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{{Short description|Dot-com company (1996–2007)}}
{{for|the genus of spiders|Bomis (spider)}}
{{pp-blp|small=yes}}
{{pp-move-indef}}
{{good article}}
{{use mdy dates|date=August 2022}}
{{Infobox website
| name = Bomis, Inc.
| logo = Bomis oval.svg
| company_type = Private company
| foundation = 1996
| founder = {{ubl | [[Jimmy Wales]] | Tim Shell | [[Chicago Options Associates|Michael Davis]] }}
| CEO = Tim Shell{{Sfn|Barnett|2005|p=62}}<ref name="wechselander" />
| location_city = [[St. Petersburg, Florida]]
| location_country = United States
| locations = 
| area_served = 
| key_people = 
| industry = [[Dot-com company|Dot-com]]
| products = {{plainlist|
*Bomis Premium<ref name="2013businessinsider"/><ref name="zittrain"/>
*Bomis Babes<ref name="evanhansen"/><ref name="nickmiller"/>
*''Bomis Babe Report''{{Sfn |Barnett|2005|p=62}}<ref name="rosenzweig"/>
*The Babe Engine<ref name="2013businessinsider"/><ref name="harryhenderson"/>
*Bomis Browser<ref name="robertwright"/>
}}
| services = 
| revenue = 
| operating_income = 
| net_income = 
| owner = 
| num_employees = 10
| divisions = 
| subsid = {{ubl | [[Nupedia]] (2000–2003)<ref name="mahadevan"/><ref name="heatherhasan"/> | [[Wikipedia]] (2001–2003)<ref name="rosenzweig"/><ref name="canhistorybeopen"/> }}
| url = [https://web.archive.org/web/20000510052746/http://www.bomis.com/ bomis.com], archived at the [[Internet Archive]]
| screenshot = 
| screenshot_size = 
| caption = 
| alexa = 
| website_type = {{ubl | [[Internet portal]] | [[Advertising|Advertising space]] }}
| language = English
| advertising = Yes
| registration = No
| launch_date = 1996
| dissolved = 2007<ref name="hutcheon"/>
| footnotes = 
}}

'''Bomis''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|b|ɒ|m|ᵻ|s}}, from ''Bitter Old Men in Suits'';<ref name="isaacson" /> rhyming with "promise"),{{Sfn |Conway|2010|p=7}} was a [[dot-com company]] best known for supporting the creations of free-content online-encyclopedia projects [[Nupedia]] and [[Wikipedia]].<ref name="harryhenderson"/> It was co-founded in 1996 by [[Jimmy Wales]], Tim Shell, and [[Chicago Options Associates|Michael Davis]].<ref name="seybold" /><ref name="dibona"/><ref name="andrewlih"/> By 2007, the company was inactive, with its Wikipedia-related resources transferred to the [[Wikimedia Foundation]].<ref name="hutcheon"/><ref name="ayers"/>

The company initially tried a number of ideas for content, including being a directory of information about [[Chicago]].<ref name= "paulanderson"/> The site subsequently focused on content geared to a male audience, including information on sporting activities, automobiles, and women.<ref name="thelunch"/><ref name= "davidweinberger"/><ref name ="clayshirky"/> Bomis became successful after focusing on pornography.<ref name="kuchinskas"/> "Bomis Babes" was devoted to [[erotic]] images;<ref name="evanhansen"/> the "Bomis Babe Report" featured adult pictures.<ref name= "rosenzweig"/><ref name="canhistorybeopen"/> Bomis Premium, available for an additional fee, provided [[explicit material]].<ref name="zittrain"/><ref name ="kuchinskas"/><ref name= "rhysblakely"/> "The Babe Engine" helped users find erotic content through a [[web search engine]].<ref name = "2013businessinsider"/><ref name = "harryhenderson"/><ref name = "manguward"/> The advertising director for Bomis noted that 99 percent of queries on the site were for nude women.<ref name= "brainscan"/>

Bomis created Nupedia as a free online [[encyclopedia]] (with content submitted by experts) but it had a tedious, slow review process.<ref name = "patrickseitz"/><ref name= "edemariam"/> Wikipedia was initially launched by Bomis to provide content for Nupedia,<ref name= "heatherhasan"/><ref name = "elisecraig"/><ref name = "brennenjensen"/> and was a [[for-profit]] venture (a Bomis subsidiary) through the end of 2002.<ref name="susanmeyer"/> As the costs of Wikipedia rose with its popularity, Bomis' revenues declined; these losses were compounded by the [[dot-com crash]].<ref name="neate"/> Since Wikipedia was a drain on Bomis' resources, Wales and philosophy graduate student [[Larry Sanger]] decided to fund the project as a [[Nonprofit organization|nonprofit]].<ref name="neate"/> Sanger was laid off from Bomis in 2002.<ref name="spotlightsanger"/> Nupedia content was merged into Wikipedia,<ref name="johnkwaters"/> and it ceased in 2003.<ref name="mahadevan"/>

