Really bigger updates obviously require a major version bump to signify to users that there is potential stability or breakage issues expected.
If your software is following semver, not necessarily. It only requires a major version bump if a change is breaking backwards compatibility. You can have very big minor releases and tiny major releases.
there was more time for people to run pre-release versions if they are adventurous and thus there is better testing
Again, by experience, this is assuming a lot.
https://wikimediafoundation.org/support/where-your-money-goes/#%3A~%3Atext=Donations+to+the+Wikimedia+Foundation%2Cour+ecosystem+of+Wikimedia+projects.
58% goes to fundraising, administrative and technological costs. The rest has some money going towards, but no limited to, other programs.
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/foundation/f/f6/Wikimedia_Foundation_2024_Audited_Financial_Statements.pdf
Only thing I can find in their financials that would maybe qualify as “random outreach” would be “awards and grants”, at 26mil last year out of 185mil revenue, or 14%.
https://meta.m.wikimedia.org/wiki/Grants:Programs/Wikimedia_Community_Fund
As far as I can tell, it’s not particularly random.
Maybe I’m missing something?