How does Wikipedia make any money? There are no ads. Why is that? As long as Wikipedia has no revenue stream, they’ll only get content from losers with enough spare time to give away their work for free.
So here’s my idea: Put product placements in the articles.
Now, I’m not talking about making them inaccurate by changing the articles to say things like that Ben Franklin enjoyed Cool Ranch Doritos, but they can insert the product placements in ways that keep Wikipedia integrity.
“Nitrogen freezes at −196 °C which feels as cold as a bottle of Coors with its new color changing label to let you know it’s cold.”
“Vincent Van Gogh was as crazy as the sale on home entertainment systems going on right now at Best Buy.”
“The Apatosaurus weighed 25 tons requiring it to eat plants all day since it didn’t have access to a Hungry Man dinner which would have satisfied its appetite much quicker.”
“Amelia Earhart disappeared over the Pacific Ocean, something that barely ever happens when flying Northwest.”
“The sabre-toothed tiger died out 10,000 years ago and unfortunately did not have Farmer’s life insurance.”
And people who pay for ads will get an extra bang for their buck as their ads will probably start appearing in kids’ papers since they tend to just copy sources verbatim. It’s a million dollar idea and I think Wikipedia should give a shot and pay me 10%.
“Stalin was really bad. You know who else was bad? Your ex-wife. Call us at Stankiewitch, Metzger, and Ronovich.”
This idea is brilliant, and that’s coming from the founder of MyWikiBiz.
It took me about two years to get my “product placement” into Wikipedia — an article ABOUT MyWikiBiz, which links directly TO MyWikiBiz. I finally have the last laugh.
Captain James T Kirk in the first series of Star Trek wiped out Klingons as effectively and comfortably as Zanzil toilet tissue.
On November 4th, 2009, Barack Obama was elected President because not enough Americans started their day with Cheerios as part of a complete, nutritious breakfast.
“Amelia Earhart disappeared over the Pacific Ocean, something that barely ever happens when flying Northwest.”
It usually happens everytime we take to the air, but to be fair it’s mostly your luggage.
Chuck: Haven’t flown Northwest, so I can’t speak to their luggage handling skills. I have flown Delta, and agree with Carrot Top that DELTA stands for Don’t Expect Luggage To Arrive.
Oh, and this idea is great. Burns and Allen used to do it. Gracie would be talking to Blanche, and Harry Von Zell would walk up and ask for some coffee and Carnation Condensed Milk. Classic.
Ceaser was an emperor of Rome who was killed by his own Senate. Try new and improved better tasting Kraft Ceaser Salad Dressing and save 50 cents.
There could be a whole article on the Pepsi Generation
Barack Obama is President of The United States…we know…and we understand. That’s why it’s always 5:00 somewhere and it’s always Miller Time!!!
Hi, I’m Billy Mays…well not really! If you don’t want to end up like him, come to our Heart Clinic today! Think of all the crap that won’t get sold because of one broken heart!
Buggering – See Michael Jackson
Bill Clinton, the former President, went through impeachment proceedings for lying under oath – HEAD ON, APPLY DIRECTLY TO THE FOREHEAD!
No profit is good profit! All profits should be given to me ,Ya’ll crackers is to dumb to spend it yourself.
President Barak O’bama was so inefficient and useless he was observed trying to walk through windows at the White House in his first months. Buy Windex today for your doors and windows for a superior shine, and you just might be lucky enough to have YOUR president walk through YOUR glass doors and windows one day !
They make no money from any one visitor, but they make up for it in volume.
Wiki is filled with misinformation! Kids are flunking tests because they use it and now Frank has fallen into the same trap. It is common knowledge that Ben Franklin never ate anything but original nacho flavor Doritios. For God’s sake, open a history book!
By the way, that would be a really bad move for North West, since Emelia Earhart was one of the original owners of the company when it first started. I think her spirit has lived on with that company, pulling your luggage to that place that she disappeared to.
Someone has obviously never flown Northwest… All that luggage has to go *somewhere*…
Tim,
Might we also find all those Stimulus dollars that have been spent in the same place?
“Napoleon was soundly defeated at Waterloo by Arthur Wellesley, the First Duke Of Wellington. If you’re planning on making Beef Wellington, be sure to shop Fry’s for our Everyday Low Prices in our Meat Department.”
Frank, you may be too late!
http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Mouthwash&diff=prev&oldid=242478013
Umm, you just gave away your work for free.
Could some private company (NOT government) like those guys who test products (Consumer Reports?) issue a “Certification of No B*llSh*t” for websites so that people visiting the site could have a reasonable assurance that the site would be factually accurate, virus free, and not operated by Russian pornographers?*
For Satire, Humor, and Hard-Hitting-Social-Commentary sites like IMAO, the certificate could read, “Here be Dragons; Enter at yore own Risk!”.
For sites like Wikipedia, which present themselves as sources of information, the cost of checking every factoid for accuracy might be cost-prohibitive – But a small monthly fee for subscribers could make this a money-maker for some computer-savey entrepreneur.
I suppose you’d have to add a ‘freshness label’ to each No BS certificate to keep people from changing the info once certified, like, “This info BS free as of 7/16/09, best if acted on before 7/17/09”.
*(I swear! I thought they were selling wrist-watches!)