Google Knol

Google Knol

Google Knol is a feature from the search engine Google with the goal "to encourage people who know a particular subject to write an authoritative article about it."¹ With Knol, Google is allowing users to write informational articles on all kinds of topics, from do-it-yoursef and how-to instructions to medical tips and information.

Fast Facts

Announced December 13, 2007
Unveiled July 23, 2008
Knol not only refers to the service, but the articles themselves are called "knols"¹
Each knol written by a single author; multiple articles on same topic allowed²
Must have a Google account to write a knol
Users must be at least 13 years of age³
Has been interpreted as Google's competitor to Wikipedia²

Quote

"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."—Udi Manber, Google VP of Engineering¹

Categories

Technology | Internet | Search Engines | Business and Finance | Companies | Tech Companies | Google

| View Note History

The Mahalo Top 7

Official Site: Google Knol | Introduction to Knol
Official Google Blog: Encouraging People to Contribute Knowledge (December 13, 2007)
Wikipedia: Google Knol
The Washington Post: Google Launches Its Challenge To Wikipedia... (July 23, 2008)
Slate: Chuck Knol (September 22, 2008)
Reuters: Google Opens Knol Website, a Wiki with Bylines (July 23, 2008)
YouTube Video: Knol From Google (Time: 1:41)

Google Knol News

TechCrunch: Google Launches Knol, The Monetizable Wikipedia (July 23, 2008)
Guardian: Google opens up Knol, its Wikipedia-for-cash project (July 23, 2008)
TechCrunch: A Few Thoughts On Google Knol (December 17, 2007)
Wired: Google's Knol Ventures Into Wikipedia Territory (December 14, 2007)
TechCrunch: Google Knol: A Step Too Far? (December 14, 2007)
ZDNET: Share Your Knol with the World, with Google Knol (December 14, 2007)
PC World: Google Takes a Crack at Wikipedia with Knol (December 14, 2007)
TechCrunch: Google Preparing To Launch Game Changing Wikipedia Meets Squidoo (December 13, 2007)
Google News: Google Knol

Google Knol Blogs and Commentaries

Google Blog Search: Google Knol
Mashable: Google's Knol: Evil and Doomed (July 28, 2008)
Valleywag: Your only hope is that Google will kill you last (July 28, 2008)
ChadEgeland.com: Get The Knol Out (July 24, 2008)
Ars Technica: Citizendium's Sanger on Google Knol: not afraid of a rerun (December 30, 2007)
Blog: Write Great Google Knols
Search Engine Land: Google Knol: Competitors Respond & Time To Limit The Aggregators? (December 17, 2007)
Seth Godin Blog: Building a platform (and thinking about Google's Knol) (December 16, 2007)
Wired: Google's Units of Knowledge May Raise Conflict of Interest (December 14, 2007)
Mashable: Google Knol More Of The Same (December 14, 2007)
Google Blogoscoped: Google Knol (December 14, 2007)
GigaOM: Google's Death Knol For Some? (December 14, 2007)
Ongoing: Knol (December 14, 2007)
Mashable: Google Introduces the 'Knol' (December 13, 2007)
Search Engine Land: Google's Play To Aggregate Knowledge Pages (December 13, 2007)
Matthew Ingram: Is Google going after Wikipedia? (December 13, 2007)

Mahalo Pages on Google Knol