Google Knol is Dying?
I stumble on TechCrunch article on Google Knol and I think they have valid grounds in their claims – But I still have faith in Google Knol. Do you?
The article’s title is sad, really: “Poor Google Knol Has Gone From A Wikipedia Killer To A Craigslist Wannabe”.
Unfortunately, the claim is reasonable – Google Knol has grown into something that resembles Craiglist more than Wikipedia – So many “marketers” create knols that promote things that add little or no knowledge to the visitors. The effect: A decline in traffic.
As you can see, Google Knol’s traffic tops in February and March 2009 – Since then, the traffic declines.
Despite those facts, I still believe in the potential of Google Knol – They just need to “slap” naughty members that offer nothing but “advertorial.”
I even think many knols are written in such a way that Google Knol resembles an article directory. Don’t let Google Knol slips away and ends up as Lively or Google Notebooks – Deceased.
Will said on Saturday, August 29, 2009, 16:47
The reason this analysis is wrong, is that in January/February, Knol widely promoted a competition which drew in a lot of views. All views are good views. Instead of people complaining they should be thinking of how to push the sides of the envelope to make Knol bigger.
I have expanded the edges of Knol is many directions, not just commercial. And yet people pick on the commercial aspect as “bad”. Commerce is not bad, and it’s not anti-Knol. Spend more time developing Knol, and less time complaining.
Knol Today Editor said on Sunday, August 30, 2009, 12:01
Will,
Agreed – Nevertheless, people will always complain regarding anything
Commercial aspect is not “bad” – What’s bad is some knol writers that copy-paste Mahalo articles and make it knols that is selling a products (most likely ebooks and affiliate programs) is destructive to knol.
I always have faith to Google Knol (thus born this blog-mag, Knol Today.)