Wikipedia Funeral Announced Yesterday @ Googleplex
Like a slice of bacon on a hot griddle, the web never sits still. There's been some buzz around The Internets for the past couple days regarding a recent announcement from Google. Rather than get all up in arms about it, I am very excited for what this will do for the future of rich user-generated online content. Google has announced the pending release of a new website they are calling Knol. The name represents "a unit of knowlege." Some people are afraid that this will kill other similar sites such as Wikipedia, but I guess only time will tell. Let's explore:
In a nutshell (or should I say knutshell?), Knol will be a space for users to create articles about stuff. Knol will become a database of information on a vast array of topics. Articles can be rated, peer reviewed, and edited. Users and visitors to Knol will also be able to leave comments on any article, similar to commenting on a blog or a YouTube video. Authors will also have the option to place relevant text ads on their pages and share in the revenues. Here's a quote from the announcement post that gives you an idea of the vision Google has for Knol:
A knol on a particular topic is meant to be the first thing someone who searches for this topic for the first time will want to read. The goal is for knols to cover all topics, from scientific concepts, to medical information, from geographical and historical, to entertainment, from product information, to how-to-fix-it instructions.Google will not serve as an editor in any way, and will not bless any content. All editorial responsibilities and control will rest with the authors. We hope that knols will include the opinions and points of view of the authors who will put their reputation on the line. Anyone will be free to write. For many topics, there will likely be competing knols on the same subject. Competition of ideas is a good thing.
Personally, I can't wait for the site to go live. The service is by invitation only prior to launch, but Google plans to allow anyone and everyone to contribute content to Knol. A few months back, I wrote about the launch of Microsoft's HealthVault service. I can see Knol playing an integral role in Google's presence in the health care field.
As I said in my earlier post, "a company needs to create a super-secure, web-based system that can be accessed by a patient and all of his or her health care providers. Information is shared at the discretion of the patient. Patients can allow doctors and hospitals to add information to their profile and determine who should have access to it. (example: lab reports, x-rays, medications are added by doctors to a patient’s profile)."
I see Knol becoming a database that patients and health care professionals will be able to refer to for accurate, up-to-date information. Imagine if Knol could be linked to medical journals, prescription information, medical records. The interface of Knol is clean, robust, and easy on the eyes. Here is a sample entry that was featured in the official announcement. (click the thumbnail to view actual size)
These are exciting times if you Knol what I mean.