The non-profit Wikimedia Foundation began in 2003 with a [[board of trustees]] composed of Bomis' three founders (Wales, Davis, and Shell)<ref name="andrewlih"/> and was first headquartered in [[St. Petersburg, Florida]],<ref name = "ayers"/> Bomis' location.<ref name = "mehegan" /> Wales used about [[United States dollar|US$]]100,000 of revenue from Bomis to fund Wikipedia before the decision to shift the encyclopedia to non-profit status.<ref name="martinhickman"/> Wales stepped down from his role as [[CEO]] of Bomis in 2004.<ref name= "noendtoit"/> Shell was CEO of the company in 2005, while on the Wikimedia Foundation board of trustees.{{Sfn |Barnett|2005|p=62}} Wales edited Wikipedia in 2005 to remove the characterizations of Bomis as providing [[softcore pornography]],<ref name="elisecraig"/><ref name = "jonbernstein" /> which attracted media attention;<ref name= "rhysblakely"/><ref name="timelliott"/><ref name="danmitchell"/> Wales expressed regret for his actions.<ref name="elisecraig" /><ref name ="jonbernstein" /> ''[[The Atlantic]]'' gave Bomis the nickname "''[[Playboy]]'' of the Internet",<ref name= "marshallpoe" /> and the term caught on in other media outlets.<ref name="neate" /><ref name = "givingupbillions" /><ref name="andrewkeen" /> Scholars have described Bomis as a provider of softcore pornography.<ref name= "brennenjensen" /><ref name="jeffhowe" />

==History==

===Background===
Jimmy Wales left a study track at [[Indiana University]] as a [[Doctor of Philosophy|PhD candidate]] to work in [[finance]] before completing his [[thesis|doctoral dissertation]].<ref name="edemariam">Edemariam 2011, p. 27</ref><ref name="givingupbillions" /><ref name="camillalong">Long 2012, p. 5</ref> In 1994 Wales was hired by [[Chicago Options Associates|Michael Davis]], CEO of finance company [[Chicago Options Associates]], as a [[Trader (finance)|trader]]<ref name="andrewlih" /><ref name="chozick" /><ref name="chozick1">Chozick 2013, p. MM28</ref> focusing on [[futures contract]]s and [[option (finance)|options]].<ref name="chozick" /><ref name="chozick1" /> Wales was adept at determining future movements of foreign currencies and [[interest rate]]s;<ref name="edemariam" /><ref name="givingupbillions" /> he was successful in [[Chicago]], became independently wealthy,<ref name="edemariam" /><ref name="givingupbillions" /><ref name="chozick" /> and was director of research at [[Chicago Options Associates]] from 1994 to 2000.<ref name="jamesdoran">Doran 2006, p. 49</ref><ref name="tommcnichol">McNichol 2007</ref><ref>PC Quest 2012</ref> He became acquainted with Tim Shell from email lists discussing philosophy.<ref name="andrewlih" /><ref name="elisecraig">Craig 2013, p. 84</ref>

Wales wanted to participate in the online-based [[entrepreneurial]] ventures which were increasingly popular and successful during the mid-1990s.<ref name="andrewlih" /><ref name="andrewkeen" /> His experience (from gaming in his youth) impressed on him the importance of networking.<ref name="andrewkeen" /> Wales was interested in [[computer science]], experimenting with [[source code]] on the Internet<ref name="patrickseitz" /> and improving his skill at [[computer programming]].<ref name="joannaslater" /> In his spare time after work at Chicago Options Associates, Wales constructed his own [[web browser]].<ref name="elisecraig" /> While at the firm, he noted the successful 1995 [[initial public offering]] of [[Netscape|Netscape Communications]].{{Sfn |Barnett|2005|p=62}}<ref name="patrickseitz" />

===Foundation===
{{multiple image
|title=Bomis founders
|total_width=400
|width1=2048|height1= 3072|image1=Jimmy-wales-frankfurt2005-alih01.jpg|caption1=[[Jimmy Wales]]|alt1=Man with short beard in a red shirt
|width2=147|height2=223|image2=Tim Shell Wikimedia cropped to collar.jpg|caption2=[[wmf:Former Board of Trustees members|Tim Shell]]|alt2=Dark-haired man in black shirt
|width3=2848|height3=4288|image3=Michael_E._Davis.jpg|caption3=[[Chicago Options Associates|Michael Davis]]|alt3=Light-haired man with goatee
|footer=Bomis was founded by Jimmy Wales, Tim Shell, and Michael Davis.<ref name="seybold" /><ref name="dibona" /><ref name="andrewlih" />
|caption_align=center
}}

Wales co-founded Bomis in 1996,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Russell |first=Kyle |title=Wikipedia Was Started With Revenue From Soft-Core Porn |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/wikipedia-bomis-2013-6 |access-date=2023-01-29 |website=Business Insider |language=en-US}}</ref> with business associates Tim Shell,<ref name="zittrain">Zittrain 2008, p. 133</ref><ref name="kuchinskas" /><ref name="susanmeyer">Meyer 2012</ref> and his then-manager Michael Davis,<ref name="seybold">Seybold 2006, p. 250</ref><ref name="dibona">DiBona 2005</ref><ref name="andrewlih" /> as a [[for-profit corporation]] with joint ownership.<ref name="dibona" /><ref name="jyhanlee">Lee 2013, p 91</ref><ref>The Hamilton Spectator 2008, p. A14</ref> Wales was its chief manager.<ref>Friedman 2007, p. 121</ref> In 1998 he moved from Chicago to [[San Diego]] to work for Bomis,<ref name="manguward">Mangu-Ward 2007</ref><ref name="stacyschiff" /><ref name="danielhpink">Pink 2005</ref> and then to [[St. Petersburg, Florida]] (where the company subsequently relocated).<ref name="mehegan">Mehegan 2006</ref>

The staff at Bomis was originally about five employees.<ref name="dibona" /><ref name="brainscan" /> Its 2000 staff included programmer Toan Vo, Andrew McCague and [[system administrator]] Jason Richey;<ref name="dibona" /> Wales employed his high-school friend and [[best man]] in his second wedding, Terry Foote,<ref name="chozick" /><ref name="chozick1" /> as advertising director.<ref name="brainscan">The Economist 2008</ref> In June 2000, Bomis was one of five network partners of [[Ask.com|Ask Jeeves]].<ref>Du Bois 2000, p. 33</ref> The majority of the revenue that came in to Bomis was generated through advertising.<ref name="chelseaschilling" /> The most successful time for Bomis was during its venture as a member of the [[NBC]] web portal NBCi; this collapsed at the end of the [[dot-com bubble]].<ref name="chelseaschilling" />

