Information Society Watch

March 31, 2008, Rory Cellan-Jones, BBC News

This blog by a BBC technology correspondent discusses the future of online encyclopedias, with a focus on whether Wikipedia will continue to rule the reference arena. It explores the benefits of an open model of knowledge building versus models that favour 'experts'. Two other projects, Citizendium and Knol, are trying to build upon the latter model by relying on named contributors and experts who approve articles. Both projects are in their infancy, and the blog concludes that Wikipedia still dominates with its sheer volume of reference entries, which are also more comprehensive and approachable.

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