everything possible in my powers to support your community.

How many times have I searched Wikipedia for information and never had a problem finding what I am looking for. You are a gift that doesn't stop giving; not the wrong color or size; and the only reason to be returned is to support your efforts. Thank you for providing information I am able to use for research in college after returning to school so many years later. Thank you for being a resource for my children in their learning journey. Thank you for providing your services at no cost. Finally, thank you for being a wealth of information at my finger tips that I can use again and again and always find something new and interesting. Please keep up the tremendous work--we are very grateful!

I've been an avid user of Wikipedia since I first discovered it four or five years ago.

The ease of access to information is incredible, especially since the Wikipedia article is always on the first page when I Google something and guaranteed to be neutral.

In my studies as an undergraduate computer science student, I've learned more from Wikipedia then from any textbook I can remember. The talk pages for well-known algorithms are especially useful to let you see the rationale behind the selection of examples or the language used for sample implementations.

As a student, I give what I can spare, and I edit spelling and grammar errors as I discover them. The ability to just fix it, myself, is refreshing in a world where so many organizations ignore/neglect users who need help.

We don't have to wonder about anything anymore- we have the internet. I use Wikipedia almost daily to obtain answers to just about everything- from issues that come up in daily conversation, to learn more about something I heard on the radio, or get more historical information about an event I saw in a movie or on television. Whenever something is in question I also often say, "I'm not sure, let me ask my phone." What I really mean is, "Let me ask Wikipedia." I have Wikipedia bookmarked on my iPhone and it has become a service I could not imagine life without. That is why I donated to Wikipedia.

I started using Wikipedia in 2001, when I was 19 and just starting college. I used it as a reference point for pop-culture queries and as a starting point in academic work. Around that time, referencing Wikipedia was considered an academic faux pas, and many professor explicitly stated that wikipedia would not be considered as trust worthy source; in spite of mounting evidence to support the contrary. As time progressed and Wikipedia evolved. It began to self-impose a higher level of citation and peer-review. As such any fact garnered from Wikipedia cites it original source; thereby rendering such policies powerless. I cannot begin to calculate how much time Wikipedia has saved me when beginning to research a new topic, and once the research is complete and transformed into an article. I contribute my findings to the Wikipedia page that started it all, and close the circle.

As a never-smoker, I was taken by surprise a year and a half ago when I was diagnosed with Stage IV lung cancer. Wikipedia has been an invaluable resource in my continual research of my disease, different chemotherapy drugs and various treatment options. Not exactly exactly sure how you do it, but I hope you are able to maintain the level of excellence you have already firmly established.

My small family lives in a fairly isolated area, an actual "frontier" region of Northern California. The nearest major library is 60 miles north. Whenever my young daughter is curious about our world and how things work, we can just go on-line to Wikipedia to find the answers. She says that she wants to be an engineer when she grows up. I believe the ability to find answers to her questions about science and the natural world so easily and reliably on Wikipedia has provided a definite part of her inspiration.

I was surfing the Net one day and thought I would Google my grandfather, who was a scientist in Berlin (Reinhold Toepfer). He died in 1951. Lo and behold, there was a Wiki listing for his father, and information about him as well. I have been in contact with the German author, and others I have found in Berlin. Our family hopes to share papers, articles, etc. and perhaps donate personal artifacts as well to an appropriate German institution. It's been a fascinating journey all made possible by Wikipedia. Thank you so much for the important work you do.

I started editing Wikipedia entries about 5 years ago, when I started noticing simple, easy-to-fix spelling and grammatical errors. As I grew bolder, I familiarized myself with the various Wiki policies, which are fairly easy to understand and vigorously documented. I love that I can make a difference in the smallest way (layout, spelling, etc) on pages whose topics I know nothing about and large substantive changes to pages whose topics interest me AND create new pages on the occasions that I discover a vacuum.

Wikipedia belongs to all of humanity, and I'm only doing a small part to help. If everyone who could would do the same, I believe the benefit to our planet would match that of the greatest inventions of the last 200 years.

I am an attorney advisor to administrative law judges in the Social Security Administration. Most of our cases are appeals of denials of disability benefits. I, and others here, Google medical conditions and medications many times daily to understand the body part, the disease, the defect, the drug. If there is a Wikipedia article on the subject it will show up in the first ten sites discussing the condition or medication and I always go to the Wiki article. It is written for laypersons to understand, organized into definition/explanation, and the is followed by subcategories e.g. symptoms, causes, diagnosis, treatment, prognosis that can be quickly skimmed, get the gist on the subject so one can intelligently consider the disability claim at hand. Thank you for such a wonderful tool as Wikipedia.

P.S. re age, I like to think of myself as ageless.

As the only machine readable and openly accessible encyclopedia, Wikipedia offers a unique resource for researchers working on natural language processing, artificial intelligence and linguistics. So Wikipedia helps not only common users to answer their common queries but also helps push the frontier of data science.

I love the fact that many people, when bored and looking for something to do on the internet, will turn to Wikipedia and just keep clicking through different topics. People love learning and Wikipedia makes that easier and accessible to everyone.

As the headmaster at Girls Preparatory School I have experienced first hand the incredible educational resource Wikipedia has become. Along with heading the school, I also teach a class in the Modern American Presidency. Not a day goes by that I am not on your site confirming information, collecting interesting anecdotes or just reeducating myself about the period in which a particular president served.

Please accept our small donation along with the thanks of every teacher at GPS for making our classrooms more dynamic and our jobs more manageable.

Wikipedia is one of the most important parts of the internet, and I use it nearly every day to learn something new. And it sort of blows my mind.

I recall memories of being a child in the early 1990's, just before the internet became "a thing." Back then, I would always wonder about things and get the urge to learn about something...but getting answers was hard. My aunt had an encyclopedia set, so frequent trips to her apartment were my main source of knowledge. But the rest of the time, I was left wondering.

Nowadays, one might think that my childhood wonder would be spoiled with massive information banks like Wikipedia at the touch of my fingers. Surprisingly, the opposite is true. Now, I wonder about something, and then I read about it on Wikipedia *as I'm thinking about it.* The initial wonder is gone, but sparks fly in my head and create dozens of other wonders, and I find myself learning new and amazing things - usually things that would never make it into an encyclopedia - on Wikipedia, all the time.

I am an academic librarian. I find Wikipedia a great help at the reference desk, getting students started in their research. It gives them an overview of a subject, gives them ideas for keywords to search on when using library subscription databases, and furnishes websites, books and other sources for additional information. I made a donation just because I use Wikipedia often and appreciate the work being done to keep this resource freely available to everyone.

