Categories: Wikipedia

People-Powered Search Engine Mahalo Cranks Up the Crowdsourcing

Posted by: Rob Hof on June 02

Since it launched two years ago, the self-described human-powered search engine Mahalo has relied upon a staff of real editors, sometimes working with paid freelancers, to organize search results. That’s…

Another Google Killer Dies

Posted by: Rob Hof on March 31

When Wikipedia cofounder Jimmy Wales launched his search service Wikia Search in late 2006, he was hoping to “fix Internet search by working to free the judgment of information from…

Jimmy Wales’ Wikia Search Project Launches Apps

Posted by: Rob Hof on October 08

In the latest of many attempts by a wide variety of players to improve search results beyond Google’s iconic 10 blue links, the community information service Wikia Inc. on Oct….

Google Launches Knol for All (Just Don’t Call It a Wikipedia Killer)

Posted by: Rob Hof on July 23

When I wrote about Google’s announcement of Knol last December, I said it wasn’t the Wikipedia killer many people were rushing to call it. One reason was that Knol, which…

Google’s Knol: No Wikipedia Killer

Posted by: Rob Hof on December 14

Funny how people always want to declare whatever Google announces as a [insert name here]-killer. Today, Google’s new tool called “knol,” which will give people a way to write “authoritative”…

Jimmy Wales’ Search Project Gets a Grub Stake

Posted by: Rob Hof on July 27

Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales is moving another step closer to creating an open alternative to Google’s search engine. Announced last December, the Search Wikia project is committed to “fix Internet…

Wikipedia: Maybe It’s Democratic After All

Posted by: Rob Hof on September 04

Lately, some skeptical folks, notably Nick Carr, have been wondering how democratic a process Wikipedia really has. Even founder Jimmy Wales has noted that a very small number of people…

The Wikipedia Death Watch

Posted by: Rob Hof on May 26

Ay-yi-yi. That’s one pitched debate over at Nick Carr’s blog, especially in the comments following his original post pronouncing the death of Wikipedia. It’s fascinating in a way, but it…

A Fair and Reasoned View of Wikipedia (Really!)

Posted by: Rob Hof on December 21

Danah Boyd cuts through some of the overheated arguments about Wikipedia, in the wake of recent revelations about mistakes and outright fabrications on the site: Wikipedia is better than most…

Wikipedia’s Paradox

Posted by: Rob Hof on December 08

Wikipedia, the darling of the new Web, has seen quite a backlash lately thanks to some high-profile mischief and shady editing of entries. Outsell’s David Curle has an interesting analysis…

Wikizon

Posted by: Rob Hof on November 22

Amazon.com doesn’t blab about it much, but it clearly gets the Web 2.0 Power of Us participatory thing. For years, it has had customer book reviews, customer-produced product lists called…

eBay Debuts Member Reviews and Guides

Posted by: Rob Hof on September 27

The online marketplace today rolled out a test site for member reviews and product guides. Good idea. I’m sure I’m not the only person who has browsed eBay for…

Learning to Work with Wikis

Posted by: Rob Hof on September 21

A few weeks ago, I suddenly realized I would need a better way to collaborate with BusinessWeek’s other writers and editors on our Best of the Web list than simply…

Wikimania and Free Culture Movement

Posted by: Olga Kharif on August 02

Wikimania, the first international conference on Wiki collaborative technology, is about to begin. And Wiki enthusiasts are starting up discussions on making knowledge free.

Wikipedia’s Word on Folksonomy

Posted by: Rob Hof on July 14

Steve Rubel notes that there’s a debate at the online encyclopedia Wikipedia about a new listing for the word folksonomy, which it defines as “a neologism for a practice…