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Wikipedia is donor driven, in case anyone wants to show their support.

Where's the "that's not how this works" lady?

Saudi Arabia is fully capable of making its own online encyclopedia. Why doesn't it just do that?

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Because no one would use it. Much like Russia and China, the Saudis want to extend their influence across the world, and taking over the largest and most widely used free source of information on the web would be a huge step in that direction.

China is a really good example. They have Tiktok.

I really think if Saudi Arabia tried they could come up with something that competes with Wikipedia in the same way Tiktok is competing with Facebook. And the best way to spread influence, IMO, is to follow the China model. Just look at how much China makes Hollywood bend to it's will. Objectively, it's really something. Saudi Arabia can do something similar with all that money they have. And they're trying a bit here and there. That LIV golf thing seems to be a non-starter. But it shows they're trying a different tact. The thing is they have to start now. Before the oil runs out, before EVs take over, before temps reach 65°C in Riyadh.

Every year. Most valuable knowledge resource in history. Fighting it makes governments look stupid.

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I would be worried using any public forums when living in those countries, they are heavily invested in most social media platforms and I am certain they can get data on any users when they request it, it’s regulatory requirement in most countries to comply, just make up some reason and you get your data, I am sure Elon doesn’t want to upset his Saudi backers

The spyware tools available to these despots from immoral companies are plenty, it’s a lucrative industry that’s growing, here are some that got exposed but I suspect many more are incognito.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hacking_Team

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pegasus_(spyware)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Candiru_(spyware_company)

That is all before you get into the investment they’ve made into developing local industries to do this, M-B-S is certainly tech savvy and uses it to maintain his grip on power, it was said that Jamal was meticulously tracked by Pegasus, along with other activists, too many people don’t understand the dangers of the tech they willingly carry in their pockets.

Cyber is the new battleground and it’s too easy to fall victim.

Saddened that the biggest players lock down access for users to even check if they have been compromised in the name of money, at least on PCs you could take some precautions, how do trust your iPhone or Android when the actual criminals have a marketplace to bypass all that “security” when they want.

Thanks, Jimmy.

it's always something nice whenever the house of saud is in the headlines /s

Hmmm, makes me think I’m not contributing enough Saudi human rights Wikipedia content.

Saudi Arabia is now a major stakeholder in Twitter.

Right! If anything, I think this would reduce their control on Wikipedia. I mean, now there are 2 fewer staff members working in Saudi Arabia. I would also assume Wikipedia is going to vet the next Saudi hire very well or not even give them an opportunity at the job.

Which country was it that basically hired NSA contractors to set up their hacking network? It was one of those countries

I believe it was U-A-E, dubs is the capital of this kinda of thing in that region.

Yup that's the one I was thinking of. There was a great podcast where they interviewed one of the contractors.

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Two staff members, used to be one? I know they like chopping up journalists over there.

I sincerely hope that Prince Mohammed bin Salman won't order to chop them into pieces.

China has people and Hollywood will bend to china because china will prevent the movie from being played in their country. That would be a huge loss in profit for the company. Saudi is a backwards country with a super rich elite in a majority poor nation.

Saudis know that if you control information you can control people. At least the princes do, I can see them buy something similar to Wikipedia and push it. But right now they are in a weird spot

Saudi Arabia is a shithole.

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It always was. And Fox News. Which is hilarious.

Saudi had insiders in Twitter doxing journalists a few years ago that was a big story at the time.

Well, apparently the Saudis don't understand how it works. They have to break all of their computers with Wikipedia on them, obviously. I should know, I'm George Santos, inventor of the internet and other such wizardry.

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Just when I thought I was going to donate to em

Just beginning to air

Global Spyware Scandal: Exposing Pegasus

https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/frontline/documentary/global-spyware-scandal-exposing-pegasus/

I don't subscribe to any newspaper (NYT, WAPO, etc.) I don't contribute to any politician or political campaign. I do send wikipedia money.

Worth adding to my wiki support comment is that if I was going to subscribe to a news source it would be The Guardian.

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Yeah Saudi Arabia could payoff everyone to not make films they don't like but they would soon run out of money from paying off grifters pretending to make those films. China actually make real money for filmmakers so losing their market is a real loss of potential revenue in the way SA just isn't

Reminds me of when British Authorities smashed computers at The Guardian when they were printing the NSA leaks from Snowden

They have videos out about how its so cheap to move to the middle east but they never "feature" content like this nor do they show the torture and murders by the gov't. SAD.

First, why are there any “employees” of a volunteer encyclopedia working in the shithole that is SA?

The beginning of the end for BlackBerry was after they gave into Saudi demands for a back door into their mail server. It was clear then how much RIM valued its users.

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Saudi Arabia, the new Russia

most of the middle east is.

Saudi leadership = scumfucks.

Bone saw scumfucks.

Well this is going to be on their Wiki now, so...

So these are Wikipedia administrators (admins/sysops) who are top-level volunteer editors. They have the to block or restrict the access of other users. They aren't actually paid by the Wikimedia Foundation who owns Wikipedia. It sounds like those two are Saudi citizens who are unwilling to be puppets of their government.

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The Guardian smashed their own hard drive, rather than hand it over to GCHQ: source

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I didn’t know that and would likely not have believed it had it not come from the Guardian themselves. Thank you for providing the link

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If I were a devil I'll appoint you as my advocate

I don't use Facebook. I subscribe to a local newspaper. There wouldn't be any local news without it. I also send money to Wikipedia and Mozilla.

Huh, refreshingly honest and direct in their motivation atleast. Lol.

Just started a $5 recurring monthly donation.

This is the way.

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I believe Wikipedia is already permanently funded on the dividends alone of its Endowment wealth. To be clear, your support to "Wikipedia" goes to the Foundation's other projects and advocacy groups.

no-one would use it. also - you're missing the point: SA doesn't want ANY criticism of it ANYWHERE EVER. PERIOD.

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they want to control the narrative in EVERY space.

So does the Chinese government.

But the Chinese are eeking their way into Western culture with the knowledge that once they're fully in they can close the trap.

They all want to have their cake and eat someone else's, ideally while selling them the ingredients

> Just look at how much China makes Hollywood bend to it’s will. Objectively, it’s really something. Saudi Arabia can do something similar with all that money they have.

Not a good example really. China bends Hollywood to its will because it has an absolute massive movie market equal to that of the US. Saudi Arabia does not have that advantage.

There's only a handful of movie theaters in Saudi Arabia and it's only a tenth the size of America in population I grant you. But instead of people we can talk raw dollar figures and get Saudi Arabia closer to China in terms of capital. Factor that with Saudi Arabia's influence with rest of the region and you get a bit closer to a China comparison.

NOW would be a good time to make a donation to Wikipedia! F' Saudi Arabia fascism.

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