When I was 8 or 9 years old, I fell in love with the TV show Star Trek: the Next Generation, and it defined the future I dreamed of for decades. My favorite thing about it was the idea of exploring alien cultures and landscapes, but my second favorite thing was the Enterprise's computer, which knew absolutely everything and could be accessed from anywhere. In those sad old days of floppy disks and MS DOS, it seemed like the ultimate invention of the future. I felt pretty certain that I'd see civilian space travel and space stations in my lifetime, but a "know everything" computer seemed too labor intensive to expect. And then along came Wikipedia. Now I use Wiki almost daily, and am as awed by it today as I was by the Enterprise's computer as a child. I particularly love the simple English Wikipedia, as it gives me the ability to get a basic understanding of concepts out of my normal subject areas, while the regular Wikipedia gives me access to as much depth as I could possible want in fields I am already familiar with. I am deeply grateful for the existence of Wikipedia, and am honored to support it as much as I can.

Wikipedia is democracy in action. It validates wonders, generates new ones, and allows us to connect with the vast diversity of the human spirit and natural world.

I am a retired physicist. Two years ago I started dabling in a new field of physics, astrophysics. I now have 4 publications in a refereed journal of the American Institute of Physics. I could not possibly have done it without Wikipedia -- limited resources and not enough time left to do it otherwise!

Pulling out my smartphone, and looking up ANYTHING I am curious about, or need info on, via Wikipedia, in the moment - is the fulfillment of a dream given by Douglas Adams and his wonderful trilogy. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy - like so many great Science Fiction ideas has come to life (at least in spirit) by way of ample broadband connections, a FREE Internet, and Wikipedia.

Reverie aside, the concept of a vast encyclopedia of free and updated knowledge at one's fingertips is a precious and wonderful thing. Surely civilizations may be measured by the libraries they invest in and keep. If that is true, Wikipedia adds value every day to the quality of our lives, culture and hence our civilization.

Thanks, Wikipedia! Keep it free.

Wikipedia fulfills the original promise of the internet as a means for freely sharing knowledge around the world, undistorted by commercial marketing or government censorship. I'm happy to be able to give a few dollars to support your important work.

I am a writer, producing professional documents for job seekers, particularly those entering or already employed within the federal government. Each day I am faced with reams of information on topics from homeland security to social work, aviation to healthcare, logistics to finance, engineering to military operations, and everything in between. In a couple of weeks, I have to become a closet expert on client career histories, fields of expertise, and achievements. Wikipedia is my primary resource - lending credibility to my writing and helping my clients gain hard-won interviews. It's a truly amazing repository of data, and wow -- it's really easy to get lost in the reading - learining is truly addictive. Thanks for continuously educating me, Wikipedia!

As a writer, I can't imagine a better or more enjoyable resource than Wikipedia.

When some unlikely question-- say about the accessibility of wheat in ancient Britain, for example-- I can simply type it in, and Wikipedia will find me the answer, usually including other sources to help me flesh out important research in the future.

Of course, reading one entry always leads to reading another, and I can easily get lost for hours, but I consider that a luxury we should be appreciative of every hour of every day.

I would like to think I have well-developed imagination, but I can't imagine a world without Wikipedia. I can barely imagine how I functioned before it existed.

I can still remember the time when searching anything on the web was a hit or miss, and never really sure about the reliability of the information. Thanks to Wikipedia, we now have a consistent and reliable information in all disciplines. Next time you are researching something, imagine a web without Wikipedia and ask yourself how much would you be willing to pay to get fairly reliable knowledge about the subject, without spending hours on the web. Imagine the amount of time and energy we save. Lets keep Wiki going. Lets keep it free. Please donate.

For me Wikipedia embodies the spirit of what the internet should be, a free, cooperative informational environment. It reminds me that people can be nobel, altruistic, and sharing. It also is the greatest research tool in existence to date. It has been the starting point for many a research project by myself and my children. Thank you Wikipedia.

I'm sure my friends have become tired of my mantra of "we are living in the future," but it's true. I grew up as many, fantasizing about where technology would be in the next 10-20 years; like most, it was a collection of flying cars and virtual reality. These, however, are just hollow pipe dreams that have no substance. As I grew older, I came to realize that the true gift of the future (and the internet by association) was information. You know the saying that "history is written by the victor?" Does that really apply in the 21st century anymore? Does anyone have a voice when everyone has one?

Yes. Wikipedia.

The best source of information does not come from an individual, but from the consensus. The best source of rooting out false information comes from the consensus.

So often am I talking to my friends, and they will ask "have you heard of so-and-so?" I'll pull out my phone and say "not yet" as I quickly do a google search on the subject. It's not unlike that moment in The Matrix, when Trinity is having a pilot program for a helicopter uploaded, only no one is trying to kill me. Despite whatever results come up, Wikipedia is always my first check. Why wouldn't I check the input of many before reading about the input of one?

So yes, I love living in the future, and I love the wealth of information that is at my fingertips. I don't have much to give, but I get paid again soon, and keeping information alive has become my new charity.

I have a disabling condition that prevents me from working. Sometimes I spend days at home without leaving the apartment. The Internet provides me with 90 percent of my entertainment. I don't enjoy watching TV, in fact my husband & I don't even have our TV hooked up. We use it only to watch DVDs.

I truly enjoy using Wikipedia as part of my entertainment and search for continuing knowledge. I am a college graduate with an curiosity about many subjects.

I wasn't aware that Wikipedia was worldwide and in so many different languages until just a few minutes ago when I read some of the other stories. I'm very happy to know that Wikipedia reaches so many. Like many others, I have a very low income, and I'm pleased to know that people all over the world have access to this wonderful and comprehensive base of knowledge.

I hadn't considered contributing to Wikipedia until I read the letter from the woman in Indonesia who mentioned that even one dollar would help. I'm happy to contribute 5 dollars, and I know it isn't much, but if only one million of the readers gave 5 dollars that would certainly make a difference. I hope that my tiny contribution is helpful.

When I lost my job as a computer programmer, I was forced to take a job as a school bus driver. I made a run in the morning and one in the afternoon, with much free time inbetween. I began to study a subject that was of great interest to me, the psychology of religious salvation. Time and again, I found Wikipedia among the references, and soon came to click on it first. I developed quite an addiction to it.

One day, I came home from my morning run only to find that the Wikipedia website had been blocked. When I contacted data processing, they said that some children had been caught looking up information about pop music, which they considered to be a waste of time.

I immediately informed them that locking children out of Wikipedia was like locking them out of the public library. I invited them to examine Wikipedia to verify what I was saying. The next day, Wikipedia was again available.

Not only by gaining knowledge ourself, but also by sharing and giving it away, we make the basis for a better life here on earth. This is a unique opportunity for us to create and sustain this outstanding and unbiased information community. Learning is a life-long commitment... Thank you guys

I frequently use Wikipedia as my go to source for information on a broad range of subjects. Whether I am writing a research paper for school, or browsing through the pages for random topics, Wikipedia never ceases to surprise me. One of my favorite things to do is read the Wiki page of the day and as I go through click on links of stuff that I do not know and see where it takes me. The other Wiki sites such as Wikibooks and Wikihow have also proved very beneficial. I love Wikipedia and hope that it will remain free and forever present on the web.

