Google is currently testing a new publishing platform that is being seen by some as the search giant’s answer to Wikipedia.
This new platform is called Knol, and even though it is a platform for publishing information on a given subject like Wikipedia, it also has some key differences. The main difference is the emphasis being shifted away from the information and on to the actual author. Any given Knol page will clearly state who the author is and all information on that page will be written by that author. Wikipedia hides away the authors, and the information can be compiled from many authors.
Knol authors, or Knollers, will also be able to earn money for their content. So, for example, a well-known author could start posting new work through his or her knol and gain income through the ads displayed next to it. Knollers may also post information on the same subject, forming some sort of competition to see who can produce the best work.
Knol is currently a closed platform mentioned last week in a Google blog post by Udi Manber, vice president of engineering. In the post she said:
Earlier this week, we started inviting a selected group of people to try a new, free tool that we are calling “knol”, which stands for a unit of knowledge. Our goal is to encourage people who know a particular subject to write an authoritative article about it … The key idea behind the knol project is to highlight authors. Books have authors’ names right on the cover, news articles have bylines, scientific articles always have authors — but somehow the web evolved without a strong standard to keep authors names highlighted. We believe that knowing who wrote what will significantly help users make better use of web content.
Google wants Knols to be something authors “will put their reputation on the line” for and is putting a big emphasis on community participation. Every knol will–at the autoher’s discretion–allow for comments, questions, edits, and additional content and users will be able to rate them.
Those of you wanting a sneak preview of a knol can view a mock up called Insomnia Risk factors, diagnosis and treatment.
Wikipedia has seen a lot of backlash over some of the information posted on its pages and editing of that information. It seems Google is attempting to stop the same problems happening with its version of an online information database by making the authors a key part of the information.
Knol seems to have a wider breadth of content it could possibly cover as well. Wikipedia is information about subjects that already exist, whereas it seems a knol can also be new content itself from an author.
My one worry about Knol is how similar it is to a blog. A knol is essentially a blog with compulsory identification of the author. On the one hand, it is a nice alternative to a blog for someone who wants to be clearly recognized for his or her work; on the other hand, it may be a bit too public for most online authors to use. But maybe that is the key difference that will make knols a different and interesting information source in their own right.