Although Bomis is not an acronym, the name stemmed from "Bitter Old Men in Suits"<ref name="isaacson">Isaacson 2014, ''The Daily Beast''</ref> (as Wales and Shell called themselves in Chicago).<ref name="andrewlih" /><ref name="susanmeyer" /><ref name="jaredduval" /> The site began as a [[web portal]],<ref name="kuchinskas" /><ref name="ayers" /> trying a number of ideas (including serving as an access point for information about Chicago).<ref name="paulanderson" /><ref name="isaacson" /> It later focused on male-oriented content, including information on sporting activities, automobiles, and women.<ref name="thelunch">The Globe and Mail 2012, pp. 89–91</ref><ref name="davidweinberger">Weinberger 2008, p. 138</ref><ref name="clayshirky">Shirky 2009</ref>

===Hosted content===
{{multiple image
|title=Bomis Babes
|total_width=200
|height1=350|image1=Silvia_Saint_001.jpg|caption1=[[Silvia Saint]]|alt1=Young woman in blond braids, wearing a white T-shirt
|height2=350|image2=Deanna Merryman 3 cropped.jpg|caption2=[[Deanna Merryman]]|alt2=Young woman with blond hair to shoulders, wearing a white T-shirt
|footer=[[Silvia Saint]] and [[Deanna Merryman]] in Bomis t-shirts.<ref>''Bomis Magazine'' (March 2, 2000)</ref><ref>''Bomis Magazine'' (March 1, 2000)</ref><ref name="bomisdenuded">Cadenhead 2005</ref><ref>Daughn 2000</ref>
|caption_align=center
}}
Working from the [[DMOZ|Open Directory Project]],<ref name="dangillmor">Gillmor 1999</ref> Bomis created and maintained hundreds of [[webring]]s on topics related to [[lad culture]].<ref name="marshallpoe" /> In 1999 the company introduced the Bomis Browser, which helped users block online [[pop-up ad]]s.<ref name="robertwright">Wright 1999</ref> Its webring on ''[[Star Wars]]'' was considered a useful resource for information on ''[[Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace]]'' (1999).<ref>Soriano 1999, p. 2E</ref> Additional webrings included sections helping users find information on the 1942 film ''[[Casablanca (film)|Casablanca]]'',<ref>Merlock 2000, p. 33</ref> [[Hunter S. Thompson]],<ref>Chester R (July 23, 1998), p. 25</ref> [[Farrah Fawcett]],<ref>Ward 2000, p. 8</ref> [[Geri Halliwell]] of the [[Spice Girls]],<ref>LaPointe 1998, p. F10</ref> and the 1998 film ''[[Snake Eyes (1998 film)|Snake Eyes]]''.<ref>Chester R (October 1, 1998), p. 21</ref> "Bomis: The Buffy the Vampire Slayer Ring", devoted to ''[[Buffy the Vampire Slayer]]'', organized over 50 sites related to the program.<ref>QNP 1998, p. 17</ref> [[Sheila Jeffreys]] noted in her ''Beauty and Misogyny'' that in 2004 Bomis maintained "The Lipstick Fetish Ring", which helped users with a particular attraction to women in makeup.<ref name="sheilajeffreys">Jeffreys 2005, pp. 60, 181</ref>

Bomis became successful after it focused on [[X-rated]] and erotic media.<ref name="kuchinskas">Kuchinskas 2009</ref><ref>Szpilma 2014</ref> Advertising generated revenue which enabled the company to fund other websites,<ref name="zittrain" /><ref name="spiegel">Stöcker 2010</ref><ref name="bhaskar">Bhaskar 2013, pp. 158–159</ref> and the site published suggestive pictures of [[model (profession)|professional models]].<ref>Spirrison 2006, p. 62</ref> In addition to Bomis the company maintained nekkid.com<ref name="timelliott" /> and nekkid.info,<ref name="2013businessinsider" /> which featured pictures of nude women.<ref name="2013businessinsider" /><ref name="nekkid">Nekkid.info 2002</ref> About ten percent of Bomis' revenue was derived from pornographic films and blogs.<ref name="2013businessinsider">Business Insider 2013</ref><ref name="stacyschiff">Schiff 2006</ref>

The website included a segment devoted to erotic images, "Bomis Babes",<ref name="evanhansen">Hansen 2005</ref><ref name="nickmiller">Miller 2007, p. 17</ref> and a feature enabled users to submit recommended links to other sites appealing to a male audience.<ref name="camillalong" /> [[Peer-to-peer]] services provided by the site helped users find other websites about female celebrities, including [[Anna Kournikova]] and [[Pamela Anderson]].<ref name="andrewkeen" /> In the Bomis Babes section was the Bomis Babe Report, begun in 2000, with pictures of porn stars<ref name="rosenzweig">Rosenzweig 2013</ref><ref name="canhistorybeopen">Rosenzweig 2006</ref><ref name="hutcheon">Hutcheon 2007</ref><ref name="jaredduval" /> in a blog format.<ref name="hutcheon" /><ref name="chozick" /><ref name="chozick1" /> The Bomis Babe Report produced original erotic material,{{Sfn |Barnett|2005|p=62}}<ref name="hutcheon" /> including reports on [[pornographic film actor]]s and celebrities who had posed nude.<ref name="hutcheon" /> It was referred to as ''The Babe Report'' for short.<ref name="timelliott">Elliott 2007, p. 22</ref>

