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Reluctant Wikipedia Lifts Lid On $2.5M Internet Search Engine Project (theregister.co.uk)
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." After a Wikipedia signpost article, and coverage at El Reg this week, the WMF caved and posted the Knight Foundation's approval of the $250,000 grant. The grant provides seed money for stage one of the Knowledge Engine, described as "a system for discovering reliable and trustworthy information on the Internet." The discovery stage includes an exploration of prototypes of future versions of Wikipedia.org which are "open channels" rather than an encyclopedia, analyzing the query-to-content path, and embedding the Wikipedia Knowledge Engine "via carriers and Original Equipment Manufacturers."
One of Wikipedia's largest problems is that it cites things which cite things which end up citing Wikipedia if you go far enough back.
It would be great to have Wikipedia akin to Wolfram Alpha but less math and more about factual primary sources.
The short article in the link has this:
Wikimedia’s reluctance to detail the restricted grant, from the Knight Foundation, was a factor in the departure of community-elected WMF board member James Heilman in December.
Whether that's controversial depends on whatever's been going on between the Wikimedia Foundation and Mr Heilman and how you view their motives and attitudes towards openness and those of the Knight Foundation - "Volunteers feel WMF management has purposely kept them out of the loop”. Maybe the bit about embedding the Wikipedia Knowledge Engine “via carriers and Original Equipment Manufacturers” means they hope for a commercial product, which might be controversial.
Page 2 of the agreement asks "Would users go to Wikipedia if it were an open channel beyond an encyclopedia?"
I expect Google would say it's controversial but that's another matter. Wikimedia intend to create "a system for discovering reliable and trustworthy information on the Internet" which is not Google's main aim: doing a Google would be trying to monopolize search and make as much money as possible.
The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation is an American private, non-profit foundation dedicated to supporting "transformational ideas that promote quality journalism, advance media innovation, engage communities and foster the arts."
You might want to keep an eye on their page for favourable edits. Their money came from Knight Ridder publishers. Wikipedia helpfully adds "Not to be confused with Knight Rider (disambiguation) or Night Rider (disambiguation)."