Knol Just Launched!

moultanomoultano Creator of ns_shiva. Join Date: 2002-12-14 Member: 10806Members, NS1 Playtester, Contributor, Constellation, NS2 Playtester, Squad Five Blue, Reinforced - Shadow, WC 2013 - Gold, NS2 Community Developer, Pistachionauts
edited July 2008 in Off-Topic
<div class="IPBDescription">and guess who is featured?</div>Check out the front page of <a href="http://knol.google.com" target="_blank">http://knol.google.com</a>
Here's the article I wrote for it: <a href="http://knol.google.com/k/ryan-moulton/how-to-backpack/oggVvQ9h/aMOKbQ#" target="_blank">How to Backpack</a>
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Comments

  • SvenpaSvenpa Wait, what? Join Date: 2004-01-03 Member: 25012Members, Constellation
    "A knol is an authoritative article about a specific topic."

    I don't get it, is it like writing a ordinary article/blog but much more, serious/complete?
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  • DepotDepot The ModFather Join Date: 2002-11-09 Member: 7956Members
    Very nice article moultano.

    I discovered (by accident) that Slim Fast High Protein Bars not only have 15g of protein, they curb your appetite for a good 2 or 3 hours... available in chocolate or peanut. <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/tounge.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":p" border="0" alt="tounge.gif" />
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  • ThansalThansal The New Scum Join Date: 2002-08-22 Member: 1215Members, Constellation
    grats moultano

    and the point of knol is basically wiki but verified and done by reputable sources.


    or something.
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  • moultanomoultano Creator of ns_shiva. Join Date: 2002-12-14 Member: 10806Members, NS1 Playtester, Contributor, Constellation, NS2 Playtester, Squad Five Blue, Reinforced - Shadow, WC 2013 - Gold, NS2 Community Developer, Pistachionauts
    Here's a really good article explaining the project and what it hopes to accomplish.
    <a href="http://www.wired.com/software/coolapps/news/2008/07/google_knol?currentPage=all" target="_blank">http://www.wired.com/software/coolapps/new...currentPage=all</a>
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  • TychoCelchuuuTychoCelchuuu Anememone Join Date: 2002-03-23 Member: 345Members
    <!--quoteo(post=1684299:date=Jul 23 2008, 01:28 PM:name=Svenpa)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Svenpa @ Jul 23 2008, 01:28 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1684299"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->"A knol is an authoritative article about a specific topic."

    I don't get it, is it like writing a ordinary article/blog but much more, serious/complete?<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
    It's kind of like Wikipedia only instead of a bunch of Internet people writing an article it's someone who knows what they're doing writing an article.
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  • Private_ColemanPrivate_Coleman PhD in Video Games Join Date: 2002-11-07 Member: 7510Members
    <!--quoteo(post=1684304:date=Jul 23 2008, 02:09 PM:name=TychoCelchuuu)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(TychoCelchuuu @ Jul 23 2008, 02:09 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1684304"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->It's kind of like Wikipedia only instead of a bunch of Internet people writing an article it's someone who knows what they're doing writing an article.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->


    How is this verified? This is making me confused and angry.
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  • TychoCelchuuuTychoCelchuuu Anememone Join Date: 2002-03-23 Member: 345Members
    edited July 2008
    <!--quoteo(post=1684310:date=Jul 23 2008, 05:56 PM:name=Private_Coleman)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Private_Coleman @ Jul 23 2008, 05:56 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1684310"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->How is this verified? This is making me confused and angry.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
    Google checks your identity via phone number or credit card number or whatever, and you give your real name. The idea is that the good stuff will get good ratings and crappy stuff will get bad ratings.

