[Search-l] I'm confused...

[Jimmy Wales]

Ed Whittaker wrote:
> 1) If all algorithms, user data etc are available so essentially anyone 
> can build a new search engine (presumably as good as Search Wikia if 
> everything is indeed open) what is to stop anyone doing just that? If 
> Google can incorporate anything useful into their own algorithms, data 
> collection, UI they certainly will. Won't they simply be able to produce 
> a faster, better(?) version of search wikia built on top of what they 
> have already?

See the thread I just started about licensing.  Basically, this is 
possible with traditional GPL, but there are licenses that would be 
helpful in this area, and I think we should use them.

> 2) Why will users help in the first place?

The big mistake that I think a lot of people make when thinking about 
these issues is in thinking about users helping as being "work" for the 
users.  Rather, it has to be *fun*, *interesting*, *useful*, etc. for 
the users.

> I'm not being pessimistic, I'm just confused because someone in Wikia 
> has definitely considered these issues and decided they're not 
> important. 

Actually I think they are both very important issues for the success of 
the project.

 > If someone in answering claims the
> "wikipedia works in practice but not in theory" line I guess we'll just 
> have to see what happens when there's a profit motive involved. Maybe it 
> really isn't an issue...

Lots of people do lots of things on ad supported websites.  The key is 
whether they are respected and doing things that are fun for them.

--Jimbo