WikiLeaks stays in the news and has for many years, but few of
my friends have actually visited the website, or even know it
exists. It is described as an international non-profit,
journalistic organization that publishes secret information,
news leaks, and classified media from anonymous sources. The
published editorial policy says it accepts only documents that
are "of political, diplomatic, historical, or ethical interest"
and excludes "material that is already publicly available." Its
website was initiated in 2006 in Iceland by the organization
Sunshine Press. It no longer uses the 'wiki' method of user
input and also is not related to Wikipedia.
WikiLeaks relies on
volunteers and describes its founders as a mixture of Asian
dissidents, journalists, mathematicians, and start-up company
technologists from the United States, Taiwan, Europe, Australia,
and South Africa. As of June 2009, the website had more than
1,200 registered volunteers and listed an advisory board,
including Julian Assange and seven other people. It is entirely
run on donations. Lawyers around the world provide pro bono
assistance as needed.
Its leader, Julian
Assange described himself in a private conversation as "the
heart and soul of this organization, its founder, philosopher,
spokesperson, original coder, organizer, financier, and all the
rest." LINK