This strange offer started because Elon Musk and Jimmy Wales are not getting along. The fight began when Jimmy Wales said it’s tough to tell who the real news people are on the internet, especially when there’s a big problem going on in Israel and Palestine. He was worried about all the false news.
Elon Musk didn’t like what Jimmy said, so he started to make fun of Wikipedia on Twitter. He tweeted, “Please fix Wikipedia,” and wrote a bunch of tweets saying Wikipedia isn’t so great.
But things got wild on October 22. Musk asked why Wikipedia needs so much money and said you can fit all of Wikipedia on a phone. Then, he made a big offer. He said he’d give them $1 billion, but only if they change their name to “Dickipedia.” He called it a “stiff & firm offer.” It’s like a game of words.
Fast moving claims and counter claims, and @elonmusk has removed all the core features that made it even remotely possible to tell real journalists from fakes.
— Jimmy Wales (@jimmy_wales) October 17, 2023
Why Did Elon Musk Do This?
So, what was Musk thinking? His offer to Wikipedia seems to be because he’s not happy with the info and news on the site. But asking for a name change and offering a billion dollars is a very unusual way to say that.
Wikipedians are not journalists. And it isn't about whether someone "calls themself" a journalist. It's that institutional affiliation being faked (as it was tonight) is a bad thing for knowledge and understanding. I'm sure you agree, right?
— Jimmy Wales (@jimmy_wales) October 17, 2023
Wrapping It Up
Elon Musk’s offer of $1 billion for Wikipedia to change its name to “Dickipedia” is definitely strange. It’s part of a big argument between Musk and Wikipedia’s creator, Jimmy Wales. But is it a genuine attempt to make Wikipedia better, or is it just Musk showing off his power and money? In the world of big tech and the internet, surprises like this are common. As for Wikipedia, they’re not changing their name anytime soon.
I will give them a billion dollars if they change their name to Dickipedia https://t.co/wxoHQdRICy
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 22, 2023
Wikipedia’s Answer
Wikipedia quickly replied to Musk’s strange offer. They said they are different from other big websites because they are a nonprofit. That means they don’t make money from ads, don’t charge people to use their site, and don’t sell anyone’s information. They made it pretty clear that they won’t be changing their name.
Wikipedia is the only website in the top-ten most-visited global websites to be run by a nonprofit – and at a fraction of the budget and staffing.
We are not funded by advertising, we don’t charge a subscription fee, and we don’t sell your data.
Read: https://t.co/w6LXXV2n20 pic.twitter.com/cE5GvSGUrM
— Wikipedia (@Wikipedia) October 23, 2023