Wales referred to the site's [[softcore pornography]] as "glamour photography",<ref name="mehegan" /><ref name="givingupbillions" /><ref name="jeffhowe">Howe 2008, pp. 58–60</ref><ref name="stinginthescorpions" /><ref name="johnbeveridge">Beveridge 2007, p. 68</ref> and Bomis became familiar to Internet users for its erotic images.<ref>Semuels 2008, p. E4</ref><ref>Bergstein (March 26, 2007)</ref><ref>Kopytoff 2007, p. C1</ref> During this period Wales was photographed steering a [[yacht]] with a [[peaked cap]], posing as a [[sea captain]] with a female professional model on either side of him. In the photograph, the women were wearing [[panties]] and [[T-shirt]]s advertising Bomis.<ref name="hutcheon" /><ref name="chelseaschilling" /><ref name="billforman">Forman 2010</ref>

A subscription section, Bomis Premium,<ref name="2013businessinsider" /> provided access to adult content and [[erotic]] material;<ref name="zittrain" /><ref name="kuchinskas" /><ref name="rhysblakely">Blakely 2005</ref> A three-day trial was US$2.95.<ref name="chelseaschilling">Schilling 2012</ref>
While Bomis Babes provided nude images of females to subscribers,<ref name="rhysblakely" /> Bomis Premium featured [[lesbian sexual practices]] and female anatomy.<ref name="hutcheon" /> Bomis created the Babe Engine,<ref name="2013businessinsider" /> which helped users find erotic material online through a [[web search engine]].<ref name="harryhenderson">Henderson 2008, p. 500</ref><ref name="manguward" /> According to Bomis advertising director Terry Foote, 99 percent of searches on the site related to nude women.<ref name="brainscan" />

===Nupedia and Wikipedia===
[[File:Bomis-staff-summer-2000.jpg|thumb|alt=Twelve casually-dressed people|Bomis staff, summer 2000.  From left to right standing: Tim Shell, Christine Wales, Jimmy Wales, Terry Foote, Jared Pappas-Kelley, Liz Campeau (Nupedia employee standing almost completely behind Rita Sanger), Rita Sanger, Jason Richey, Toan Vo and Andrew McCague.  Seated: Jeremy Rosenfeld, Larry Sanger.]]

Bomis is best known for supporting the creation of free-content online-encyclopedia projects [[Nupedia]] and Wikipedia.<ref name="harryhenderson" /><ref name="spiegel" /> Tim Shell and Michael Davis continued their partnership with Wales during the 2000 Nupedia venture.<ref name="seybold" /> [[Larry Sanger]] met Jimmy Wales through an e-mail communication group about philosophy and objectivism,<ref name="heatherhasan" /><ref name="paulanderson" /><ref name="danielhpink" /> and joined Bomis in May, 1999.<ref name="frauenfelder" /> Sanger was a graduate student working towards a PhD degree in philosophy, with research focused on [[epistemology]];<ref name="paulanderson">Anderson 2012, pp. 136–138</ref><ref name="clayshirky" /><ref>Lievrouw 2011, pp. 202–205</ref> he received his degree from [[Ohio State University]],<ref name="glynmoody">Moody 2006, p. 5</ref> moving to San Diego to help Bomis with its encyclopedia venture.<ref name="frauenfelder" /><ref name="reagle">Reagle 2010</ref> At the time Sanger joined Bomis the company had a total workforce of two employees with help from programmers.<ref name="frauenfelder" />

Sanger and Wales began Nupedia with resources from Bomis;<ref name="harryhenderson" /> at the beginning of 2000, the company agreed to provide early financing for Nupedia from its profits.<ref name="clayshirky" /><ref name="jeffhowe" /><ref name="lawrencelessig">Lessig 2009, pp. 156–157</ref> Nupedia went live in March,<ref name="rosenzweig" /><ref name="canhistorybeopen" /> when Wales was CEO of Bomis;<ref name="kensmyers">Myers 2006, p. 163</ref> Sanger was Nupedia's editor-in-chief.<ref name="patrickseitz">Seitz 2011, p. A3</ref><ref>Gobillot 2011, pp. 84–86</ref> Nupedia's reading comprehension was intended for high-school graduates,<ref name="deborahrollins" /> and Bomis set its goal: "To set a new standard for breadth, depth, timeliness and lack of bias, and in the fullness of time to become the most comprehensive encyclopedia in the history of humankind."<ref name="frauenfelder">Frauenfelder 2000, p. 110</ref><ref name="deborahrollins">Rollins 2000, p. 1786</ref>

Although Bomis began a search for experts to vet Nupedia articles, this proved tedious.<ref name="brennenjensen"/> In August 2000 Nupedia had more than 60 academics contributing to the peer-review process on the site, most with doctorates in philosophy or medicine.<ref name="nupedialaunchesopen">''School Library Journal'' 2000, p. S6</ref> Scholars wishing to contribute to Nupedia were required to submit their credentials via fax for verification.<ref name="koerner"/> At that time, Bomis was attempting to obtain advertising revenue for Nupedia<ref name="nupedialaunchesopen"/> and the company was optimistic that it could fund the project with ad space on Nupedia.com.<ref name="frauenfelder"/>

