Google Develops Knol, a Product to Rival Wikipedia

Netease Technology News, December 15th, according to foreign media reports, Google is developing an online publishing platform that allows users to input content about the subjects they know. This concept is very similar to Wikipedia's user-generated online encyclopedia, but there are a few key differences.

Google stated that this project is currently in an invitation-based BETA testing phase, allowing users to add photos and entry contents on blank pages. These contents are called "Knol" (short for unit of knowledge). Google hopes Knol will become a massive knowledge base covering various subjects such as geography, history, and entertainment.

Google is set to compete with Wikipedia, which already has 7 million articles in 200 languages, with anonymous users continuously contributing content. However, Google encourages users to publish articles under their names, believing that the development of the internet has overlooked the importance of authorship. Udi Manber, Vice President of Engineering at Google, wrote on the Google Blog that knowing who wrote it will help users make good use of these articles.

Google believes that everyone can input content about any subject and entries on the same subject, and the company will provide hosting space and editing tools. Contributors can choose whether to allow the company to place ads, and if agreed, most of the ad revenue will be distributed to users. In contrast, Wikipedia does not contain advertisements.

Meanwhile, unlike Wikipedia, Knol cannot be edited or modified by others. However, users can categorize and comment on other people's content, which will be translated and displayed by the Google search engine. Danny Sullivan, editor-in-chief of Search Engine Land, commented that Google might feel that the Knol service could help it maintain competitiveness.