Wikipedia is just an incredible resource. I use it multiple times every day: - for my work (I teach computer system administration). While I have the "official" product documentation of whatever I am teaching, Wikipedia is invaluable to learning about related protocols and software. In this way I can make my classes more useful. - to learn about medical conditions and available treatments, prescription drugs and so forth. I now have some medical challenges and Wikipedia is great for finding out enough information so that I can talk to doctors intelligently. - for fun and curiosity (chemistry, physics, movies, songs, anthropology, religion - I'm always wondering about SOMETHING). And Wikipedia is there. No printed encyclopedia could possibly cover the wide range of topics covered by Wikipedia. No other resource that I have found on the web provides the depth and breadth of coverage that Wikipedia does. This contribution is my way to support this effort. Very very useful. Thanks to everyone involved. Much appreciated.

When I first started seeing Wikipedia popping up in my Google searches years ago, I didn't know how reliable it was. I was further skeptical when I learned that anyone can edit it and tamper with the legitimacy of the information that was originally published. Over time though, I came to realize that no one was tampering with the information at all but rather everyone seemed to work together to make sure all the information on this live encyclopedia was constantly up to date and correct. It was great to know that people were covering the backs of others and those who really knew their stuff on a particular topic had an opportunity to express their knowledge while others gained from it. It was a remarkable system of honour and community development. I too started fixing up tidbits of information that I happened to specialize in. Because I benefited from this site so much, I can't help but donate something back to it. Whether it was for pleasure or research, Wikipedia came through for me in a big way. Thank you, Jimmy, for giving the world a chance to indulge in this wonderful idea of yours.

I use Wikipedia on a daily basis for everything from professional knowledge to general knowledge to research on every arbitrary subject I encounter. It has rounded out my knowledge in a way that no other resource could possibly approach. I consider Wikipedia as an indispensable resource in my everyday life. I have the utmost respect for the authors of these articles for their meticulous research and clear writing style. Wikipedia is a global resource that is progressively capturing all of human knowledge. A truly world changing phenomenon.

I love that I can always go there to find out about anything I happen to be wondering about. I also love that it exists for the pure spirit of learning and sharing information and that anyone can contribute. I am also really glad there is no cheesy advertising on it. Thank you for conceiving and creating Wikipedia. You have made a wonderful contribution to the world and I greatly appreciate that I and anyone else with Internet service have free and easy access to a vast amount of information.

I use it every day and I encourage and remind my elementary age kids to use it whenever they wonder about something. I love this community and I love that I don't have to login to use it! I'm so sick of passwords and user names, so it is a blessing to have this web site so easily available. In a matter of seconds, I can find out just about anything, even weird, obscure stuff. Thank you everyone!

In a world where too much information is often the biggest problem, I turned to Wikipedia. As a medical student I needed to understand the basics of medical diseases before learning all the microscopic details my professors expected me to memorize. I encourage students to use Wikipedia as a quick reference to understanding the basics of a medical disease, and then to expand upon that knowledge using the standard medical texts. Thank you Wiki!

The unrestricted shearing of knowledge is on of the highest expressions of what it means to be human. Wikipedia fulfills this mission and in doing so it is perhaps one of the greatest achievements in human history.

I am a physician and the relatively new owner/director of a sober-living home for men. We do drug testing regularly, but recently had three residents who were clearly "under the influence" and who tested negative on an extensive panel for illicit an legal mind-altering drugs. Only later from actual witnesses did we learn that they had smoked "spice" (synthetic cannabinoids!). I accessed this subject on Wikipedia on Nov 28, 2010 where I learned everything I needed to know, including that the DEA had used emergency powers to classify these chemicals as illegal on Nov 24, 2010! Try to find information that current on a random esoteric subject using any other known resource on this planet!

I absolutely love the website - free of pop ups and advertising. A true online learning resource. A place to self educate and learn. Love the random article feature! As a CPA, I've used your site to gain valuable information on the financial markets and learned about CDO's and credit default swaps more in depth. I have always been surprised at the wealth of financial information available as well as more fun topics like learning about Burton Snowboards! Keep doing what your doing and I will keep supporting you all the way.

I'm a writer--a poet and critic--and I use Wikipedia constantly. I even found out about the "Siegenthaler incident" via Wikpedia! I have based poems on information found on Wikipedia; I have used it for background information on people I'm writing about. It's an amazing resource. I could go on in this way, but I'd like to quote from someone you can find on Wikipedia: Father Walter J. Ong. Ong seems to me to have been one of the finest minds of the 20th century. This is a quotation from an article, "Technology Outside Us and Inside Us," published in 1978. I think that--despite the article's date--what Ong says here might easily characterize the effects of Wikipedia:

“With electronic processes, the increase in immediately retrievable and interactive knowledge almost surpasses the imagination—does indeed surpass the imagination that is unassisted by the computer—and a still further stage in consciousness begins. The computer has made it possible to assemble almost instantaneously details which in the past would have taken thousands of years to work up and thousands more to work through. As a result, in high-technology cultures, problems—not just answers, but problems—of a sort entirely unthinkable without a computer have become commonplace in man’s intellectual world.

“Again, the new technologies of print and electronics have affected not just the external world but the interior of man’s mind, the entire noetic economy in which he experiences himself and the world around him. In this sense, the technologies of writing, print, and electronics are more operative within us than outside us.”

Thank for this--the finest (and most democratic) encyclopedia ever assembled.

We live in paradise on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada. We have beautiful sweet water,clean air and a thriving shellfish industry which grows the famous Fanny Bay Oysters, which are shipped world wide. About a year ago, a company called Compliance Coal decided they wanted to open a coal mine about 3.5 miles uphill from the ocean. We are sick about the potential loss of Cowie Creek, the headwaters of which will be buried by toxic mine tailings. We are terrified that our water will be poisoned, and fish habitat destroyed. We spend countless hours researching about the detrimental effects of coal mining on the watershed, as well as the CO2 which will accelerate climate change. Wikipedia helps us gather information. Ideally, it would be great to put all that information on line for other communities which are fighting the same battles.We believe that we will win this battle. Knowledge is power. Thank you, Jimmy.

Like everyone else I know, I use Wikipedia virtually every day. But beyond immediate utility, Wikipedia represents to the perfect extension of the internet: both are decentralized self-organizing systems that magically build, expand, and correct themselves with only a hint of central direction, but in doing this they transform the way we live. If someone had told me in the 1990s that Encarta and all similar references would be swept away by a new product that users wrote themselves--for free--I would have scoffed. Why would thousand of people spend their time and energy contributing to a product that did not reward them in any tangible way, not even with a byline? But they did, and it worked better than my most fanciful imaginings. We hear every day about the ills of the modern world, and why modern society is going downhill. I don't buy it, and Wikipedia is a powerful example of why not--a way of harnessing the knowledge of millions of humans, without coercion or tangible reward--to the benefit of everyone.

Two years ago I worked with my husband Chris, my friend Ben Schwartz, and another volunteer, Wade Brainerd, to put an offline copy of Spanish Wikipedia onto OLPC XO laptops sent out to Peru.

There are now over 200,000 copies of this out there. I've seen a video of a child from Peru's jungle area, talking about nations she reads about on her laptop. Knowledge is so cheap, and so powerful.

