[Search-l] Automatically linking to Wikipedia

[Angela]

There's an idea below from a Wikipedia mailing list - should
mini-articles automatically link to Wikipedia rather than that being
added in manually (and inconsistently)?

Angela


---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: doc <doc.wikipedia at ntlworld.com>
Date: Jan 8, 2008 11:04 PM
Subject: Re: [WikiEN-l] Search Wikia
To: English Wikipedia <wikien-l at lists.wikimedia.org>


What really confuses me is not the links between Wikipedia and the
SearchWikia, but the lack of them. I think they/we are missing an
obvious possibility.

When I search wikia for "example", two questions arise:

1) Why is the Wikipedia article on "example" not listed? It is rated
third in Google, why not at all by wikia? Even when a type "example
wikipedia" I don't get a hit? What on earth? Wikipedia seems to be
excluded from most searches - or certainly undervalued.

2) Wikia search invites me to write a short article on "example", and
release it under the GNU:

We do not have a mini article about "example". Improve the search
results for everyone by starting this article!

What is point in creating a free content alternative article to the
Wikipedia one? Surely the sensible thing would be to link to the
Wikipedia/wikitionary article - and if that article is non-existent,
invite the searcher to write one for Wikiasearch. That new article,
written for Wikiasearch, could then be transposed back into wikipedia or
wikitionary (although perhaps through some sort of human filter where a
regular wikipedia/wiktionary editor will decide whether it benefits the
project).

If this was put into effect, it would help both projects. People, never
connected previously with wikipedia, would be providing content for us.
And free knowledge generally would increase.

Doc




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