by 19 people |
About Google Knol
Learn more about Google's Web 2.0 user-contributed information sharing service named "Knol. Be an authority on your favorite topic, and write away! (Don't forget to promote something, too).
What is Google Knol?
Picture it: a site where anyone can create an account, write an article (known as a "knol") and publish it to the world. Within that article, they can promote, recommend and publish. Sound familiar?
Yes, Google has entered the social portal/content area of the web, competing with the likes of Wikipedia, Squidoo, Hubpages, et. all. Coined Google Knol, this new social article writing service allows you to be the all-knowing source for any topic you wish. Whether the public agrees with it will be determined, though!
With Google Knol, you can create a profile name, which becomes a permanent fixture of the URLs of all of the "Knols" (or pages) you'll be creating. Each "Knol" can also be named, according to the title of the article. Your articles can be whatever you wish - whether you want to blurt out a Wikipedia-esque encyclopedia page, an image resource on a particular topic, or just about anything else. Yes - you can promote your sites directly on a Knol. Since this is a Google service, there's certainty that respected Knols will be receiving some Google love.
Yes, Google has entered the social portal/content area of the web, competing with the likes of Wikipedia, Squidoo, Hubpages, et. all. Coined Google Knol, this new social article writing service allows you to be the all-knowing source for any topic you wish. Whether the public agrees with it will be determined, though!
With Google Knol, you can create a profile name, which becomes a permanent fixture of the URLs of all of the "Knols" (or pages) you'll be creating. Each "Knol" can also be named, according to the title of the article. Your articles can be whatever you wish - whether you want to blurt out a Wikipedia-esque encyclopedia page, an image resource on a particular topic, or just about anything else. Yes - you can promote your sites directly on a Knol. Since this is a Google service, there's certainty that respected Knols will be receiving some Google love.
Google Knol vs. Wikipedia
There's no doubt that Google Inc. is flustered over Wikipedia's dominance of most (if not all?) major one and two word keyword Search Engine Results Page listings. Therefore, the notion that Knol is seeking to re-claim the #1 SERP throne is not a far-and-away speculation. Surprisingly, Wikipedia's offical response was a positive one, quoting: "The more good free content, the better for the world."The main lure in Google's tacklebox - beyond its brand name and stance as the king of search engines - is the promise of ad revenue sharing (convenient, with the existing AdSense service). Hypothetically speaking, imagine what it could be like to surpass Wikipedia's spot for "debt consolidation" or "iPhone."
How about at least getting the middle or bottom of a luxurious page 1 SERP for these results? Would it be possible, simply because you're using a Google-backed service on Google - of whom is looking to stamp out one of the biggest thorns in their side? This possibility is in the air with Knol.
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Web 2.0: The Easy Solution
Thanks to the Web 2.0 methodology, all you really have to do nowadays is get oodles of traffic, present something exciting, and you have an instant classic. Google Knol will undoubtedly have a bandwidth back-breaking start with floods of webophiliacs looking to create their own pages, in the hopes of getting otherwise impossible search engine results.This, of course, poses a threat for the idea's originator - Squidoo, and its next runner-up, Hubpages. What will become of Lenses and Hubs? Will they be the brunt of unfair and unfortunate search engine results with the inception of Google Knol? Will Google Knol ever experience the same mass-deindexing of pages that struck Squidoo in the summer of 2007, if there is widespread spamming?
Sound Off on Knol: Love it or Hate it?
What's your opinion?
Fetching blurbs now... please stand by
Official Word from Google about Google Knol
An initial blog posting on google.blogspot.com stated several key points and expectations that Google has for Knol (see the original article, here):
"A knol on a particular topic is meant to be the first thing someone who searches for this topic for the first time will want to read."
This comment may or may not allude to a higher-than-agerage-priority ranking of Knol pages.
"Google will not serve as an editor in any way, and will not bless any content"
This interesting comment opens the door to many questions - will Knols be moderated at all? To what extent will they abuse the system, and when will it trigger some form of action?
