Google's "Knol" Reinvents Wikipedia

teslatug writes "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, Google will accept articles from users who will be credited with the article by name. If they want, they can allow ads to appear alongside the content and they will be getting a share of the profits if that's the case. Other users will be allowed to rate, edit or comment on the articles. The content does not have to be exclusive to Google but no mention is made on any license for it. Is this a better model for free information gathering?"

Comments

Re:"Free Information Gathering?"

[galoise]

the obvious distinction that you english speakers need to make between gratis and libre is not only a difference between degress of freedom in an object, it's a difference between two differnet things, as gratis refers to the cost of access to something. Nothing is per-se gratis, unless it is a publicly available, non-exclusive good with no costs associated to its distribution or consumption. like air. Anything else, is gratis for someone. in this case, fotr the user, but not for google, or the advertisers.

Now libre, in the other hand, has nothing to do with costs at all, but to the rights confered upon third parties to use, distribute, or modify the good distributed. Specifically, it relates to the freedoms you are entitled to upon receiving said good, disregarding all cost considerations.

The "Ads by google" may probably be relevant from a costs point of view, but it has NOTHING to do with its libre standing, notwithstanding the fact that normally, when goods are distributed for-profit, even if gratis to the user, they tend to be distributed un-librely. but this is correlation, not necessity. Its a contingent association.