I've written a featured article (Genetics), I've donated to various aid organizations, I've done exciting scientific research. But I think helping create this offline Wikipedia was the single most important and meaningful thing I've done with my life.

Well, I have used and enjoyed Wikipedia for years, but today I decided to make a donation. The reason I suppose is that I considered how helpful it was to take a few minutes out from what I was doing--which was transcribing a recorded oral history of my father-in-law's survival during WWII. Many years ago he recorded his experiences as a survivor not only of the war, but of the various dangers he faced being a Jew "hiding in plain sight" in Budapest. My husband began to explain "there was this group--the Nyilas party--in Hungary during the war, and their symbol was the double arrow..." so I looked it up in Wikipedia. I was able to read a synopsis of Hungarian fascism and anti-semitism that contextualized and enriched my understanding of this oral history. I can now include it in the written record that we will share with our children about their grandparents.

Fairly late in life, I changed careers. After decades teaching English, I became a technical writer for a large computer company. I know how to write, but the workings of computers and software have often left me stymied. Wikipedia has come to my rescue again and again as I have encountered concepts new to me, but all too familiar to the engineers I work for. Without Wikipedia, I would have foundered.

Not only has Wikipedia helped me with my job, but it has also given me information vital to my private life, particularly with issues involving my health.

Wikipedia exemplifies the dream of the Internet: the free sharing of information across the world. As advertizers threaten to co-opt this dream, Wikipedia stands as its champion.

Thank you for all that you do.

Wikipedia is great. I'm a clinical dietitian and use it several times a week when I need a reliable explanation for an obscure diagnosis. In the past I'd spend 30-45 minutes trying to find the correct information at the library or in the sometimes limited resources we have in our office. Wikipedia is a lifesaver and allows me to free up my time to spend on more pressing matters.

Wikipedia reminds me, as an Engineer, why I love Latin and Greek History and Norse Linguistics. It remind me, as a Classicist, why I love microbiology and nanotechnology and logic paradoxes. It reminds me, as a musician, why I love Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, and as a ceramicist, why I love Robinson Jeffers. Wikipedia allows me to be passionate about everything I love learning, and that's priceless.

Wikipedia to me means instant access to peer reviewed knowledge. With a large community of authors and contributors, Wikipedia has created a historical means of spreading and maintaining human knowledge. As Wikipedia continues to grow so does the capacity of mankind.

My Wikipedia story is unlike any other. What Wikipedia means to me is that I don't have to be rich to be smart. As a Sub-Saharan African Schoolboy, all I wanted to do was learn more about my world, but such knowledge comes at a great expense in that part of the world, but Wikipedia is helping change that. Now, as a legal and business consultant in New York City, I no longer have to worry about where to start my research when I run into a topic I have no clue about. It means I no longer have to feel like I can't contribute to conversations at a cocktail party, if I don't massive textbooks to support my points with. I really appreciate Wikipedia, I and I'm proud to support it in my own little way.

My story is simple. It like everyone else's with its own unique features. Wikipedia is a symbol of hope for all of us. There is so much done in secrecy by men of power today that want nothing more than to take even our ability to share and explore this world freely with one another. I make my donation with the belief held by Jimmy Wales. Free information written and discussed by us for us. If you think education is expensive, try ignorance.

It means free education and free access to information. Before Wikipedia, it was never easy to access information: you always had to own large Encyclopedias on various topics or go to libraries. Now, invaluable information on all possible topics is just a few clicks away.

I am a PhD student, we work with an enormous amount of concepts, and often, I am not sure what an article is talking about. In such situations, I go to Wikipedia. It has helped me to learn VERY QUICKLY (which is key) about the very large philosophical and sociological concepts. The same goes for famous scientists: within minutes, I know what a person wrote and is famous for.

I cannot thank enough the founders and authors in Wikipedia. Learning and knowledge comprise a very large part of my life, and Wikipedia has definitely enriched my life!

Using Wikipedia has gone from a novelty to a natural choice. I remember discovering Wiki and being mesmerized for hours. It was hard to believe that so much information about so many things was there for me without charge, without all the flashing, insistent ads. The most significant memory I have of using Wiki is when I was looking for a very specific, special gift for a friend. I had searched in every way I could, and in all the different ways I could think of, all leading to dead ends, both on and off the internet. Then, someone suggested I try Wikipedia. I was excited to find the details I needed on the correct name of the item, and so much more! So the gift became multifaceted. I found the rare book I had hoped to find, and I was able to present it along with a list of additional books that were unknown to my friend. It was awesome, and it was because someone, somewhere had a passion. They took the time to share what they knew and loved so that someone like me would come stumbling along someday and marvel at the discovery. Since then, it has become second nature to look to Wiki for answers. It saves the time of trolling through search engines. Then, I have the option to add to topics if I have pertinent info to share. So, what does Wikipedia mean to me? It means that humanity really does have a chance. When so many can see their way clear to record what they know for all time, it makes me believe that so much more is possible. In some way, behind the print, behind the screen, it is as tough all those people have joined hands in an unbreakable chain of knowledge and sharing. A chain where links can be added and time measured. How cool is that? How much further will it go? An open book available for all things, for all time. WOW, kinda gives me hope.

I am a medical student who has used Wikipedia extensively during my long hours studying. Often times when I am reading through my class notes or textbooks, I often come across a region of anatomy or a biochemical process that I am not clear on... and even after flipping through several books' indexes, I am left as puzzled as before. Enter Wikipedia to the rescue! Like most students I have limited funds, but Wikipedia has been so valuable to me that I have made 2 donations already. It is no wonder that there is actually a Facebook group called "Wikipedia is helping me get through med school"... for good reason! Thank you!!

Educating your own children is rewarding. It is also challenging. And, with a special needs child, our other home schooled teens have sometimes been left to their own learning devices. In that context, Wikipedia has become indispensable. We never cease to be amazed at how much our children have learned. And, much of it, most of it is self-directed. About 2 years ago we began noticing our 12 year old son, who hated reading and schoolwork, was conversing with such authority, with depth and rich context, we wondered what could possibly be happening. We since discovered he was spending hours every week on Wikipedia. It remains his most used reference, which he turns to for almost any question imaginable... and seldom coming away without an answer. Without a doubt, Wikipedia is the best learning tool to come along in decades. We expect it will remain that way even for his higher education. Koodos to the visionaries behind Wikipedia.

I am a professor of Public Administration at the University of Alaska Southeast in Juneau, Alaska. Like many professors, I began with a rather negative and patronizing attitude toward Wikipedia. Professors are trained to respect peer reviewed sources of information -- and we define "peer reviewed" in a very traditional, orthodox and restrictive way. I started out saying I never wanted to see a Wikipedia citation in a paper. Again, I was thinking very traditionally.

But I have discovered that Wikipedia can be a doorway to so much knowledge. It is a wonderful first step in a research process, providing background information, and a frame for understanding. Postings provide their own citations through which students can continue their exploration of the subject. I now encourage students to make Wikipedia their first stop in the research process.

