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Wikipedia Founder Working on User-Powered Search

An anonymous reader writes "Jimmy Wales, founder of the Wikia corporation, has revealed plans to offer a user-driven search engine. Ars Technica reports that the plan is to leverage user preferences to pick the 'best' site for any given search term, while at the same time utilizing advertising for commercial gain. The article admits this may not be the ideal solution: 'Users may be reluctant to contribute to the betterment of a commercial site that may end up being bought by a bigger company. Consider, for example, the tragic death of TV Tome, a comprehensive community-driven television content guide that was eventually bought by CNET and transformed into a garish, excessively commercialized Web 2.0 monstrosity of significantly less value to users.' Just the same, Wales seems very enthusiastic in the Times Online article highlighting this venture."

2 of 74 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Controversial subjects by I(rispee_I(reme · · Score: 1, Troll

    Results for controversial subjects will be just as accurate as those for more commonsensical topics: All search results will helpfully direct the user to discounted prescription drugs and aphrodesiacs. Contact information for local singles will also be provided. I daresay they shall be "hot".

  2. Re:Controversial subjects by WiFiBro · · Score: 0, Troll

    Some hoaxes getting published all over, including Amazon involvement.
    See http://search.wikia.com/wiki/search:News