Knowledge is cool, but apparently spelling is not
Search giant Google is promoting its alternative to Wikipedia, whilst some ex-Google employees have launched their own alternative search engine.
Wikipedia, the encyclopaedia that anyone can update, is certainly one of the success stories on the internet, although the quality of the information is often open to criticism and sometimes it is just plain wrong. Ex-bowler and BBC Cricket commentator, Jonathan Agnew looked up his own name in Wikipedia during a test match rain break and was surprised to discover that, according to some wag, he is the inventor of the Pot Noodle.
Google, always one to look for opportunities to get more eyeballs looking at its advertising network, believes it can produce a better wikipedia where the quality of article is much higher, where submissions are properly authored, properly reviewed, and not open to changing facts to suit individual agendas. Google calls this resource "knol" which it seems to think is an abbreviation of knowledge. The range of entries feels very limited at present and somewhat medical. The front page listing includes articles on chlamydia, genital warts, and toilet repair. I don't think they are related.
knol.google.com
Some ex-employees of Google caught a lot of press attention recently when they announced that they were re-inventing the search engine and took the wraps off Cuil. Unlike Google which separates the wheat from the chaff by counting things such as links to a page, Cuil claims it drills down into the content of the page and presents the results in a more appealing magazine-like format. Cuil, it says, is pronounced "Cool" and according to its info page, "Cuil is an old Irish word for knowledge." However, some Gaelic speakers have disputed that claim, saying it should be pronounced "quill" and it actually means rear, or backside.
www.cuil.com
15th August 2008