14 DAY TRIAL // Some time ago, Jimmy Wales, the Wikipedia founder, had a somehow crazy attitude when he sustained that Google and Yahoo might lose an important amount of users if a new search technology is rolled out. Well, it seems like he knew what he was talking about because Wikia Search, the Wikipedia's search technology, is currently in the final development stages and is preparing for the big release in December. Obviously, it will be extremely difficult to compete with Google and Yahoo and Jimmy Wales knows that but it seems he's ready to take the risk.
"Somebody said to me, your reputation is assured with Wikipedia; this could be a big failure. Why take the risk? But I don't even think in those terms. Search is something lots of people are concerned about and we can make a change," Wikipedia's founder said according to Times Online.
What's more interesting on Wikia Search is that it will work just like Wikipedia because it is meant to evolve using the power of the community. The users will be able to rank the results and vote the best ones in order to provide more relevant results for the other search queries. But the search technology is different from the web-based encyclopedia because it is quite well-promoted while Wikipedia started as an anonymous platform.
"When I started Wikipedia there were three articles. It was supposed to be an encyclopedia but it was totally empty. Nobody cared back then and nobody was watching. When we launch the search engine everyone will think we are going to launch some Goog-le-killing device on day one. That's just not true or possible," he added for the same source.
Jimmy Wales plans to improve Wikia Search in order to represent a powerful competitor for Google and Yahoo in approximately three years from now but as I said, the battle will be extremely difficult. But, let's admit it, the competition is very useful for us, the consumers, because we will receive better performance and improved technologies.