Google Develops Wikipedia Rival

ronjor · Dec 14, 2007

The project, which is in an invitation-only beta stage, lets users create clean-looking Web pages with their photo and write entries on, for example, insomnia. Those entries are called "knols" for "unit of knowledge," Google said.

Google said anyone can write about any topic, and repetition of entries on the same subjects is beneficial. Google will provide the Web hosting space, as well as editing tools.

Contributors can choose whether to let Google place ads on the knols. Google said it will give the contributors a "substantial" portion of the revenue generated by those ads. While Wikipedia lacks ads, keyword advertising has underpinned Google's growth
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Mark Klomp · Dec 14, 2007

Well, Google made an excellent web-based emailservice, but if they are also good in a free online encyclopedia, I would doubt. They can't be specialized in everything.

ronjor · Dec 14, 2007

Knol's respect for authorship will be a huge boon for Google and differentiate it from competitors like Wikipedia and Squidoo, Saffo said.

"How many people are going to labor hours and hours for Wikipedia [when it's anonymous]? In this case you're the author and it's your reputation," Saffo said. "I can see this being used for graduate students out of school trying to build a reputation, professors thinking about getting tenure. It's a star-making machine for the right kind of intellectuals."
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Google Develops Wikipedia Rival

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