Wikipedia began as a feature of Nupedia.com on January 15, 2001,<ref name="joannaslater" /><ref name="robertcurley">Curley 2012, pp. 35–38</ref> later known as [[Wikipedia Day]].<ref name="chozick">Chozick 2013, p. 9</ref><ref name="kensmyers" /> [[Special:Diff/908493298|Someone working from the office.bomis.com server]] created the [[First Wikipedia edit|first edit]] to the website,<ref name="rclog">Starling rclog</ref> the creation of [[HomePage]] with the text "This is the new WikiPedia!"<ref name="FirstEdit">{{cite web |title=HomePage |author=office.bomis.com |date=January 15, 2001 |url=https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=HomePage&oldid=908493298 |website=Wikipedia |publisher=Wikimedia Foundation |access-date=August 5, 2019}}</ref>{{efn|Wales would claim to have made the first edit to Wikipedia with "Hello, World!", but no such edit survives in archives and it has been speculated that it was made to a test wiki that was later deleted.}} It was originally intended only to generate draft articles for Nupedia,<ref name="heatherhasan" /><ref name="elisecraig" /><ref name="brennenjensen" /> with finished articles moved to the latter.<ref name="johnplewis" /> Wikipedia became a separate site days after the Nupedia advisory board opposed combining the two.<ref name="kensmyers" /><ref name="robertcurley" /> In September 2001, Wales was simultaneously CEO of Bomis and co-founder of Wikipedia;<ref name="petermeyers">Meyers 2001, p. D2</ref> Sanger was chief organizer of Wikipedia and editor-in-chief of Nupedia.<ref name="spotlightsanger" /><ref>Richardson 2004, p. 339</ref>

Nupedia was encumbered by its peer-review system,<ref name="patrickseitz" /><ref name="edemariam" /> a seven-step process<ref name="kensmyers" /><ref name="johnplewis" /> of review and copyediting,<ref name="heatherhasan" /> and Wikipedia grew at a faster rate.<ref name="ayers" /><ref>Twose 2007, p. 5</ref> In November 2000, Nupedia had 115 potential articles awaiting its peer-review process.<ref name="frauenfelder" /><ref name="johnplewis" /> By September 2001, after a total investment of US$250,000 from Bomis, Nupedia produced 12 articles;{{Sfn |Barnett|2005|p=62}}<ref name="koerner">Koerner 2006, pp. 115–117</ref><ref name="johnplewis" /> from 2000 through 2003, Nupedia contributors produced a total of 24 finalized articles.<ref name="elisecraig" /><ref name="ayers" /><ref name="kensmyers" /> Wikipedia had about 20,000 articles and versions in 18 languages by the end of 2001.<ref name="jennykleeman" />

Bomis originally planned to make Wikipedia profitable,<ref name="sethfinkelstein">Finkelstein (September 24, 2008)</ref> providing staffing and hardware for its initial structure;<ref name="ayers" /> Wikipedia would not have survived without this early support.<ref name="rosenzweig" /><ref name="canhistorybeopen" /> Bomis provided [[web server]]s and [[bandwidth (computing)|bandwidth]] for the projects, owning key items such as domain names.<ref name="neate" /> Wales used money from Bomis to maintain the Wikipedia servers in [[Tampa, Florida]].<ref name="2013businessinsider" /><ref name="chozick" /><ref name="chozick1" />

As the cost of Wikipedia rose with its popularity, Bomis' revenues declined as a result of the [[dot-com crash]].<ref name="neate"/><ref name="joannaslater">Slater 2011, p. B3</ref> In late 2000 Bomis had a staff of about 11 employees, but by early 2002 layoffs reduced the staff to its original size of about five.<ref name="dibona" /> Sanger was laid off in February 2002;<ref name="spotlightsanger">The Star 2007</ref><ref name="jaredduval" /> from January 15, 2001, through March 1, 2002, he was the sole paid editor of Wikipedia.<ref name="spotlightsanger" /> Sanger stepped down from his dual roles as chief organizer of Wikipedia and editor-in-chief of Nupedia on March 1, 2002, feeling unable to commit to these areas on a volunteer basis<ref name="spotlightsanger" /> and a dearth of "the habit or tradition of respect for expertise" from high-ranking Wikipedia members.<ref name="mahadevan" /> He continued contributing to community discussions, optimistic about Wikipedia's future success.<ref name="jaredduval">Duval 2010</ref><ref>Peterson 2002, p. C1</ref>

After Sanger's departure, Wikipedia was managed by Wales and a burgeoning online community.<ref name="glynmoody" /> Although Wales thought advertising was a possibility, the Wikipedia community was opposed to business development<ref name="dibona" /><ref name="marshallpoe">Poe 2006</ref><ref name="sethfinkelstein" /> and Internet marketing was difficult in 2002.<ref name="dibona" /> Wikipedia remained a for-profit venture (under the auspices of Bomis) through the end of 2002.<ref name="susanmeyer" /> By then it had moved from a [[.com]] domain name to [[.org]],<ref name="danielhpink" /><ref name="jennykleeman" /> and Wales said that the site would not accept advertising.<ref name="jennykleeman">Kleeman 2007, p. 4</ref>

Material from Nupedia was folded into Wikipedia<ref name="johnkwaters">Waters 2010, pp. 179–180</ref> and it was discontinued by 2003.<ref name="mahadevan">Mahadevan 2006, p. 15</ref><ref name="heatherhasan">Hasan 2011</ref>

===Wikimedia Foundation Board of Trustees===
{{multiple image
|title=Wikimedia Foundation Board beginnings
|total_width=500
|width1=1865|height1= 611|image1=2006 Bomis founders 06.jpg|caption1=The first Wikimedia Foundation Board consisted of the three Bomis founders|alt1=
|width2=4288|height2=2848|image2=WM2006 0044.jpg|caption2=Board members in 2004|alt2=Dark-haired man in black shirt
|footer=In 2004, community elections added two Wikipedia contributors to the board; Bomis' three founders retained their seats.<ref name="andrewlih" />
|caption_align=center
}}

