Widely used and yet widely chided, the wonders of online encyclopaedic database Wikipedia are set to meet with a serious challenge as Google Inc. prepares to launch Knol, its new online service that will present users with a haven of knowledge provided by a wealth of expert contributors.
Google Inc. announces development of 'Knol,' a potentially major rival to online information source Wikipedia. Credit: Google.
According to a report published in the NYTimes , Knol could well help Google to push its reach beyond the confines of being perceived as a search engine specialist by allowing for the creation and publishing of online content. However, certain critical sources have suggested that Knol could also taint Google’s lack of bias when returning user search results.
Knol’s basic operating practice is set to be much the same way as Wikipedia, with a user able to create a Web pages (or ‘knol’) on any given subject, with the page including features allowing readers to leave comments, ratings, and alteration pointers.
Where Knol will differentiate from Wikipedia is that it will not allow just anyone to perform content edits, with only the specific page creator authorised to do so. Also, as such, individual subject topics could have several competing pages of related information all vying for reader attention.
"Somehow the Web [has] evolved without a strong standard to keep authors’ names highlighted," commented Udi Manber, VP for engineering at Google, in a Knol announcement posted on an official Google blog. "We believe that knowing who wrote what will significantly help users make better use of Web content."
Google is hoping that Knol’s expertly-created database will include all manner of topics and subjects ranging from science and medicine through to history, and that its pages will be the first port of call for online users looking to seek out specific information.
That being said, Knol will not enter the knowledge arena as the only combatant looking to take away Wikipedia’s glory, as the likes of About.com, Mahalo, Squidoo, and Yahoo Answers also offer similar services.
Despite its future hopes for Knol, Google is keen to point out that the information repository is currently only in an experimental stage and may never reach the point where it is opened for public usage.
Whether Knol does or does not arrive to challenge the popularity of Wikipedia remains to be seen, but the former outcome would be something welcomed by Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales, who believes that its multiple topic pages would create opinionated coverage rather than the collective objectivity strived for by his creation.
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