    edit: you're not REQUIRED to have a verifiable identity, but you can.
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  • OmegamanOmegaman Join Date: 2004-01-11 Member: 25239Members
    edited July 2008
    AWESOME article, moultano. Incredibly useful and informative while somehow not reading like a chore. I was never really into camping after I got heat exhaustion on my last boy scout trip a long time ago (it suuuuuuucked the big one), but if I ever get into it again, which I do want to do, I'll definitely be referring to your guide.
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  • lolfighterlolfighter Snark, Dire Join Date: 2003-04-20 Member: 15693Members
    Tent: Never, EVER trust someone else to handle the tent. They WILL ###### up, and you'll end up with a soaked sleeping bag the first time it rains, and then you're ######ED. Organise the tent yourself, or stay at home.
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  • DiscoZombieDiscoZombie Join Date: 2003-08-05 Member: 18951Members
    very good article <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":)" border="0" alt="smile-fix.gif" /> though on the topic of Knol, even after reading up on it, I still can't entirely see what Google is trying to accomplish with this one. So basically it's Wikipedia, but it hasn't already been populated, and it can't be edited by other people who have corrections to make? the main difference is that it encourages you to put your real name on an article - which, for most nobodies, doesn't mean anything anyway - and people whose names are actually known in their field probably have better things to do than write Knol articles? If they truly think this is going to have something more to offer than Wiki, they should have bought Wikipedia so at least they had something to start from.
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  • moultanomoultano Creator of ns_shiva. Join Date: 2002-12-14 Member: 10806Members, NS1 Playtester, Contributor, Constellation, NS2 Playtester, Squad Five Blue, Reinforced - Shadow, WC 2013 - Gold, NS2 Community Developer, Pistachionauts
    <!--quoteo(post=1684460:date=Jul 25 2008, 01:47 PM:name=DiscoZombie)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(DiscoZombie @ Jul 25 2008, 01:47 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1684460"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->very good article <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":)" border="0" alt="smile-fix.gif" /> though on the topic of Knol, even after reading up on it, I still can't entirely see what Google is trying to accomplish with this one. So basically it's Wikipedia, but it hasn't already been populated, and it can't be edited by other people who have corrections to make? the main difference is that it encourages you to put your real name on an article - which, for most nobodies, doesn't mean anything anyway - and people whose names are actually known in their field probably have better things to do than write Knol articles? If they truly think this is going to have something more to offer than Wiki, they should have bought Wikipedia so at least they had something to start from.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
    Personally I don't see it as a replacement for wikipedia. I think the draw is mostly for those people that don't have a utopian vision of the web and want some control over their words. There are many experts in various fields that aren't experts in publishing things on the web, and I think the hope is that this will be a venue in which they will feel comfortable writing and in which they will see the value of writing.
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  • DiscoZombieDiscoZombie Join Date: 2003-08-05 Member: 18951Members
    <!--quoteo(post=1684464:date=Jul 25 2008, 03:11 PM:name=moultano)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(moultano @ Jul 25 2008, 03:11 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1684464"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Personally I don't see it as a replacement for wikipedia. I think the draw is mostly for those people that don't have a utopian vision of the web and want some control over their words. There are many experts in various fields that aren't experts in publishing things on the web, and I think the hope is that this will be a venue in which they will feel comfortable writing and in which they will see the value of writing.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
    hm, very well put, makes more sense when I think about it that way :>
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  • AbraAbra Would you kindly Join Date: 2003-08-17 Member: 19870Members
    <!--quoteo(post=1684459:date=Jul 25 2008, 08:45 PM:name=lolfighter)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(lolfighter @ Jul 25 2008, 08:45 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1684459"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Tent: Never, EVER trust someone else to handle the tent. They WILL ###### up, and you'll end up with a soaked sleeping bag the first time it rains, and then you're ######ED. Organise the tent yourself, or stay at home.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

    Happened to me at Samsø festival. Luckily I took over a friend's tent.
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  • SwiftspearSwiftspear Custim tital Join Date: 2003-10-29 Member: 22097Members
    <!--quoteo(post=1684464:date=Jul 25 2008, 02:11 PM:name=moultano)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(moultano @ Jul 25 2008, 02:11 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1684464"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Personally I don't see it as a replacement for wikipedia. I think the draw is mostly for those people that don't have a utopian vision of the web and want some control over their words. There are many experts in various fields that aren't experts in publishing things on the web, and I think the hope is that this will be a venue in which they will feel comfortable writing and in which they will see the value of writing.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
    Then there's also the fact that it's not an encyclopedia. So many of the articles will have personalized information and direct instructive approaches. Huge chunks of the backpacking article wouldn't have been objective enough for wikipedia... but it's not that they are irrelevant information, they are just personal experiences and what not. You never see any "how to X" articles on wikipedia... if you already have some knowledge it's full of good expansive information... but it's impossible to replace a walkthrough for gaining common experience.
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  • TychoCelchuuuTychoCelchuuu Anememone Join Date: 2002-03-23 Member: 345Members
    <!--quoteo(post=1684534:date=Jul 26 2008, 02:28 PM:name=Swiftspear)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Swiftspear @ Jul 26 2008, 02:28 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1684534"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->You never see any "how to X" articles on wikipedia<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

    Yeah, that's what Wikihow is for <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":D" border="0" alt="biggrin-fix.gif" /> There's a wiki for everything, really.
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  • SwiftspearSwiftspear Custim tital Join Date: 2003-10-29 Member: 22097Members
    <!--quoteo(post=1684540:date=Jul 26 2008, 03:34 PM:name=TychoCelchuuu)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(TychoCelchuuu @ Jul 26 2008, 03:34 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1684540"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Yeah, that's what Wikihow is for <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":D" border="0" alt="biggrin-fix.gif" /> There's a wiki for everything, really.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
    There is a wiki for everything... but personally I think this format is better for article work. Wikis tend to screw up literary flow when multiple people are running an article together. That's absolutely fine with an encyclopedia, because the information content is vastly more important and heavy then the flow, and you're very rarely running long blocks of text without significantly breaking it up into logical categories, but with how to articles, walkthroughs, or tips and tricks segments, it's just extremely destructive. I'll take a one man job tutorial over a wiki tutorial any day. Occasionally you'll get some good useful notes in wiki tutorials, but more often then not someone hacks in some contribution that breaks the pacing of the writing and often confuses the meaning of the page as a whole.

    I'm a huge wiki fan, honestly, I use them for personal notes, design documents for projects I'm working on, and all sorts of other stuff. But they just aren't universally the best context for all types of writing.
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  • lolfighterlolfighter Snark, Dire Join Date: 2003-04-20 Member: 15693Members
    Well, I haven't found any article there that's useful to me so far, but it's always good to know that you have a place to look up genital warts.
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  • TychoCelchuuuTychoCelchuuu Anememone Join Date: 2002-03-23 Member: 345Members
    I found the Type I diabetes article to be more or less useful. At least, more so than the Wikipedia one.
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