The founder of Wikipedia has set Jan. 7 as the launch date for his new search engine, Wikia, according to a report in The Washington Post. The site, which is already operating in beta, hopes to challenge search giant Google by distinguishing itself through four organizing principles:
- Transparency. Openness in how the systems and algorithms operate, both in the form of open source licenses and open content.
- Community. Everyone is able to contribute in some way (as individuals or entire organizations), strong social and community focus.
- Quality. Significantly improve the relevancy and accuracy of search results and the searching experience.
- Privacy. Must be protected, do not store or transmit any identifying data.
[Via Slashdot.]