"People will be able to submit comments, questions, edits, additional content...Anyone will be able to rate a knol or write a review of it."
Following with the true Web 2.0 mentality, it appears as though a trusted community of people who simply want to "see the best of the best make it" on Knol will be the moderators. On this same subject:
"...we cannot expect that all of them will be of high quality. Our job in Search Quality will be to rank the knols appropriately when they appear in Google search results.
Knols might be ranked in a myriad of ways, which may be as mysterious as the inner-workings of page rank itself. It may be influenced by ratings, comments or other external venues.
"A knol on a particular topic is meant to be the first thing someone who searches for this topic for the first time will want to read."
This comment may or may not allude to a higher-than-agerage-priority ranking of Knol pages.
"Google will not serve as an editor in any way, and will not bless any content"
This interesting comment opens the door to many questions - will Knols be moderated at all? To what extent will they abuse the system, and when will it trigger some form of action?
"People will be able to submit comments, questions, edits, additional content...Anyone will be able to rate a knol or write a review of it."
Following with the true Web 2.0 mentality, it appears as though a trusted community of people who simply want to "see the best of the best make it" on Knol will be the moderators. On this same subject:
"...we cannot expect that all of them will be of high quality. Our job in Search Quality will be to rank the knols appropriately when they appear in Google search results.
Knols might be ranked in a myriad of ways, which may be as mysterious as the inner-workings of page rank itself. It may be influenced by ratings, comments or other external venues.
Google Knol Screenshot
In its pre-Alpha stage, Google offered a single example screenshot of a Google Knol page. Notice all of the standard makings of a portal page: complete with user-defined Meta, Heading-tagged paragraphs, an Author box, AdSense ad, related Knol pages and more.
The footer of each Knol appears to be greatly inspired by Wikipedia, with a section for references and resources used, external links, and the inclusion of a blog-esque Comments Box. (see the full screenshot here)
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References Used
- Slashdot | Google's "Knol" Reinvents Wikipedia
- Google appears to be reinventing Wikipedia with their new product that they call knol (not yet publicly available). In an attempt to gather human knowledge...
- TechCrunch | Google Knol: A Step Too Far?
- News broke late yesterday that Google was preparing to launch a new site call Knol that will combine parts of Wikipedia and Squidoo to create a new user generated authoritative online knowledgebase of everything...
- Google Blog | Encouraging people to contribute knowledge
- The web contains an enormous amount of information, and Google has helped to make that information more easily accessible by providing pretty good search facilities. But not everything is written nor is everything well organized to make it easily discoverable...
More Knol Resources
- Google Knol (official site)
- Visit Google Knol today, and see what all the hype is about!
- How to Write Knol Articles
- A Blog on Tips, Tricks, News and Views for Google Knols
The Squidoo Knol Group
Join the Knol group and add your Knol-related lenses! This group is intended to be a resource for tips, tricks and information about Google Knol as it becomes available:-
Google Knol Headquarters
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Google Knol Group: Google Knol, Google's own social portal, lets you create informative pages on any subject you wish. Add your Google Knol related lenses and resources here!
Google Knol: Reader Feedback
Got opinions about Google Knol? Let them be known, here!
paulcontris wrote...
Has this Google Knol site taken off yet? I have not heard an announcement. It seems Google is hungry for traffic. They are at war with Yahoo for ad placements.
Comment by Paul Contris.
Posted April 22, 2009
A_Good_Friend wrote...
What do you know...Google is in the game. They never cease to amaze me with their innovation and creativity
Posted January 22, 2009
spacetruckin wrote...
I glad I found your lens, never knew about Google Knol. Stop by my lens, about getting a free adwords software, and take a peek at adwords keywords.
Posted January 14, 2009
Lensmaster
Dina wrote
My family has been keeping an eye on the progression of the Knol site, and information leading to it. We are all very excited for it to get up and running.
Good job Google.
:]
Posted August 08, 2008