Secondly, I am just beginning to realize the possibilities of a different kind of peer review -- one not limited to a certain class or profession or periodical. I am just beginning to open my eyes to the structures of status quo power that I have helped to support. And I am interested in challenging that perspective.

I am particularly interested in your Public Policy initiative. I am considering how I might integrate student work into the Wikipedia project and would welcome an opportunity to participate in the initiative.

Thank you for your creativity

I support wikipedia because it a grassroots worldwide community based exchange of information. It is noble in its philosophical mission and sound in its actual manifestation.

Brain: Who did this? Fingers: Wikipedia Result: Warm Glow

Two things. 1) Knowledge about anything--I mean ANYTHING--at my fingertips. I am pretty addicted to no longer having to debate facts. If I see something I've never heard of (The Port Huron Statement, mentioned in THE BIG LEBOWSKI, as an example), I can just look it up. 2) Outreach. I am first time documentary filmmaker, and I created a page about our doc, TAR CREEK, and was able to link it to all of the other pertinent pages on Wikipedia that our documentary covers, such as the Quapaw Tribe, Picher, OK, the Tar Creek Superfund Site, and even Watermelon Slim, who scored the film. 120 people a month come to our website from Wikipedia. Those are all qualified users who had some knowledge before they came our way. But think of the countless other users who got to know about our outreach work for the film WHILE they were on Wikipedia. And think of the other people who were researching the Quapaw Tribe or Picher or Watermelon Slim and had no idea about our film. For documentary filmmakers, who have no budgets and limited connections, Wikipedia helps make those connections just by helping to create the community. That's my story.

As a college professor many times I heard my colleagues lament about Wikipedia. I would hear them again and again assert that the information in Wikipedia was inaccurate and misleading students. When I heard this, I always say to myself, "What are they basing their assessment on? Have they used Wikipedia?"

In my own experience, Wikipedia provides a quick, in depth assessment of my research questions from molecular biology to etiology of hodgepodge. I often find it the best first place to start, and often it provides insights available no where else, and I am comfortable telling students this and reminding them that research means digging into a topic and that a thoughtful critique always requires careful crosschecking from multiple sources.

I teach my students to be critical consumers of information, and I know that we're not living in my parents world anymore--Wikipedia is their future.

I was priviledged to attend one of the best high schools in the city back then, but financial issues arose and I had to go to a public college. Facilities were either antiquated or non-existent. Five years passed and all through my programme with the institution, no day went by without having to consult Wikipedia-the project was a lifesaver as we neither had a traditional nor digital library on my campus. As I prepared my final year project, Wikipedia also came in handy and I was able to come up with one of the best projects-eventually setting me up on a career in software engineering. In the spirit of Wikipedia, I set up a digital library in my alma mata and soon, we will be integrating with Wikipedia. Wikipedia, my bedrock.

I was in the Versailles Palace in France, and I took the audio guide as I went around the palace into the different rooms. Unfortunately, the audio guide stopped working mid-way through my tour and there was still half of the palace left for me to explore. So I got my blackberry out and went onto Wikipedia and typed in Versailles Palace and fortunately there was a second link there which was Versailles Palace rooms. Meanwhile, my dad was skeptical I would such information on the internet, he said to me "Why would they have tour guides and audio guides if all that knowledge was on the internet?" Then I told him "Dad, there's a whole wiki page on the rooms and the importance of each room and the paintings within them" He was shocked. This was when I realised that the knowledge was there to be had, but Wikipedia was the porthole to easily share it. The very fact that I don't get any pop-ups or there isn't a side bar on the right with different advertisements is the truly unique and coolest thing about wikipedia. My small donation is the step forward for Wikipedia and I hope people can understand Jimmy's ideology and apply it to their lives. Sharing is the key to our future. Beginning with global warming, we must share the responsibility of cleaning up the damage we have done to our beautiful planet, Earth.

At least twice a week I turn to Wikipedia to answer a question I have. Today I used it twice in the last twenty minutes - to look up the origin of the term "Black Friday" and the origin of the term Sourdough for an Alaskan old-timer. It is most often the first place I go to learn more about a subject - any subject. I have even contributed a little to an article on the steam engine. It's a wonderful and crucial tool that contributes to knowledge and understanding around the world - and it's free. What more could you ask for?

Wikipedia means getting unbiased information un-liked to any particular agenda. It means knowing that what I read can be relied on. I particularly like the various links in most entries, and have learned an enormous amount of information through the Wikipedia submissions. Some of the most valuable information I have found on identifying the symptoms of the immune system disorder I suffer from have come from research done on Wikipedia. Successful treatments that I have suggested to my doctor have come from there as well. Thanks, Mr. Wales, and Wikipedia!!

The knowledge provided by Wikipedia is valuable and necessary in our present day circumstances. When I think of all the people that you have enlighten already, and when I think of the vast number of people in future generations who will benefit from community of knowledge and sharing, I feel not only deeply grateful for your courage and vision, but also strongly compelled to encourage others to support your good cause and to continue to provides at least a small amount of assistance toward the continuation of Wikipedia.

When Wikipedia first came out, I scoffed, probably like many, that it was just a place where people could write whatever they want. As time went by and I noticed more and more reference material was being steered from and to Wikipedia, including many schools and youth organizations, I began to reconsider.

I am the parent of a boy scout working on his Eagle project. I am also a boy scout leader and my primary purpose in the troop is to teach merit badges. To my great surprise, in the online workbooks, every reference to find information for a particular requirement is outlined in Wikipedia.

I am also earning my fourth college degree and I find myself searching the Internet often, trying to find the best answer to a number of questions that are not clear in the textbooks I use. Sure enough, the fastest and easiest to understand are always found in Wikipedia!

For that, I thank you and ask that you continue with the outstanding work. Over time, you have certainly changed my opinion.

If I were a weathly man, I would give you more money.

What you have given me in return, for free, far outweighs what I was able to give back with the donation.

Thank you, Wikipedia, and thank you to all the people who help make it what it is.

Wikipedia is great from several standpoints. First, it is extremely helpful in that it provides such a good overview of information on such a wide variety of topics. Second, it is a very powerful demonstration of what can be accomplished when the contributions of many can be aggregated into a whole that in this case is clearly greater than the sum of its parts. Third, at a time when commercial interests dominate the agenda, it is heartening and inspiring to have commercial free access to information and knowledge by all. Bravo!

I have been an Art Director/Graphic Designer and Photographer for over 30 years. In years past, before the advent of the internet, it took several days if not weeks to research photography for films and presentations. Stock Photography was distributed by a very limited set of Image Libraries from large Agencies. They controlled almost all the access to these images, even though a lot of the images I need for my work are out of copyright and in the public demain. With the advent of the Internet in the 90's and 2000's it finally became much more easier to research, but you still had a very restricted license for a majority of the public domain materials available. Now with the help of Wikimedia, my research has expanded enormously and the public domain materials are now 'free' as they should be. But I know through experience how difficult it is to determine whether an image is in the public domain. So Wikimedia has helped me tremendously in finding these images and the author/owner(s) of the images. That is why I made my donation to Wikimedia. Every Graphic Designer and photographer should do this!

