Wikimedia Staffer Loses Job Over Edit-for-Cash Scandal

From The Daily Dot:

In a statement released Wednesday night, the Foundation announced that Sarah Stierch, Wikimedia’s program evaluation community coordinator, would no longer work for Wikimedia.
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The accusations began with an anonymous blog post published Sunday accusing Stierch of taking cash for edits. It included screengrabs from a freelance job posting board where Stierch offered her services as a “long time Wikipedian, curator, researcher and outreach coordinator.”
A record of past projects on that page showed that she was paid $300 last month to create a “Wikipedia Page for an individual.” Another ongoing project listed on her page showed Stierch commanding $44.44 an hour for editorial work on the site.

Read the Complete Article
Includes a great deal of detail.
See Also: Full Text of E-Mail Post on Wikimedia-L About Dismissal of Sarah Stierch
Sent by Frank Schulenburg Senior Director of Programs, Wikimedia Foundation
Here’s How the Post Concludes:

Everybody makes mistakes, and I would like to believe that the Wikimedia movement is a place of forgiveness and compassion. And so I ask you to respect Sarah’s privacy at what is surely a difficult time for her, and to join me in wishing her every future success.
I sincerely hope that Sarah will continue her important work as a Wikipedian and member of the GLAM community, and I thank her for the commitment and energy and thoughtfulness she has brought to her work at the Foundation.

See Also: Wikipedia: “Extensive Network of Clandestine Paid Advocacy Exposed” (October 11, 2013)

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