Google has posted an announcement on its official blog about an upcoming knowledge portal called “Knol”. Something similar to wikipedia, users generate content on the site on topics they are familiar.
Google wants users write content who are authoritative on a subject. The users are called knols here, these knols can write on any topic.
Google will index these pages and show up in search results so one can expect these pages will rank high like wikipedia content in search results.
Knol is currently in beta and not open to public, but soon it will be available to public and any one can join. Google will provide you the tools for editing the text and allows you to monetize it.
“Knols will include strong community tools. People will be able to submit comments, questions, edits, additional content, and so on. Anyone will be able to rate a knol or write a review of it. Knols will also include references and links to additional information. At the discretion of the author, a knol may include ads. If an author chooses to include ads, Google will provide the author with substantial revenue share from the proceeds of those ads.”
It is interesting to see how this will impact Wikipedia, it may not kill at the first attempt but sure it will have an effect on wikipedia. If Google will allow to monetize wikipedia editors also can join knol and start creating the content, after all it pays.
Discussion at Techmeme, Image Credit: Google Blog
This is like buying a wiki page 🙂 which you can monetize, just like one buck wiki or milliondollarwiki etc. Moreover since its by google, I am sure it will be indexed higher than any blog result. May be we can use it for our own blog promotion also 😉
It will be interesting to see how well does it compete with Wikipedia
well madhur, wanna compete with wikipedia, i think it nearly impossible. just see how many articles in wikipedia…hahahha {uncountable ? }
Well I hope this doesn’t form another culture of over zealous wikilike editors. *ugh* I can’t stand most of the editors on there. *nod*
@Kanak
Thats interesting idea.
@Madhur
wait and see
@Hanne sena
If not today one day i am sure it can, wikipedia is not built in one day.
@Bush
I got that, hopefully not