Bomis

A job speculating on interest-rate and foreign-currency fluctuations made him wealthy enough not to need to earn anything for the rest of his life, but an internet startup called Bomis was what actually provided the money to start Nupedia, an internet encyclopedia with exhaustively peer-reviewed entries, and then Wikipedia.

The Saturday interview: Wikipedia's Jimmy Wales 2011

Wales has also repeatedly revised the description of a search site he founded called Bomis, which included a section with adult photos called "Bomis Babes."

Wikipedia Founder Edits Own Bio Evan Hansen 2005

Cadenhead also focused on edits regarding a website Wales once ran called Bomis, which included a section with adult photos called "Bomis Babes."

Wikipedia Founder Edits Own Bio Evan Hansen 2005

But with Bomis suffering in the Internet bust, there was financial pressure.

The Hive 2006

In mid-December 2001, citing financial shortfalls, he told Sanger that Bomis would be cutting its staff and that he should look for a new job.

The Hive 2006

Instead of helping all users find all content, Bomis found itself positioned as the Playboy of the Internet, helping guys find guy stuff.

The Hive 2006

In 1996, Wales and two partners founded a Web directory called Bomis.

The Hive 2006

In 1996, Wales and two partners founded a Web directory called Bomis.

The Hive 2006

By January 2000, his encyclopedia project had acquired funding from Bomis and hired its first employee: Larry Sanger.

The Hive 2006

Bomis users built hundreds of rings — on cars, computers, sports, and especially “babes” (e.g., the Anna Kournikova Web ring), effectively creating an index of the “laddie” Web.

The Hive 2006