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Google Knol
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Google Knol

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Article History

Google Knol, free Internet-based encyclopaedia hosted (2007–12) by the American search engine company Google Inc.

On December 13, 2007, Google announced that it was entering the online encyclopaedia business with Knol. (The company defined a knol as a unit of knowledge.) The Knol Web site was opened to the general public on July 23, 2008. Participation in Knol required a confirmation of an individual’s identity before any articles or edits were allowed at the Knol Web site.

In exchange for giving up their anonymity, authors were given an opportunity to allow ads from Google’s AdSense on their Knol Web pages. By sharing with its authors any ad revenue generated by “page views” of their articles, Google hoped to induce submissions by professionals and highly qualified individuals. Authors were able to choose to allow edits by specific collaborators or open up their articles for editing by the entire Knol community. In addition, Knol had no limit to the number of articles on the same subject: Google expected that well-written and maintained articles would rise to the top through user ratings.

In November 2011 Google announced that it would be discontinuing Knol, and in May 2012 articles became accessible only to their authors.

This article was most recently revised and updated by Adam Augustyn.