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07.Jan.2008 [ search ]

Wikia Launch: The Internet is Displeased

Wikia Search launched into public alpha today after much pimping and the comments I’ve seen so far from around the Web ranges from “meh” to “this is crap.”

Wikia Search is the new venture by Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales. Here are a few bits from around the web:

From Mashable:

Wikia Search looks like something that was cooked by two guys in one month in a basement…

From @jdevalk:

…pfff wikia sucks…

Mr. Arrington at TechCrunch says:

Wikia search would be a disappointment even without the massive hype we’ve had to endure. And taking that hype into account, this product is an inexcusable waste of time.

There is a good discussion (joined by Mr. Wales himself) there at TechCrunch.

@jaredbrown said:

First impression: Bugs, poor results, generally unfinished, even for an alpha.

I still like Wikia’s principles, though:

  1. Transparency: This is a big one. With Google making big changes to their ranking algorithm and increasingly pissing people off, this will be a breath of fresh air.
  2. Community: Ah, what made Wikipedia and other great wikis what they are today. If the community gathers here, you can expect higher quality.
  3. Quality: See Community :)
  4. Privacy: Excellent! Something that is increasingly rare these days.

But aside from all of that, it’s important to remember that Wikia Search is still in alpha and, like any wiki, will get better as it grows. Feel free to check it out, but it will likely be more useful if you check it out later.

What do you think? Post a comment, let me know on Twitter, and follow what people are saying on Twitter thanks to Terraminds Twitter Search.

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2 Responses to “Wikia Launch: The Internet is Displeased”

  1. Could P2P networks enable a Google killer? « please mr editor…. Says:
    January 8th, 2008 at 10:35 am

    [...] is over and Google has won. Wikia, one of the well-funded attempts to take on Google, launched to a chorus of boos. I took a look at Powerset, another well-funded and well-hyped attempt, using natural language [...]

  2. Article Save » Could P2P Networks Enable a Google Killer? Says:
    January 11th, 2008 at 6:15 am

    [...] is over and Google has won. Wikia, one of the well-funded attempts to take on Google, launched to a chorus of boos. I took a look at Powerset, another well-funded and well-hyped attempt, using natural language [...]

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