By 2003 Wikipedia had grown to 100,000 articles in its English-language version, and it became difficult for Bomis to continue financially supporting the project.<ref>Kleinz 2011</ref> With Wikipedia a drain on the company's resources, Wales and Sanger decided to fund the project on a non-profit basis.<ref name="neate"/> Bomis laid off most of its employees to continue operating, since Wikipedia was not generating revenue.<ref name="susanmeyer" /> The company owned Wikipedia from its creation through 2003,<ref name="rosenzweig" /><ref name="canhistorybeopen" /> and Wales used about $100,000 of Bomis' revenue to fund Wikipedia before the decision to shift the encyclopedia to non-profit status.<ref name="martinhickman">Hickman 2006</ref>

In June 2003 Wikipedia was transferred to a nascent non-profit organization, the [[Wikimedia Foundation]],<ref name="rosenzweig" /><ref name="canhistorybeopen" /> which was formed as a charitable institution to supervise Wikipedia and its associated wiki-based sites.<ref name="kangwanchern" /><ref>Middleton 2009</ref> When the foundation was established, its staff began to solicit public funding<ref name="kangwanchern" /> and Bomis turned Wikipedia over to the non-profit.<ref name="jaredduval" /> All Bomis-owned hardware used to run Wikipedia-associated websites was donated to the Wikimedia Foundation,<ref name="ayers" /> and Wales transferred Wikipedia-related copyrights from Bomis to the foundation.<ref name="ayers" /> It was first headquartered in [[St. Petersburg, Florida]],<ref name="ayers">Ayers 2008</ref> where Bomis was located.<ref name="mehegan" /> The foundation shifted Wikipedia's dependence away from Bomis, allowing it to purchase hardware for expansion.<ref>Heise Online (January 15, 2006)</ref>

The Wikimedia Foundation [[board of trustees]] was initially composed of Bomis' three founders: Jimmy Wales and his two business partners, Michael Davis and Tim Shell.<ref name="andrewlih">Lih 2009</ref><ref>Kleinz 2004, p. 38</ref> Shell and Davis were appointed to the board by Wales,<ref name="wechselander" /> but after Wikipedia community members complained that the board was composed of appointed individuals,<ref name="andrewlih" /> the first elections were held in 2004.<ref name="ayers" /> Two community members, [[Florence Devouard]] and Angela Beesley, were elected to the board of trustees.<ref name="andrewlih" />

In August 2004 Wales was chief executive officer of Bomis,<ref>Brooks 2004</ref> and on September 20 Wikipedia reached the million-article mark on an expenditure of $500,000 (most directly from Wales).<ref name="danielhpink" /><ref name="koerner" /> In November 2004 he told the ''[[St. Petersburg Times]]'' he no longer controlled Bomis' day-to-day operations, but retained ownership as a shareholder.<ref name="noendtoit">Krueger 2004, p. 1E</ref> In 2005, Tim Shell was CEO of Bomis and one of the board members overseeing Wikipedia.{{Sfn |Barnett|2005|p=62}} Shell remained CEO of Bomis in 2006, becoming vice-president of the Wikimedia Foundation and continuing to sit on its board.<ref name="wechselander">Heise Online (October 28, 2006)</ref> Bomis co-founder Michael Davis became treasurer of the Wikimedia Foundation that year.<ref name="wechselander" /> Wales told ''[[The Sydney Morning Herald]]'' in 2007 that although he retained partial ownership of Bomis, "It's pretty much dead."<ref name="hutcheon" /> According to the [[Internet Archive]], the Bomis website was last accessible with content in 2010;<ref name="lastaccessible">Bomis.com (February 24, 2010)</ref> when accessed in 2013 by the archive, it had a welcome message for [[PetaBox]].<ref name="petabox">Bomis.com (August 15, 2013)</ref> When accessed in 2014 by the archive, the website featured a blank white page with a line of text saying "Hello, world!".<ref>Bomis.com (August 27, 2014)</ref><ref>Bomis.com (October 6, 2014)</ref>

==Aftermath==
{{multiple image
|title=Wikipedia edits about Bomis by Jimmy Wales
|total_width=400
|width1=1096|height1= 630|image1=2005 September 4 Jimbo Wales edits Jimmy Wales about Bomis.jpg|caption1=September 4, 2005|alt1=First of three side-by-side diffs
|width2=1096|height2=908|image2=2005 October 20 Jimbo Wales edits Jimmy Wales about Bomis.jpg|caption2=October 20, 2005|alt2=Second diff
|width3=1151|height3=755|image3=2005 October 28 Jimbo Wales edits Jimmy Wales about Bomis.jpg|caption3=October 28, 2005|alt3=Third diff
|footer=Edits to Wikipedia about Bomis made by [[Jimmy Wales]] were publicized by [[Rogers Cadenhead]].<ref name="evanhansen" /><ref name="francesromero" />
}}
In 2005, Wales made 18 changes to his Wikipedia biography.<ref name="rhysblakely" /><ref name="stacyschiff" /><ref name="francesromero" /> He removed references to Bomis Babes as [[softcore pornography]] and [[erotica]],<ref name="rhysblakely" /> and Larry Sanger as co-founder of Wikipedia.<ref name="elisecraig" /><ref name="jonbernstein" /> Wales' actions were publicized by author [[Rogers Cadenhead]],<ref name="evanhansen" /><ref name="francesromero" /> attracting attention from US and UK media.{{efn|[[Jimmy Wales]]' edits to Wikipedia to change information about Bomis and remove references to [[Larry Sanger]] as co-founder of the site was reported in ''[[The Times]]'',<ref name="rhysblakely" /> ''[[Wired (website)|Wired]]'',<ref name="evanhansen" /> ''[[New Statesman]]'',<ref name="jonbernstein">Bernstein 2011, p. 34</ref> ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]'',<ref name="francesromero" /> the ''[[Herald Sun]]'',<ref name="johnbeveridge" /> ''[[The New Yorker]]'',<ref name="timelliott" /> and ''[[The New York Times]]''.<ref name="danmitchell">Mitchell 2005</ref>}} In 2011, ''Time'' listed Wales' 2005 edits in its "Top 10 Wikipedia Moments".<ref name="francesromero">Romero 2011</ref>