I have health problems, most web based sources use the pain of illness to sell "cures". These schemes, the high tech version of snake oil, are useless expensive and harm a vulnerable group; often poor uninsured desperate people in pain. Even the fortunate few who have health insurance education money and time become susceptible if chronically or mortally ill. Wikipedia is not a final source of hard information due to the indiscriminate origins of it's data, yet there is nothing being sold, no one milking misery for profit. Wikipedia at it's best is the largest most diverse support group imaginable. I am grateful for the facts offered as gifts and the inspiration of humans cooperating for the highest good.

Here is an e-mail I just sent to 24 friends who regularly communicate electronically. FWIW __________________________________

On-line Friends--

For the 2nd time in about 3 years or so, I felt compelled to help support a non-profit resource I frequently use...the Wikimedia Foundation. Wikipedia is but one of my sources of information on the web...and they receive no revenue from advertising, because there is none. All of their information is stored on servers somewhere, and their purchase and maintenance is not free.

The Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. is a non-profit charitable corporation with 501(c)(3) tax exempt status in the United States.

Once, I became part of the process, and personally edited a citation where I discovered erroneous information existed. To me, it is significant that the organization allows all of us, some with specialized information, to become co-contributors by adding to the knowledge-base which benefits all who seek truth.

If you too, benefit from this fantastic and valued resource, won't you consider supporting them as well?

Wikipedia is a miracle. It is the power of millions of individuals contributing, sharing, giving to a pool of knowledge that is free to everyone with the internet. I trust Wikipedia over private encyclopedias because, we, as citizens of the world, "police" the site and can protest information we find inaccurate. There is no other reference site that allows us to do this. We are all essentially editors, participants and recipients of this miracle. Thank you, Jimmy Wales!

Whenever I want to research a topic or look up historical or biographical information, Wikipedia is normally my first and preferred destination on the Internet. Wikipedia is very good at providing intelligent summaries and high level overview of various topics, and is an excellent starting point for many research projects. Wikipedia is one of the most valuable assets on the Internet and is an exemplary model of quality through collaboration at no cost to users. I also love the fact that Wikipedia does not rely on advertisements for revenue (haven't seen any yet).

I've never really been much of a donator to anything, but, at this point anyway, donating to Wiki is a "no-brainer" for me. If wiki or something like it wasn't around, i would be a LOT, LOT poorer.

Just 20 or so years ago, to get the information i needed to function as a thinking human being i had to travel by car and then airplane to reach the nearest university library, a process which took days and cost hundreds of dollars.

Now with WIki and it's equivalents this can all be done instantly at a touch of a button from my armchair at home! Who in his wildest dreams would have thought this possible!?

As Wiki seems to be a clear leader with this whole thing, and it's free to use, i really feel it's incumbent upon me to do what i can to keep it going, thank you Wiki!

As a parent, having Wikipedia as an important source when researching homework with my son is very important to me. It it almost always the first place I look when getting started on a topic.

Humanity has never had so much access to information and self study materials, but our risk of losing it is very high. As an open source applications developer, I see the pressure and lures of information 'walled gardens' everywhere, whether in service to some profit center or in the name of national security interests. Who owns information is one of the great topics of our times, and Wikipedia sets out a clear and shining answer, "We (all of humanity) Do!"

I hope we can keep Wikipedia and other resources like it free forever. Good Luck!

I don't often think about it, but Wikipedia has evolved into my "go to" source for quick and almost always accurate information about any one topic. I remember when I had to research topics using out of date encyclopedias and library books. While those mediums have their place, Wikipedia represents, to me, a means to share everyone's tiny sliver of insight and wisdom in a way that will eventually be accessible to all.

I make it a habit to learn something new about history at least 3 or 4 times a week. Wikipedia has really made that much easier for me to do. For example, this week I learned about the American colonists. That lead me to want to know more about the American revolution, which made me want to know more bout George Washington. Some nights I'll sit down, and due to the ability to "link" to other subjects, I'm on Wikipedia for hours. I credit Wikipedia for inspiring me to want to learn more. I usually end up buying a book or two based on the articles I read on Wikipedia. Thank you!

In my youth, the encyclopedia was my main source of factual information. We didn't own a set, so getting answers often meant a trip to our local library.

When I have a question on some subject, I still look it it up, only now the answer is as close as my laptop computer. Only now, Wikipedia is my resource.

Whether to find information about a movie, or learn about a place I hear about in a news broadcast, or the help with my computer science studies, I frequently turn to Wikipedia.

I don't know where I would be without this resource, and best of all, it's free!

I hope with the cooperation of thousands like me across the web, we can keep it that way.

As a medical scientist, I use Wikipedia as a source for keeping up with research in my and related scientific areas. As a curious person, I use Wikipedia to help me learn things about the world we live in. As a citizen of our planet, I use Wikipedia to keep me informed about thing like climate change and resource depletion that will impact our family, our children and our children's children for decades to come. Wikipedia is an essential, up to date, continuously evolving source of information that is available to everyone. A wise steward of the organism of ideas that we all work for, Wikipedia is priceless, so it is a small but important expression of generosity to contribute to its health and wellbeing.

I'm new to Wikipedia although I've seen and heard references to it since it's inception. Recently my daughter was diagnosed with a rare type of influenza that lives in the bloodstream. Other than the name, the hospital doctors couldn't explain it. My heart jumped when I saw the name and a lot of information on the subject here on Wikipedia. I am just learning about this disease and I am just learning about Wikipedia as a result. I've added you to my list of things to be thankful for in this world. although money is tight and I seldom feel free to donate to causes, this one grabs me so I am making a donation. What a marvelous idea Wikipedia is. My beloved son, now deceased, valued knowledge above nearly everything. I've been searching for a way to honor him. This cause feels a little like finding a home for my aching heart.

The ideal of an open and free internet, used for improving knowledge of all types is worth supporting. Though the past three years have been very difficult for my family, including surviving breast cancer and losing our company, I am happy to contribute to Wikipedia. I only wish I did have a corporate matching gift. So many organizations ask for funding, but all seem to have some agenda. Not one makes the broad contribution that Wikipedia does. I never realized until today that the Foundation existed through donations. The site has been a "go to" for us whenever we want to know facts or data about anything we can imagine. It's just always there. Now I hope my small contribution helps to keep it that way. Thanks.

What does Wikipedia mean to me?... A lot. So much that my words fail me; I feel like my English isn't good enough to express my feelings. Putting aside the fact that I've used it countless times to find material for both my (many) hobbies and my university studies, sometimes even losing myself in an ocean of fascinating information, Wikipedia represents for me the human struggle to surpass our limitations... by starting from the limitations of our knowledge, which is the basis of everything that actually makes us human.

