Yesterday, an alpha version (a very early test version) of Wikia Search launched. It has initially been created by the founder of Wikipedia, and like Wikipedia, the idea is that it will be managed by everyone who uses it (and has the know-how to manage it and has the desire to do something to it). Like with Wikipedia, the belief is that transparency will make it a valuable tool versus the other search engines, like Google and Yahoo. They are based on a model of generating advertising revenue, and they keep very secret the formulas that are used to determine the order that web pages appear in the search listings. (It’s much better to be near the top of the rankings after a search! Corporations and organizations will use all kinds of technical tricks to try to get their websites placed there!)

This is really a revolution in the goal of searching the Internet. Here the goal is to simply help you find what you need and to allow everyone who knows anything about computer programming to contribute to that process.

Read the BBC article.

As of yet, District 21 makes no recommendation about the use of Wikia for yourselves, personally or professionally. Additionally, we have policies that clearly guide us in our use of search engines with students. Our students live in a very different world... as do we...