Google’s new beta, Knol, is a much more refined version of Wikipedia, in that it is a collection of articles from (presumably) authoritative sources. You know about something – you write a knol. You get a byline and your photo posted, and voila – you are an author.
A knol is to be considered a ‘unit’ of knowledge, says Google. The idea of a collaborative effort to comprehensively cover a subject spawned Wikipedia, but knol attempts to mine the individual’s brain for more specifically targeted information on narrower subjects.
“The key principle behind Knol is authorship,” said Google employees Cedric Dupont and Michael McNally. “Every knol will have an author (or group of authors) who put their name behind their content. It’s their knol, their voice, their opinion. We expect that there will be multiple knols on the same subject, and we think that is good.”
The hope is that more and more authors will be encouraged to share their specific expertise. The option is also available to make suggestions to a knol author – which the author then has the right to implement or discard (unlike Wikipedia where pitched battles are fought over some subjects). You can also rate, review and or comment on knols.
The opportunity to earn is also available, as authors can sign up with Google AdSense and have ads appear next to their articles. The whole setup is quite appealing, and authors are expected to flock to the site.
SEO possibilities are rife, as the ability to keyword optimize your articles to appear in each rankings and generate lucrative ad revenue should be limitless. You can also link back to references, making this an ideal place to present articles that can link back to your site for more information on your specialty.
As for regulation, that is something Google will have to address as issues come up. “Of course those are issues, but Knol is a dynamic process — just like everything else on the Web in general and with Google in particular,” independent technology forecaster Paul Saffo said. “Once something like this is built, people will try to subvert it, and Google will try to find other ways to keep them from subverting it.”
Keep an eye on Knol. It definitely has the potential to outshine Wikipedia as an source, and the ability to have different viewpoints available on similar subjects could be a positive thing.
Tags: advertising, articles, Knol, linking