[Search-l] _Telegraph_ - "Wikipedia aims to take on Google"

[Seth Finkelstein]

[Disclaimer: I didn't write this. Yes, it's another one making the
mistake of confusing Wikipedia vs. Wikia]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/05/31/nwiki31.xml

Wikipedia aims to take on Google

By Harry Wallop, Consumer Affairs Correspondent
Last Updated: 6:49am BST 31/05/2007

# Can Wikipedia really challenge Google?

Jimmy Wales, the founder of the phenomenally successful online
encyclopaedia Wikipedia, plans to launch a search engine to rival
Google by the end of this year.

He has already launched Wikia, a company he hopes to use as a
launchpad for an "open, thoughtful" search engine - one which he says
will be better quality and more thoughtful than its rivals.

Wikia offers internet users a collection of online communities they
can edit. Everything from Star Wars to travel guides gets its own
mini-website, hosted by Wikia.

The latest project is more ambitious and has led to Mr Wales being
described as "Google's worst nightmare".

The new search engine will publish the design of its algorithm - the
mathematical formula that determines what website comes top of a search.

Experts say this could make it vulnerable to spammers.

-- 
Seth Finkelstein  Consulting Programmer  http://sethf.com/
Infothought blog - http://sethf.com/infothought/blog/
Interview: http://sethf.com/essays/major/greplaw-interview.php