Wikipedia policy warned users not to edit their own biography pages,<ref name="evanhansen" /><ref name="danmitchell" /> with its rules on autobiographical editing quoting Wales: "It is a social faux pas to write about yourself."<ref name="rosenzweig" /> [[Larry Sanger]] said, "It does seem that Jimmy is attempting to rewrite history",<ref name="evanhansen" /><ref name="rhysblakely" /> and began a discussion on the talk page of Wales' biography about [[Historical revisionism (negationism)|historical revisionism]].<ref name="evanhansen" />

Wales called his actions fixing mistakes,<ref name="elisecraig" /> but after Cadenhead publicized the edits to his biography he expressed regret for his actions.<ref name="harryhenderson" /><ref name="citizendiumfounder">Bergstein (April 2, 2007)</ref> In ''The Times'' Wales said that individuals should not edit their own Wikipedia biographies,<ref name="rhysblakely" /> telling ''The New Yorker'' that the standard applied to himself as well.<ref name="stacyschiff" /> Wales warned that the activity should be discouraged because of the potential for bias:<ref name="rhysblakely" /> "I wish I hadn't done it. It's in poor taste."<ref name="elisecraig" /><ref name="jonbernstein" />

Bomis was called the "''Playboy'' of the Internet" by ''[[The Atlantic]]'',<ref name="marshallpoe" /> and the sobriquet was subsequently used by publications including ''[[The Sunday Times]]'',<ref name="givingupbillions">''The Sunday Times'' 2011</ref> ''[[The Daily Telegraph]]'',<ref name="neate">Neate 2008</ref> ''[[MSN Money]]'',<ref>Buckland 2011, p. 1</ref> ''[[Wired (website)|Wired]]'',<ref name="tedgreenwald">Greenwald 2013, p. 82</ref> ''The Torch Magazine'',<ref name="johnplewis">Lewis 2013</ref> and the 2007 book ''[[The Cult of the Amateur]]'' by [[Andrew Keen]].<ref name="andrewkeen">Keen 2008, pp. 41–42</ref> Wales considered the "''Playboy'' of the Internet" nickname inappropriate,<ref name="tedgreenwald" /> although he was asked in interviews if his time at Bomis made him a "porn king".<ref name="manguward" /><ref name="paleycenter">Paley Center for Media 2014</ref><ref name="elizabethtai">Tai 2013</ref> The 2010 documentary film about Wikipedia, ''[[Truth in Numbers?|Truth in Numbers? Everything, According to Wikipedia]]'', discussed this characterization of Wales by journalists.<ref name="paleycenter" /><ref name="truthinnumbers">Glosserman 2010, Time index 34:30</ref> Wales, interviewed in the film, called the characterization inaccurate and explained that his company responded to content demand from customers.{{efn|Wales stated in the 2010 documentary ''[[Truth in Numbers?|Truth in Numbers? Everything, According to Wikipedia]]'': "You know the press has this idea that I am a porn king. I really wasn't a king of anything, frankly, you know? Because at the time, when we looked at it, we were just like, 'Okay, well, this is what our customers will want, let's follow this.'"<ref name="truthinnumbers" />}} In later interviews, he responded to "porn king" questions by telling journalists to look at a page on [[Yahoo!]] about pornography related to [[dwarfism]].<ref name="manguward" /> According to a 2007 article in ''[[Reason (magazine)|Reason]]'', "If he was a porn king, he suggests, so is the head of the biggest Web portal in the world."<ref name="manguward" />

==Description of site==
''[[The Chronicle of Philanthropy]]'' characterized Bomis as "an Internet marketing firm... which also traded in erotic photographs for a while."<ref name="brennenjensen">Jensen 2006</ref> Jeff Howe wrote in his 2008 book, ''Crowdsourcing: How the Power of the Crowd is Driving the Future of Business'', about "one of Wales's less altruistic ventures, a Web portal called Bomis.com that featured, among other items, soft-core pornography."<ref name= "jeffhowe" /> In his 2008 book, ''[[The Future of the Internet and How to Stop It]]'', legal scholar [[Jonathan Zittrain]] wrote that "Bomis helped people find 'erotic photography', and earned money through advertising as well as subscription fees for premium content."<ref name="zittrain" /> ''[[The Guardian]]'' described the site as on "the fringes of the adult entertainment industry",<ref name="stinginthescorpions">Finkelstein (December 18, 2008)</ref> and ''[[The Edge (Malaysia)|The Edge]]'' called Bomis.com an "explicit-content search engine".<ref name = "kangwanchern">Chern 2008</ref> ''[[Business 2.0|Business 2.0 Magazine]]'' described it as "a search portal... which created and hosted Web rings around popular search terms&nbsp;– including, not surprisingly, a lot of adult themes."<ref name="tommcnichol" />

