Google takes on Wikipedia
Google announced today that it made Knol public for a beta launch. Knol is a site where users can write articles on anything and everything and collaborate to make sure the information is the most accurate and up-to-date as possible. Sound familiar?
Knol is made up of “knols” - or pieces of knowledge. Write your own knol and you own it. Other users can request changes, but only the owner can decide what goes live to the world. The idea is that subject matter experts are the ones owning each category, instead of anybody and everybody and nobody on wikipedia. The authors are not anonymous, and many have resume-like bios.
Will it take off? Maybe. Unlike Wikipedia, you can cite the direct author - so maybe it would be a viable “academic source” (read - you could use it in a college research paper). But I think the mass appeal of wikipedia is just that - it’s owned by the masses. Who owns pop culture topics? If I post that Kathy Griffin is still dating Steve Wozniak when CLEARLY the broke up weeks ago, someone will correct me. The great thing about Wikipedia is that what ends up in the article is generally exactly what I want to read about - the trivia, how things are related, the high level most interesting facts about any one topic. A subject matter expert may be too much of an expert to realize what the masses deem important. Also, what if the “owner” of the article becomes complacent and doesn’t keep up with the requests. Wikipedia users have made over 240 million edits in 5 years - that’s approximately 130,000 a day. It’s a lot for a moderator to keep up with.
Sure, I’m skeptical. But I will say this - if anyone can knock Wikipedia off it’s throne, it’s Google.
Filed under Links, Online tools | Comment (0)White people like grammar
Perhaps my favorite blog out there today is Stuff White People Like. It is not only eerily true*, but also hilarious.
An excerpt from today’s post - #99 Grammar:
When asking someone about their biggest annoyances in life, you might expect responses like “hunger,” “being poor,” or “getting shot.” If you ask a white person, the most common response will likely be “people who use ‘their’ when they mean ‘there.’ Maybe comma splices, I’m not sure but it’s definitely one of the two.”
If you wish to gain the respect of a white person, it’s probably a good idea that you find an obscure and debated grammar rule such as the “Oxford Comma” and take a firm stance on what you believe is correct. This is seen as more productive and forward thinking that simply stating your anger at the improper use of “it’s.”
*Maybe I find it so dead on because of the vague subject (inevitably any middle class white person who reads blogs on the internet will find something to relate to), but this is me. To a tee.
So go forth and read daily… you just might read something that lets you have an innocent laugh at your own expense.
Filed under Links, Recommended | Comment (0)Working Hard for the Money
Lots going on at work today - in case you haven’t noticed.
That’s right, we launched the new Nuts About Southwest today!
(If you saw some random posts today - that was QA testing some trackback functionality.)
We’ve also created some screencasts that show off the functionality - so if you want to cheer (or jeer) at my internet broadcast debut - check out this post on the RD2 blog.
Filed under Links, Life Soundtrack | Comment (0)Don’t worry, Barack loves you back
Not only do you love Barack (as is apparent in the latest round of primaries), Barack loves you back. And he is your new bicycle.
http://barackobamaisyournewbicycle.com/
Reload this page as much as you want for different nice things Barack has done for you. For instance - Barack Obama skated here all the way from the beach just to be with you.
XOXO, Barack.
Filed under Links | Comment (0)Ash Wednesday, kthxbai
In remembrance of Ash Wednesday today (and since I more than probably won’t be making it to church), I leave you with a passage from the LOLCats Bible.
K thx bai.
Jeezus tawt about prayz - Matthew 5-13
5 so yu be all leik MCHammertime and pray jus 2 make it 2day and stuff.6 Ceiling Cat is watching you prostrate but u donut no he is tho.7 ur pray shood not be made of fail.8 Ceiling Cat knows what u donut hate.9 u pray leik dis: Praise Ceiling Cat, who be watchin yu, may him has a cheezburger.10 Wut yu want, yu gets, srsly.11 Giv us dis day our dalee cheezburger.12 And furgiv us for makin yu a cookie, but eateding it.13 An leed us not into teh showa, but deliver us from teh wawter. Ceiling Cat pwns all. Him pwns teh ceiling an flor an walls too. Amen
Ken Jennings is my hero
You remember dear old Ken. 74 game winning streak on Jeopardy? Cute little Mormon? All around nice guy? That’s the one.
I can’t get enough of his blog: Ken-Jennings.com. Witty and entertaining, with enough vocabulary-building syntax and intelligent humor to keep me coming back (err… subscribing to the RSS feed).
My only major qualm with the operation is that viewers can’t comment directly. Ken set up a message board and I have to subscribe to throw in my two cents. No thanks, Ken. I guess I’ll have to keep admiring you from afar.
Also for your viewing pleasure: The video of Ken losing, ending his streak.
What’s not to love about this guy?
EDIT: Fun trivia fact I learned today from Ken:
James K. Polk was actually an absinthe drinker who once drunkenly declared statehood for his own sideburns.
Filed under Links, Recommended | Comment (1)
