Wikipedia lifts lid on $2.5m internet search engine project

[tangor]

The Wikimedia Foundation has finally disclosed details of its controversial Knowledge Engine grant – and it confirms that Wikipedia is getting seriously into search, despite Jimmy Wales' categorical denial that WMF is “doing a Google”.

The discovery stage includes an exploration of prototypes of future versions of Wikipedia.org which are “open channels” rather than an encyclopaedia, analysing the query-to-content path, and embedding the Wikipedia Knowledge Engine “via carriers and Original Equipment Manufacturers”.

The biggest risk, according to the risk assessment section, is that Google or Yahoo! “could suddenly devote resources to a similar project”. The Discovery phase will take 12 months, lasting until 31 August this year. Knight and the recipient had only provided sketchy details to date.

[theregister.co.uk...]

Will we soon be doing SEO for Wikipedia as well?

[iamlost]

Google used to show Wikipedia (and it's lifted, in whole or part, content from other sites) as 'the' goto site for zillions of queries. Then came the Knowledge Box and I bet that traffic dropped big time. And so Wikipedia are attempting to become an enclosed garden (of other people's stuff) not as reliant on Google (and their databases of other people's stuff).

Funny really.

I have used Wikipedia to reasonable effect over the years, both as feed for SEs and for direct traffic. Because of this I haven't hammered them with DCMAs as I have/do others for copyright infringement. However, if they stop referring converting traffic there is no longer reason to tolerate them; at the least, some 'editors' will be in for some rewriting or content replacement from elsewhere.
Note: given that Wikipedia holds the contributors aka editors are the content owners (who agree to release) that puts the individual editors at risk for republished registered content. An interesting conceit.

[jmccormac]

Deja vue all over again?

Regards...jmcc

[JS_Harris]

I don't blame Wikipedia for wanting their own search engine, Google launching "Knol" a while back was probably a wakeup call. Unfortunately for Wikipedia I don't see the move gaining traction unless they come up with an adsense alternative to go with it, hopefully one that ports onto publisher websites like adsense. Without that the cash will not flow, the data centers will not be built and the project will fizzle.

I doubt Google will be worried about a Wikipedia search engine but an adsense alternative being part of the package... they'd likely get more stingy in how much traffic they send to Wikipedia.

Google is removing ads from the sidebar of serps, are they removing all of those wikipedia blocks too?

[jmccormac]

I doubt Google will be worried about a Wikipedia search engine

I think it is quite the reverse. Wikipedia did a lot of damage to Google over the years because it became the first destination for schoolkids doing homework and almost everyone else looking for deep results rather than just simple SERPs. This was traffic that was unlikely to return to Google to search. Google's Knol was an attempt to maggotise Wikipedia by offering people money to write articles. However a lot of people write articles for free on Wikipedia for the joy of writing and sharing knowledge. Jimbo Wales also tried to set up a crowd sourced search engine in 2008 where people with SE expertise (we are a rare breed) would, theoretically, donate their services for free. That didn't happen and the venture closed. Google also tried to maggotise Wikipedia with its "Knowledge Graph" as, I think, Wikipedia is still a traffic destination. The Knowledge Graph/Wikipedia scraper is meant to keep searchers on Google properties so they can be exposed to more advertising., A Wikipedia search engine would be a threat to Google because it could become a high traffic destination and a competitor to Google on deep results. A lot of people are going to be watching this closely.

Regards...jmcc