Wikipedia co-founder plans 'expert' rival | CNET News.com

Wikipedia co-founder plans 'expert' rival | CNET News.com: "Wikipedia co-founder plans 'expert' rival
By Stefanie Olsen
Staff Writer, CNET News.com
Published: October 16, 2006, 6:45 PM PDT
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One of Wikipedia's founders and closest critics is launching an alternative to the free online encyclopedia this week.

Larry Sanger, a co-founder of Wikipedia and the site's former editor-in-chief, is launching a rival site called Citizendium. It will include user registration and editorial controls to govern user-submitted articles, unlike the free-for-all submission process that reigns on Wikipedia. With 'gentle' controls in place, Sanger said Citizendium will naturally weed out so-called trolls from posting obscenities or biased information.

'Wikipedia is amazing. It has grown in breadth and depth, and the articles are remarkably good given the system that is in place. I merely think that we can do better,' Sanger said. 'There are a number of problems with the system that can be solved, and by solving those we can end up with an even better massive encyclopedia.'"