Google's Worst Nightmare

Fast Company’s Alan Deutschman profiles Wikipedia founder Jimmy “Jimbo” Wales’ effort to take on Google in search. With 1000 initial volunteers, $4 million, and a commitment to mass collaboration Wales’ new for profit company, Wikia, mostly has idealism on its side as it takes on Google.

Deutschman points out that Google is vulnerable in that it has no way to lock in users (as Microsoft does) and that its size and popularity have made it the number one target for commercial spammers. Google, the also author points, out has been getting low marks lately for the quality of its results. Can Wales harness the wisdom of crowds? Deutschman doesn’t know, but he says “it’s going to be a wild ride. (More Google stories.)