Wikipedia has changed my perception of the world. Not because of its stunning wealth of information; no, that's also available elsewhere (although not in such an organized form). Because it showed me that human beings are capable of putting aside their differences and cooperating in a project of huge scale, in order to make scientific knowledge (a collective achievement of the whole mankind) FREELY and OPENLY available to everyone in the world.

Knowledge should always be open and free; I cannot see how any true scientist would ever think otherwise. It may sometimes be physically impossible, but Wikipedia helps to overcome these physical limits.

I've considered contributing as an editor, but I have no real area of expertise (yet), so I've only done very minor edits (typos etc.) To all those that struggle everyday trying to further improve Wikipedia I only want to say: Keep up the good work!

I teach electronics in the Music Technology program at NYU. I use Wikipedia to research background material for my lectures. The explanations, illustrations and biographies all help to engage my students in the learning process. I believe it is important to support this vital source of constantly updated information and keep it available to all.

To bring this world forward, we need information to the people. We are at a stage here in the world, where evolution is too slow to keep up with the development of our brains.

To be able to continue this development, we need to bring all the information possible to the people, and what other way than to share what we know and treasure.

A cash contribution is the least thing that we could do for all the people working on this; dedicating their time.

Thank you!

a place i like to get lost in, my cave full of unusual pathways, discovery and wonder either in a nutshell or hours worth of reading. what could be better and more important than a place where we can all benefit from each other, share, take part, re-invent. a place free of advertising and corporate greed. one of the most wonderful aspects of the digital revolution, no digital divide, but commons. can not imagine to be without it.

Gone are the days when we said encylopedia is the ultimate collection of knowledge. As a kid, I dreamt of buying those books but couldn't even afford it. But now, information is at your click, not only u get info, but u share and feel the joy of sharing knowledge.

I found out that when u share knowledge, it doesn't shrink but expands and grows...

By the time I graduated High School in 1987, I had learned almost nothing. For 18 years I had performed busy work and had been kept off the streets, but beyond the work of a few truly generous teachers I was a blank slate. Television, comic books, and science fiction was the sum total of what I knew, and because of how schools taught, I found it deathly boring, and yet terrifying, since failure would mean my future would presumably also fail.

One of my greatest frustrations about school, both high school and college, though to a lesser degree, was how difficult it was to find information on the few things that could hold my interest, and I was considerably more academic than most of the public school students. I often shudder to think about the non-academic high school students who tested poorly in fifth grade and were forced to accept a track that would teach them little more than a single trade. How do they find answers to the questions about the world? It all seems quite unfair, excluding knowledge from the bulk of the population, or making it such a rigorous process that only those trained in research can succeed.

In this regard, Wikipedia is a truly revolutionary site, and making free to use and so easy to use and interact with really sets it apart. Even more than Public Radio, I think that Wikipedia is a crucial tool for our society as a form of self improvement and tool for learning how to find more detailed information.

In another decade you will surely be supported by the millions of people you have allowed to succeed in ways they could never before imagine. In another decade I will be proud to have given my support in these early years.

I can't remember when I found Wikipedia. When I finally registered to edit and discuss articles is documented but the impact it has had on my personal pursuit of knowledge is completely unmeasured. It has been one the most valuable resources I have encountered and I truly don't know what we would be doing without it. I wish I could give more, and maybe one day, I will. Til then, stay true to the pursuit of completely free, uncensored knowledge.

Wikipedia means freedom to me...The Freedom to not only take advantage of this wonderful vast amount of free information, but it also affords my teenagers opportunity to keep up with the ever changing, living maze of available information we are expected to stay on top of everyday.... right at their fingertips. School districts are increasingly adding assignment for children to complete as homework via the internet. Many of which require research on sites such as the one you had the incite to create. When I was their age, we could only reference yearly or bi-annually encyclopedias, If your family was fortunately enough to afford a complete set. It affords my family the opportunity to share in the information world without imposing a financial burden on me, especially in today frail economy and high unemployment rates. We can hardly afford to eat and keep the utilities current and internet available because now having access to the World Wide Web is as important as having a local public library card.

Thank you Mr. Wales for thinking of me and my family...

The story I write is not of me, but of my students who quench their need of knowledge through wikipedia. I teach in a school that is surrounded by riches but dominated by poverty. The young minds I teach yearn for knowledge and experience but are met daily with isolation and despair. Through wikipedia many of my students have learned about far away countries and their rich histories. Others have learned the myths surrounding the heavenly bodies they cannot physically perceive in the night sky. Yet their appetites are satisfied after using wikipedia. There is no other site I dare to visit or expose this young minds to. Thank you for all your hard work and effort in having much needed information at our fingertips. There isn't a day I go without using wikipedia to reference one thing or another.

My great grandfather who I am named after donated his lifes work and in the end his life at 35,a young age. He was born in Peru on a ship when his life began, ending in New York in 1895,where he was a research doctor in biology working on a cure for Cholera. I am honored with his name. I also want to do something for the good of mankind, so I donate this small amount as be a part of a better world as you do with your free service. I am a Navy veteran from the Vietnam era and glad I served my country.

Wikipedia is beyond anything I could have hoped for as a child growing up - I'm driven by an insatiable need to know, to understand, to explore. I'm restless until I find the answer to something I want to know about, and Wikipedia has put the knowledge of a whole Universe at my fingertips. Not only can I look up what I desire to know, but the journey of insight and exploration that follows never fails to amaze me. Just last night, I looked up a historical event that was on a TV program - from there, I found myself jumping from pages of history to pages of medicine, and from there to pages of cultural and ethnic customs, and from there to geography and onward to exotic flora and fauna. By the time the night was over I had read more than 100 articles and was amazed yet again by the complexity of our small world, one of only billions in our Universe, at the frailty and ingenuity of humanity, at the immense diversity that surrounds each and every one of us every day - and all that we can embrace and understand, if only we open our eyes.

Wikipedia for me encapsulates what a group of people can do together. Most of them will not have met, and yet there is still a sense of community (including the differing points of view and bickering ;-)! The ethos of openness, sharing and giving of time for no immediate financial return is heartwarming, and its rise from a source (that still has is nay-sayers) that is growing in credibility illustrates that (as long as searchers also have evaluative skills and ability to spot bias) the knowledge of the whole is far greater than an individual publisher.

Wikipedia is more than a source of information, more than a reference tool. It's a fellow-traveller. It's as if it's a living colleague who grows, learns, shares, matures, develops, just like we all do throughout our lives. Only it knows a lot more than any of its friends ever will, so perhaps it's more like a super-smart great-grandaddy, without being infallible. I only hope that, unlike you and I, it is immortal, and serves as friend and wise elder for many generations to come.

I am a 6th grader and I live in India. Sir for me your site is just like a important part of my life. I thank you for producing such a great site. I really wanted to give you money to help you sustain this wonderful site but I am a small child and don't have money to give it to you. Sir but there is no problem. I have thought of a plan. I would give you money when I will become a big man. As by the light of knowledge you are giving me will really help me to become some rich and famous man and then I would give you a huge amount to sustain this site as this wonderful sit should be sustained, should 'nt it sir. Now I bid goodbye to you and I really have a dream to meet you.

