Knol, Free Encyclopedia by Google

Later yesterday Google announced that it will soon be launching a new service/tool for worldwide users called Google Knol. Basically the key concept is to create a free open-source encyclopedia (Just like Wikipedia) where people can come and write about any topic. Google wants a tool that is somewhat a cross of Wikipedia and Social Networks.

Knol, which basically stands for a unit of knowledge, is still in development and this is just the first phase of testing. For now only selected group of beta testers can use this service but it will soon be available to the worldwide users for free.

Google will provide easy-to-use tools for writing, editing, and so on, and it will provide free hosting of the content. Authors can write about any topic they want to and each topic shall be called a Knol.

Google Knol = Wikipedia + Social Networks. Why?

Google Knol will be a free open-source encyclopedia plus it will include strong community tools where users will be able to submit comments, questions, edits, additional content, rate knols and so on.

Google Knol will not just be a free open source knowledge social network rather it will be a revenue sharing open source social network where authors of each knol will be given a substantial revenue share from the proceedings of ads on that particular knol.

Google Knol vs Wikipedia

While most of the critics think that Google Knol will be a big competitor to Wikipedia, I say different. I think Google Knol will be more like a social network with free knowledge sharing whereas Wikipedia is a just a encyclopedia which offers you free straight-to-the-point knowledge and does not allow you to discuss, question, comment on articles.

Google Knol, being a Google child, will definitely win the card over Wikipedia in SERPs but Wikipedia, being the free knowledge God, shall always rule.