==Footnotes==
{{notelist}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Bibliography==
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* {{cite news|title=Mr Wikipedia's knowledge quest|first=Helen|last=Twose|date=November 10, 2007|work=[[The New Zealand Herald]]|location=Auckland, New Zealand|page=5|publisher= APN Newspapers Pty Ltd.|via=[[WestLaw]]}}
* {{cite news|work=[[The Sydney Morning Herald]]|location=Sydney|date=September 9, 2000 |title= Living in the '70s; R2 The '70s Reviews|first=Cotton |last=Ward|page=8; Section: Computers, Icon|publisher=John Fairfax Publications Pty Ltd|via=[[LexisNexis]]}}
* {{cite news|language=de|work=[[Basler Zeitung]]|oclc=183307820|location=Basel, Switzerland|title=Ich will kein Diktator sein|first=Daniel W. |last=Szpilma|date=September 1, 2014|access-date=September 27, 2014|publisher=Basler Zeitung Medien|url=http://www.tagesanzeiger.ch/wissen/bildung/Ich-will-kein-Diktator-sein/story/31641515|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140905182358/http://www.tagesanzeiger.ch/wissen/bildung/Ich-will-kein-Diktator-sein/story/31641515|archive-date=September 5, 2014}}
* {{cite book|pages=179–180|title=The Everything Guide to Social Media|first=John K.|last=Waters|year=2010|publisher=Adams Media|isbn=978-1-4405-0631-4}}
* {{cite book|page=[https://archive.org/details/everythingismisc00davi/page/138 138]|title=Everything Is Miscellaneous: The Power of the New Digital Disorder|first=David|last=Weinberger|author-link=David Weinberger|publisher=Holt|isbn=978-0-8050-8811-3|year=2008|title-link=Everything Is Miscellaneous: The Power of the New Digital Disorder}}
* {{cite news|work=[[Toronto Star]]|date=April 8, 1999|title='Webbies' honour best of the Internet|first=Robert|last=Wright|publisher=Toronto Star Newspapers, Ltd.|via= [[LexisNexis]]}}
* {{cite book|title=The Future of the Internet—And How to Stop It |url=https://archive.org/details/futureoftheinternetandhow00zitt |page= [https://archive.org/details/futureoftheinternetandhow00zitt/page/n142 133]|isbn=978-0-300-14534-2|first=Jonathan|last=Zittrain|author-link=Jonathan Zittrain |year= 2008 |publisher=[[Yale University Press]]}}
{{refend}}

==Further reading==
;Primary sources
* {{cite news|title=Bomis.Com Browser Kills Pop-Up Advertising!|date=March 8, 1999|agency=[[PR Newswire]]|location=San Diego, California|page=9941|url=http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Bomis.Com+Browser+Kills+Pop-Up+Advertising!-a054029681|access-date=January 17, 2014|archive-date=January 19, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140119051423/http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Bomis.Com+Browser+Kills+Pop-Up+Advertising!-a054029681|url-status=dead}}
* {{cite news|title=Upstart Open Content Encyclopedia Threatens to Displace Britannica, Encarta|agency=[[PR Newswire]]|date=November 9, 2000|location=San Diego, California|url=http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Upstart+Open+Content+Encyclopedia+Threatens+to+Displace+Britannica,...-a066763343|access-date=January 18, 2014|archive-date=February 1, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140201104123/http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Upstart+Open+Content+Encyclopedia+Threatens+to+Displace+Britannica,...-a066763343|url-status=dead}}
* {{cite web|title=Bomis What's New|url=http://www.bomis.com/bomisreport/|access-date=July 14, 2008|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100118074538/http://www.bomis.com/bomisreport/|archive-date=January 18, 2010}}
* {{Cite web|url=http://www.bomis.com/about/bomis_faq.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080724210118/http://www.bomis.com/about/bomis_faq.html|archive-date=July 24, 2008|access-date=October 14, 2012|title=Bomis FAQ|url-status=dead|publisher=Bomis}}
* {{cite web|url=http://www.freedomsnest.com|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060323230349/http://www.freedomsnest.com/|archive-date=March 23, 2006|title=Freedom's Nest|access-date=October 23, 2011}}
* {{cite news|url=http://www.nekkid.info/ |publisher=Internet Archive |title=Nekkid.info |access-date=December 27, 2013 |date=January 14, 2002 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140120022941/http://www.nekkid.info/ |archive-date=January 20, 2014 }}
* {{cite news|url=http://lists.wikimedia.org/pipermail/wikipedia-l/2001-October/000657.html|title=A question|work=Wikipedia-l|first=Jimmy|last=Wales|author-link=Jimmy Wales|date=October 28, 2001|access-date=December 30, 2013}}
* {{cite news|url=http://lists.wikimedia.org/pipermail/wikipedia-l/2003-June/010743.html|title=Announcing Wikimedia Foundation|first=Jimmy|last=Wales|date=June 20, 2003|access-date=December 30, 2013|author-link=Jimmy Wales|work=Wikipedia-l}}

==External links==
{{Sister project links | wikt= no| commons=Category:Bomis | b=Category:Bomis | n=Bomis | q=Bomis | s=Category:Bomis | v=Category:Bomis | voy= no| species=no | d=Q935818 | mw=no | display=Bomis}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/*/http://www.bomis.com/ Bomis] at the [[Internet Archive]]
* [[m:Wikimedia Foundation Board of Trustees|Wikimedia Foundation Board of Trustees]], at [[Wikipedia:Meta]]
* [[wmf:Former Board of Trustees members|Former Board of Trustees members]], at [[Wikimedia Foundation]]

{{Wikipediahistory}}

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