Even though I'm working 2 jobs to survive after being laid off in February of this year, I had to donate a small amount to Wikipedia. I HAD to because I use Wikipedia several times each day, researching topics for both of my jobs. The best thing is that Wikipedia provides essential info up front without me having to plow through tons of text - kind of a "just the facts, ma'am - Joe Friday" approach. Thank you, thank you, thank you. You make my life easier every day.

I personally believe there is no greater cause than the sharing of knowledge, and Wikipedia embodies the spirit of this endeavor. Community driven and regulated, it is way for all of us, no matter race, creed or country, to share from the same repository...to drink from the same well. Once there is commonality of understanding, then all those differences that once seemed so important cease to be in the weight and scope of the sum of humanity. Wikipedia is that sum, that beautiful answer to the formula we have asked ourselves since time could be recorded: What does it mean to be human?

As a web developer I strongly support the idea of bringing knowledge to the masses without a heavy cost attached. In a world where licensing and iTunes accounts has become the accepted norm it is breath of fresh air to have sites like Wiki sharing, teaching and growing our understanding of the world without requiring a credit card. Companies like Wiki that choose to think outside the box, and not bow down to the almighty dollar are an inspiration to me, and a growing technically savvy generation. Thank you for proving it is not always about the bottom line.

A story from Romania:
 * From our 2009-2010 fundraiser

Sunt o persoana curioasa si combativa. Imi place sa stiu multe, sa-i inteleg pe ceilalti si sa-mi argumentez pozitiile. Nu sunt bogata, asa ca internetul este poarta mea spre lume, spre oameni, spre stiinta. Prima data am gasit Wikipedia in engleza, si mi-a fost destul de greu, apoi pe cea in franceza, si abia apoi in limba romana. Am fost absolut entuziasmata: statistic, in Romania erau putini utilizatori de internet.

Am povestit tuturor prietenilor.

Dar cel mai frumos a fost acum doua saptamani, cand mi-am invatat mama- care are 72 de ani- sa caute informatii in Wikipedia ro. Mama mea acum invata sa utilizeze calculatorul. Nu i-a venit sa creada ca aceasta enciclopedie poate fi cercetata gratuit. "Cum? Cine a tradus in romana toate informatiile acestea? Si sigur n-o sa primesc acasa o factura? Nu pot sa cred ca cineva face aceste lucruri fara sa-mi ceara ceva in schimb! Chiar nu credeam ca se mai face ceva dezinteresat in lumea asta."

I-am spus ca, probabil, internetul,si accesul liber si gratuit la informatie poate pune bazele celei mai democratice societati pe care o cunoastem. Eu sper ca asa va fi. English translation: I am a curious and competitive person. I like to learn, to understand and be able to argue my opinions. I am not rich, so the Internet is my gateway to the world, to people and to science. First I found Wikipedia in English, but it was pretty difficult to understand; then I found the French edition, and then the Romanian – I was very enthusiastic, because the statistics say there are few Internet users in Romania.

I told all my friends about it.

But the most amazing thing was that two weeks ago, I learned that my 72 year old mother reads the Romanian Wikipedia. My mother now knows how to use a computer. She did not know that this encyclopedia could be used for free. "How? Who has translated all this information into Romanian? And is it sure that I will not get a bill in the mail for this? I can't believe someone has done all this work without asking for anything in return. I did not think anyone in the world would do something as selfless as that."

I said that perhaps the Internet, and free and open access to information, can build a more democratic society than the one we know. I hope it will.

Students in our city who cannot afford even a day’s meal are still interested in learning and continuing their schooling. We decided to offer support to these kinds of students in various ways. Wikimedia provided us a path to direct the students to connect to Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. We are planning to offer free Internet access to the students, with access to the free encyclopedia, Wikipedia. We wish to support the students’ community, the next generation, with free education by the Wiki-way! We request all visitors to support Wikipedia, support nonprofit education!

I was recently deployed for the second time to Iraq this past year. I was a Section Sergeant for a "Gun Truck" team of 25 Soldiers attached to an Infantry Battalion. We spent about 400 days in the Babil Province of Iraq and conducted over 450 patrols. We were in constant interaction with the Iraqi culture and population in our sector and we had no knowledge of their culture and history. I did not want us to be "bad" ambassadors for the U.S. and the only way I could make sure my Soldiers respected the Iraqi people was to educate them on the history of Islam and culture of Iraq. With only a laptop in our Tactical Operations Center, I accessed Wikipedia weekly and researched everything from the rich history of our area in Iraq to the Shiite religion. Knowledge breaks all barriers and eliminates fear. Thank you.



I'm from Agnam-Goly, a Sahelian village in north-eastern Senegal with a population of 3,143 inhabitants. (...) I used Wikipedia the first time in 2007 for educational purposes while I was studying in Cheikh Anta DIOP university of Dakar. At the beginning, I thought like many other students in Dakar that the Wikipedia articles are all completed work to which I can't add anything- I mean a closed system. (...) But by curiosity, I entered the name of my village (Agnam-Goly) within the Wikipedia search tool, and I noticed that the article entitled "Agnam-Goly" does not exist but I can create it. And I said to myself "wow, how come?!". I was so happy to know that I can be part of the system, I mean becoming an active Wikipedia user and contributor.

(...)

Well, I started elaborating on the article about Agnam-Goly (...) Then I shared worldwide lots of information about my village: its history, tradition, geography, economic, social organization, myths, beliefs, people, architecture, and culture. As I didn't have a digital camera for my first Wikipedia writings, I said to myself that I can use a drawing which I can scan and share. The first image I used for my village was a diagram of its infrastructures: its school, health clinic, borehole and wells, the central market, the soccer field and the mosques. And that idea works quite good as I do not have a digital camera. But it can be hard to convey every reality of my village through drawing and it is time consuming. So I started saving some money in order to buy a digital camera, which took me four months. I bought a digital camera and took more than one thousand pictures related to my village so that I can share them through Wikimedia commons and use some of them to elaborate on the article about my village.

(...)

But what I learnt most from all of that is the fact that the best of the communities is the community of knowledge and sharing and that's what WIKIPEDIA means to me.

(...)

PS: I wish I had money to donate to Wikipedia. I hope to do so one day, after all, I made the digital camera possible!

You can find the article that Adama started in the French Wikipedia: Agnam-Goly.

I am the older sister of a man with autism who is truly curious about the world. After showing him how to pose a question on the computer and bring up Wikipedia, he developed his own way to investigate maps, eras, history, space, well the list goes on and on. I was working on a project and was stumped by the origin of a concept. He astonished me by typing a related word on to the screen, then bringing up Wikipedia! Your site has truly helped to develop his sense of our world! Professionally I am the Director of an agency serving children and adults with autism. Having done so well with my own brother, I insist people who work with our autistic participants use Wikipedia as often as possible. What a fantastic way to teach, illustrate and enlighten individuals with and without handicaps! Thank you Wikipedia! Have a story to share? Please tell us! Click here.

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